-Grower and Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 8,2001 194 Varner Farm A Favorite Stop (Continued from Page 1) trees for Rob. When he grew old enough to take over the farm, then, he and his father planted acres of Scotch Pine in the spring of 1993. His first experience with the trees gave him a few important les sons. “I planted too many trees all at once,” he said. “I also didn’t know our market. We’re primarily a Douglas Fir and Frasier Fir market.” For other growers, Varner recommends calling other landscape, nursery, or Christmas tree operations before planting. "Get to know your market base and what your customers want,” he said. Today the farm hosts 10 fields that are seven acres apiece. A field, after it is opened for cutting, is cut for two years. Each Christmas the Varners open a new “block” of trees. After the ninth year of use the stumps are cleared, the ground is rototilled, and pumpkins are planted. Ac cording to Varner a tree re quires seven years to grow six to nine feet. A Variety Of Offerings From Easter flowers to field mums to Christmas ar rangements the flowers, either loose or finished, not only decorate the store but are for sale much of the year. Pottery, crafts, and craft sup plies are also part of the store. Annuals, perennials, or hang Quality Vegetable Implements PLANET JR. Vegetable Drill SITREX Fertilizer Spreader ' i For literature and the name of ymjr local dealer, contact Branch Warehouses j.s. wogdhoun co.. sinc» i«43 Lewtsberry, PA 717*938-5100 IXIOODHOUfG Syracuse, NY 315-463-5201 P.O. Box 1169,1314 Union Street, West Springfield, MA 01090 (413) 736-5462 • FAX (413) 732-3786 Waterville, ME 207-873-3288 www.jswoodhouse.com email; info@jswoodhouse.com ing baskets are also offered. Approximately 300 plants are sold as nursery stock for landscape operations by ap pointment. The flowers are a contribu tion of Christine, Varner’s wife. Christine, from Schuyl kill County, has grown flo wers since she was a freshman in college and also ran her own dried flower shop for six years. She has since put her business and flower expertise to work at the family store. The couple met at a produce auction. Pick-your-own strawber ries are one of the summer’s first offerings. Tree-ripened peaches, 12 acres of them, also provide picking opportu nity for visitors. Christine and Bob also make peach and strawberry jam to stock store shelves. In addition five hives pro vide honey for the store. If customers can’t visit the orchards during the summer, fall brings a time to pick your-own apples. A cider press provides the fall drink for customers to try for 35 cents a glass, or to take home in larger quantities. To test the several varieties of apples offered, customers may buy an apple for 45 cents. Two tractor-drawn wagons and two teams of Belgian horses take visitors to seven acres of pumpkin patch, where they select their own pumpkins. The Varners have four full time employees who have a HOWARD Rotavator short break after the rush of Christmas season before coming back to work Jan. 10, when they begin pruning apple trees, plan and orga nize for the coming year, complete maintenance or construction jobs, or split and sell firewood. Plans for the upcoming season include im plementing the vertical axis system on the pick-your-own peach and apple trees. Fieldwork begins in March. “As soon as we can get in the field, we’ll start dig ging,” said Varner. “We used to be open just at Christmastime,” said Varner. “In 1987 I was going to start strawberries. I had the ground worked up and I missed the window for get ting them in, so I started re search for a crop that I could still get in, so I planted pumpkins,” he said. The pumpkin season was aug mented by cider, as the Varners started pressing and selling their own cider, and a multi-seasonal business was launched. “We decided to open for the spring market and expand,” Varner said, “Now we usually kick off with Easter flowers. We try to market just what we grow that’s just the way we’ve always wanted to do it.” Besides the pumpkin people, or the variety of gourds, or the cider press, or double-fenced petting zoo, a cornstalk and hay bale maze entertains - children on the farm. POWELL Transplanter Spider Cultivator TMW. W Weekends bring the oppor tunity for children to paint their own pumpkin or make their own scarecrow. During the week the Varners also host school tours. After stu dents are taken on hay rides around the farm they are given a small pumpkin. “We talk about the history of the farm,” said Varner. “We tell them about the crops on the farm, how long it takes for things to grow, or the benefits of trees.” Not only providing an ex perience but also adding agri culture education is important. “We try to teach as much as we can about farming,” said Varner, who hopes to use the horses for plowing demonstrations. Christmas Is Coming “Once October is over, there is a mad rush for two weeks to switch everything to Christmas,” said Varner. The business is open seven days a week for the Christ mas season. To beat the holiday rush, the Varners put up Christ mas trees in their own home early in the season. “Last year we put five trees in the house,” he said. Twenty men and approxi mately eight women help part- time during the Christ mas crunch time. “At Christmas time, we have backup of everything. We have to keep things moving. We may do several hundred trees on a Saturday. Everything will run smoothly as long as we don’t get backed up on in one area.” Buying a Christmas tree at COLE/POWELL Planter Mulcher/Mower the farm fits into their enter tainment farm idea. The Varners and employees work to make their customers’ tree-picking venture a true holiday experience. “We provide them with a saw and take them to the fields,” said Varner. Customers cut the tree and bring to the loading station. The trees are shaken with a shaker to get rid of the dead needles before the tree is pulled through a string baler to ready it for easy handling and transport. Workers will also drill a hole in the bottom of the tree so it will sit straight up on a peg on a spe cial tree stand. When visitors return to the store they hear the strains of Christmas carols and may take some of the free hot chocolate and hot cider, be sides a coloring book for the children, that are offered. Besides the Christmas shop and holiday displays in the store, a train display in the second floor of the store is a draw. January Planning January is a month to look back, reflect, and readjust. “A big part of January is de ciding what worked and what we did well. We sit down with key employees to try to find the weaknesses and strengths and build on the strengths to try to do better. “You are going to make a mistake. You just have to move on, you can’t ever give up. “My grandfather used to say, any overnight success takes a minimum of 20 years. (Turn to Page 3) BUCKEYE Mulch Layer *-*;••: V*o f -. . *M ' '* * **?(< > BUCKEYE Bed Shaper * r We offer a wide range of tractor implements for your vegetable farming needs. Please call or write for literature (specify product) and the name of your local dealer.
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