Mum farm
cause the undergrowth (new
shoota) to come up too early
during a warm spell.then
turn brown during a frost.
In fact, explained Krelder,
mums often do better with a
northern exposure because it
prevents them from coming
out of their dormant stage
too soon and exposing their
new shoots to late frosts.
The Kreiders mulch their
plants early, usually in June,
to preserve the moisture in
the soil and to keep the
weeds down. The mulch they
use, composed of tobacco
leaf ribs, sawdust, and peat,
also helps to keep insects
awav from the plants.
300 Varieties
Started as a hobby,
growing mums became a
business for the Kreiders
about 1960 after years of
being pressured by local
people to expand their flower
cultivation and retail the
plants.
Contlnutd Irom fi|« 70
Now an important part of
the farm work - they also
raise ducks, chickens, hogs
and steers • the over 300
varieties of mums take a lot
of care and work, but its
worth it, according to the
family.
Utilizing no outside help,
Harold and Esther Krelder
with their son and daughter
work hard and long to keep
the farm going but, said
Krelder, “We wouldn’t be in
this business if we dind’t like
it."
Their daughter, Linda who
studied flower arranging at
Brownstown Vo-Tech, does
all the dried flower
arrangements that are sold
in the small retail shop
adjacent to the house.
Esther Kreider fills the
shop with her handicrafts:
terrycloth animals, canopy
doll beds made from cigar
boxes, egg carton creations
and “granny punkins,” plus
pot' impleted and
gourd*, thoy wen much
larger then the onea grown
the previous leaaon.
Realizing they had
hybridized themselves,
Kreider decided to continue'
the procedure each year so
he would always have some
of the large gourds for use as
fresh flower containers.
The October Flower
The mum farm is a riot of
fall color about mid-October
when most of the flowers
have reached the peak of'
perfection. That’s when the
number of visitors to the
farm reaches its peak, too.
“On a nice Sunday in
October, we have had as
many as 1000 visitors,"
Kreider told us.
We had noticed some signs
posted explaining the
family’s policy of no Sunday
sales. We wondered, if the
visitors come from every
state in the union, as Esther
Kreider had told us, did the
family run into any problems
with people who had come a
long way to purchase flowers
on Sunday?
"Not often," answered
Kreider: "People usually
understand. We figure we
work hard she days a week
and want the seventh as a
day of rest.
“Sometimes, they’ll lay
down the money and tell us
to pick it up on Monday," he
continued.
' But that’s not the way they
work A and even if they risk
offending some people who
refuse to take "no" for an
answer, they intend to
continue their policy pf “No
Sunday Sales."
“We could do a tremen
dous business on Sunday, but
it’s not worth it." said
Kreider. "After a busy week,
it’s our only chance to Just
visit with people. We meet a
lot of nice people in this
business."
Autumn Show
The Kreiders are now
getting ready for their
flowers’ annual show. It
takes place about the same
time every year: mid-
October.
“Most of our mums bl
ncaster Farming, Saturday, Oct 4,1975—75
around the 15th," said
Kreider and explained there
are some varieties that
bloom in September but
often during heat that takes
the color out of them.
Later blooming mums
sometimes bloom so late that
they are in danger of
freezing, he said. That’s why
they prefer the mid-October
blooms at the mum farm.
“We’ve had some for 20
years (of the same variety)
and tneir blooming time
changes by only a week at
the most each year," noted
Kreider.
They usually tell their
customers to plan on coming
the weekend closest to the
15th of the month to catch the
mums at their brightest.
“When we see the ex
pressions on people’s faces
as they lode at the displays,
it’s all worth it,” Kreider
said, and he spoke for the
rest of his family as well.
The mum farm is open
from dawn to dusk every day
except Saturday when it
closes to the public at 9 p.m.
Visitor* are welcomed to
come see the Kreiders and
their mums onSundays, too.
"No Sunday Sales" .. Just
visiting.
Another item ottered at the>
shop is an unusual container
(or fresh flowers. Made of a'
lak-ge gourd that has been
hollowed out and coated with
shellac, the gourds are'so
popular that the Kreiders.
are hard pressed to produce
the 60 to 100 often snapped up
by customers in one day. ■
fresh flowers. Most of her
hand-made items are over
the winter when the farm (
chores aren’t as time
consuming.
Filled with cut fioqrera, tne
lovely fall arrangements
make welcome gifts for shut
ins or as table decorations.
82 countries have youth
programs similar to 4-H,
with an enrollment of ap
proximately 5 million.