“Pick-Your-Own” Business Started From A Youth Project
BY HELEN KELCHNER
Columbia Co. Staff Correspondent
Laßue Sutliff of Shickshinny
R.D. #3 was nine years old in 1944.
He grew a small patch of tomatoes
on his Dad’s farm and made
enough to buy a Farmall “A”
tractor. The following year he
expanded enough to buy a Farmall
Super “C.”
By the time he graduated from
high school, his tomato profits
financed a truck and car. That was
1954 when shipping prices were up
and growing costs were down at
least compared to present day
economy.
The 19 year old, already in
business ten years, had his eye on a
120 acre neighboring farm. The soil
was good and well suited to
tomatoes. The buildings, however,
were in bad shape. The house
needed a roof just to make it
habitable.
Undaunted by the negatives, he
bought the farm in 1958, and along
with new wife Katie, proceeded to
make a home. They did most of the
work themselves.
The Sutliffs put out a tomato
crop, even expanded acreage, and
added strawberries as a second
crop. Both harvests were shipped.
Katie and Laßue Sutliff stand in front of a lush blossoming
potato field.
A half acre pond in front of the Sutliff house reflects the lovely setting of the restored
farm house. When Sutliff bought the farm in 1958, at age 19, the buildings were badly in
need of repair, but the soil on the 120 acre farm is just what he was looking for to grow
tomatoes.
Laßue’s Dad, Willard, was and
still is a “green pack” tomato
packer and broker. So, the
tomatoes had a ready and handy
market.
The next 14 years were good
enough to Sutliffs that they were
comfortable with the tomato
• business. They had a girl and two
boys, Terry, Robert and Timmy.
Then, in 1972, hurricane Agnes
created a tomato growers night
mare. Sutliff lost most of his crop.
He decided right then that a one
large crop operation was not wise.
He needed staggered crops. He
also figured that if he could
eliminate the labor of picking, he
could strengthen his investment in
two areas.
He launched into (what was
then) a relatively new marketing
method, a pick-your-own yegetable
business. Strawberries and other
low growing fruit had been popular
by this method, but pick-your-own
vegetables were rare.
Sutliff worked his operation into
nearly a dozen small and
staggered plantings. He continued
growing small acreage of tomatoes
and strawberries and added snap
beans, limas, corn, peas,
cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage,
je bought his first tractor when he was nine years old (see first tractor). A Farmall
"A”, he still uses it every day even though he has added to his tractor power with other
models. His equipment is kept in good repair, repainted when needed, both of which
•entiibute to his overall economy.
potatoes and pumpkins. He soon
discovered he could get a good
return on his investment and the
customer provided the labor in
return for fresh and reasonably
priced produce.
Although he has cut back this
year, he says there were times
when the strawberry patch drew
1.000 people per day. He figures a
5.000 quart per acre yield is a good
strawberry crop.
LaEue says all but about ten
percent of his yield is harvested by
customers. The balance is picked
with the help of neighboring
children and marketed locally.
Additional acreage is rented
running from 40 to 80 acres. In
dividual plantings run from 1% to 3
acres with five acres of potatoes
being the exception.
Staggered plantings extend the
harvest season and provide LaEue
control over the demand.
Strawberries run from June 1 to
the second week of July.
Peas and beans run from late
June into August. Corn begins in
August with the cabbage family
from late summer to early fall.
Potatoes and pumpkins come last
extending to frost. Laßue avoids
early varieties because of killing
frosts and customer canning
habits.
Sutliff finds a 3 or 4 year rotation
works best for his plantings. After
a crop is finished, he seeds with
oats and alfalfa the following year.
The second year, the plot is seeded
with just alfalfa. (These two crops
are harvested and sold.) The
fourth year its ready for the
vegetable, but not the same one
that immediately preceded the
rotation. The only exception to
every year rotation is the
strawberry crop which is left stand
3 or 4 years.
