Summer's bounty a boon for farmers and consumers in Waterloo region: Andrew Coppolino

Farmers in Waterloo region can agree that the summer is shaping up to produce a good crop of fruits and vegetables.

Mother Nature, for the most part, has been cooperative, though there were times when things were touch-and-go.

"Weather conditions were great at the beginning of summer. It was dry and hot which is what the vegetables needed," said Trevor Herrle-Braun of Herrle's Country Farm Market in St. Agatha.

"We were able to irrigate everything we needed to, so that was a blessing. Then we got into some really cold temperatures the last couple of nights, and that hasn't helped ripen things as fast as we would like."

Most consumers take for granted that display coolers of fresh produce at grocery stores will be stocked and farmers' market stalls overflowing with local fruit and vegetables, but that's only after area farmers have toiled long and hard and often against uncontrollable conditions.

Weather plays a big role

This year's asparagus season was cut short by drought-like conditions, according to Tim Barrie at Barrie's Asparagus Farm and Country Market in North Dumfries. However, it foreshadows things to come, given the way the plants have ferned out.

"I've never seen asparagus ferns look like we have now. They've never looked as good, so every indication is that next season will be great," says Barrie.

Barrie's also grows broccoli, cauliflower, kale, onions and potatoes.

"All these crops look great. I've never seen kale like this and the potatoes will be unreal because of recent rain," Barrie added.

In New Hamburg, Jennifer Pfenning compares this summer to that of 2018, with drought followed by rain.

"It looked like that cycle had resulted in some serious disease issues for us, but thankfully that has backed off," Pfenning said.

"But the weeds have really grown. It's like they're on steroids and that has meant a lot of manual labour in weeding."

Recent rain has ensured at least one happy outcome, according to Pfenning: superlative broccoli.

"They don't like drought, so what we have is big, sweet broccoli with an amazing flavour profile. They're spectacular," Pfenning said.

Shannon Gmach of Gmach Gardens says spring was cold and delayed crops but then the weather got really hot and dry.

"We would have been in a lot of trouble if we didn't have irrigation at that point," according to Gmach, who sells a range of produce at Kitchener Market and at their Saturday farm-market store.

"It's definitely a good growing season now. Everything is alive and well this summer."

The farm on Huron Road in Petersburg grows asparagus, rhubarb, green onions, some strawberries, lettuces and spinach as the early crop.

Three varieties of kale have formed a dense, small forest of green and red leaves; nearby, leeks, onions and potatoes will soon make their way to consumers.

"We'll have carrots, beets and a bit of parsley root ready and more things will be coming along soon," she said.

With the heat helping them grow, she's particularly excited about watermelons ready to come out of the fields: she recently erected some scarecrows and whirligigs to frighten off birds.

"The crows have discovered the melons," Gmach said.

Crows aside, Gmach notes the stresses, both on the farmer and the crops, citing that field corn in the area has suffered some serious damage from cutworm but adds that their sweet corn is on schedule and will be at the market this week, or soon after. 

Corn is 'seasonal royalty' at some farms 

At Herrle's, corn is seasonal royalty: it's available in three varieties, says Herrle-Braun with different flavours and sweetness and varying harvest times.

"We always try to have three kinds. The Gourmet Sweet, which people are very familiar with, is very, very sweet tender kernels and keeps about five to seven days in your fridge with the husk on," he said.

Other varieties include a yellow corn that is similar to the Gourmet Sweet in terms of taste and texture.

"Then you have the SE," said Herrle-Braun, adding "the sugar-enhanced varieties which are going to have more of a corn flavour, and a much more tender kernel. You probably want to eat it the day it is picked in order to keep that freshness."

As they did last year, corn sold inside Herrle's is pre-bagged due to customer-distancing protocols and the pandemic (but there are bins of loose cobs outside).

Regardless of where you buy corn, look for a bright green husk and feel for a rounded tip when buying corn.

"It gives you an idea of a nice healthy cob," Herrle-Braun said.

"You have to trust your farmer that they're doing the right thing pandemic-wise and making it easy for you."

The summer season is a relatively short one and makes demands on the farming community: that's over and above the concerns with cooperative weather.

'Peak season'

Many farmers need a second income to keep their household afloat, and hopes of purchasing more land for sons and daughters to farm — land which is disappearing as urbanization encroaches on agricultural land — are dashed by skyrocketing land prices.

They also battle cheaper imported produce and struggle against basic farming and food "illiteracy" among many consumers.

And yet, farmers persevere. Regardless of what produce you select and whether you buy it from a farmers' market, a grocery store selling Ontario produce or a farm-market store, the summer season is sending consumers a beautiful bounty, according to these area farmers.

"We're at peak season, so everything is coming along. Peak corn season, peas, beans, peaches, plums and all the Niagara fruit, Herrle-Braun said.

"It's the best time to live in Ontario."