The Willard, Ohio, growing area had some extremely dry growing conditions this spring and early summer, but local growers say that helps them produce the best quality vegetables for their customers.
Willard-based Buurma Farms Inc. offers a selection of more than two dozen vegetables, most of which will be available by the end of June, said company President Chad Buurma.
The company doesn’t focus on any particular commodities.
“I like to think we specialize in all of them,” Buurma said. “It gives our customer base the opportunity for almost one-stop shopping.”
He did say that a couple of items introduced about three seasons ago — napa cabbage and bok choy — seem to have found favor with consumers and continue to experience sales growth.
Throughout June, Buurma Farms was introducing items like radishes, dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage and yellow squash. Cucumbers were expected to be available by June 26.
The last volume item will be sweet corn, which should be available around July 20.
The 127-year-old family-owned company serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers primarily east of the Mississippi and prides itself on speedy deliveries.
“We can get to our customers overnight almost anywhere,” Buurma said.
Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. offers a full line of vegetables year-round, said Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing and one of four owners of the family-run business.
The company’s lead items include dry vegetables, like bell peppers, cucumbers, squashes, eggplant and green beans, and a full line of chili peppers.
The company has been expanding its organic footprint over the past five years.
Four or five customers are interested in the grower’s organic cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini squash and yellow squash, which are available from May into fall, Holthouse said.
The company learned in the late 1980s that it pays to offer vegetables year-round from Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan, as well as Ohio, he said.
“During the non-Ohio season, we can keep a number of people employed and keep a portion of our customer base going,” Holthouse said.
The company’s ability to offer year-round, one-stop shopping for retail, foodservice and wholesale customers for many items has been increasing every year, he added.
Willard-based Wiers Farm Inc. has a diverse lineup of products grown, packed and shipped in Ohio, said Hunter Wiers, who handles fresh produce procurement and sales.
Dry vegetables include bell peppers, slicer cucumbers, pickles, summer squashes, eggplant, specialty and hot peppers, and sweet corn. Wet vegetables include lettuces, greens and herbs.
“In total, we are harvesting over 30 different vegetable commodities in Ohio,” Wiers said.
The company has made several significant upgrades to its Ohio facility over the past few years to “provide value to our customers 12 months a year,” he said.
The firm’s Ohio location acts as a consolidation and cross-dock facility for its other growing locations in Georgia, Florida and Mexico.
“We are now shipping a full lineup of dry vegetables and a limited lineup of wet vegetables 52 weeks a year, executing unique delivered programs across the Midwest and East Coast,” Wiers said.
The fifth-generation family-owned company was established in 1896 and serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers.
“Doing business with Wiers Farm allows for customers to deal directly with the grower for over 30 commodities,” he said.
Good news from dry conditions
Growing conditions in Willard were extremely dry this season, growers said. But they’re not complaining.
“We’re better dry farmers than we are wet farmers,” Buurma said. “We can control the water and the quality a little bit better.”
But he said he did not recall such dry conditions in early June in past years. June weather this season was more like August or September.
“We’re in near-drought conditions,” he said.
Temperatures were not excessive, despite the dry weather.
“It’s been in the mid-70s every day,” Buurma said.
He was pleased with the condition of the crops, saying that “the quality is outstanding right now.”
Holthouse Farms also experienced dry growing conditions, Holthouse said, “which is a good thing.”
“We are much better off being dry than we are being wet, because we can always add water,” he said. “It provides a much better quality for us.”
Vegetables coming in from other growing areas were looking good in early June, he said, as the company awaited the harvest of its Ohio-grown commodities.
“This year was unique in that we had a very dry start to the year,” Wiers said. “We typically see wet weather during our planting window, but were blessed with ideal conditions.”
All crops were on schedule for typical harvest, he said.
“In particular, our plastic culture items have responded well to the dry, warm weather,” he added. “Quality looks excellent across the board.”