Laßue is proud to admit that the
22 year old Farmall “A” is still run
every day. Although he has added
three additional tractors over the
years to those first two wluch he
bought as a young boy, he would
find it difficult to get along without
the “A.” It’s small andmaneuvers
well in vegetable rows.
He says his machinery is not
new, but he keeps it in good repair,
protects it with paint and doesn’t
abuse it.
The Sutliffs stress equipment
maintenance as a primary
economy measure. With the ex
ception of an occasional major
overhaul, Laßue does all
mechanical repairs. Fiberglass
bodies completed the maintenance
on two Jeeps a 1946 and a 1964.
These are valuable vehicles when
traveling to supervise pickers in
various patches. They are small
and move easily over rough
terrain.
Other cost cutting measures are
practiced in domestic heat and hot
water. Sutliff is in the process of
erecting a solar panel to heat
water during summer months.
During the winter, heat and hot
water are provided by a wood
burning furnace. With a backup oil
furnace, Laßue estimates that 99
percent of his winter needs are met
by wood.
Laßue and Katie feel our
country could go a long way to
satisfy its fuel needs and eliminate
emission pollution if more effort
was put forth in clean fuel
production. Several years ago they
experimented with alcohol
production, a clean efficient fuel
which, under more extensive
conditions, could be produced
cheaply. With their small distiller,
they can turn out five gallons an
hour at about $1.50 per gallon.
They found the easily grown fodder
(or sugar) beet ideal. These beets
grow to the size of footballs (10 to
12 lbs.) and have the necessary
sugar content to make good fuel.
The beet does not require cooking
for the distilling process as some
other grains do. Sutliffs have also
used com and potatoes with good
results.
Katie feels with the many, many
acres of land laying idle, such
production would give the land
owner a profitable crop and our
pollution problem would be greatly
reduced. Carbon dioxide and water
result from spent alcohol.
Sutliffs have used this fuel in
small motors on the farm with
success. However, the present
price of gasoline doesn’t justify
their small fuel operation.
A half acre pond in front of the
house reflects the lovely restored
farm buildings. Migrating birds
occasionally make a stop-over, but
the domestic ducks discourage the
intruders. Most of the farm is
situated on gently rolling hills. On
a day when temperatures reached
90 degrees, there was a pleasant
breeze sweeping up from
surrounding woodland.
Laßue purchased an irrigation
system (the year he graduated) for
$7,000. A' six acre pond provides
water for the extensive irrigation
system. Watering is done at night
for the pickers protection and for
better plant protection and ab
sorption. Irrigation is vital when
frost threatens the strawberries.
When irrigation is necessary,
Laßue can count on a 24 hour job.
During the day, he sets up for the
following night in addition to his
other work of spraying,
cultivating, customers, etc. The
Sutliff children are grown and live
off the farm, but they lend a hand
when Laßue and Katie can’t
handle an overload.
The Sutliffs have seen a drop in
the pick-your-own popularity in the
last few years. Several factors
could contribute to this decline.
One, which may have discouraged
many people from venturing into
the outdoors for such activities as
food gathering, is the pesky gnat
(or Black Fly) which has been
increasing in numbers with each
passing year. This year for the
first, DER has treated the
Susquehanna River where the gnat
hatches.
These bi-weekly treatments
have provided startling relief from
this pest which drove many people
indoors. It’s possible that old
habits can be relearned and for
mer pickers will again find
pleasure and satisfaction in
picking their own vegetables and
fruits.
Another factor which Laßue has
observed is that most pickers
drawn to this type of marketing
are older people the depression
generation while the younger
population is more accustomed to
prepackaged foods. This changing
generation may mean a changing
market. The next few years will
determine the value of this type of
business.
In the meantime, Sutliff feels all
farmers should cut back
production and continue to cut
back to where demand provides a
satisfactory return for investment.
He says if you can’t make money
on 50 acres, there’s less to be made
on 100 acres and here is where
many farmers get into trouble.
Money is borrowed to expand a
borderline operation only to add to
the glut already on the market.
The end result, no one gets an
acceptable return on effort and
investment.