Marlin and Deb Peters took over the Peters’ family farm in 2009 and they’ve been planting a community based market garden ever since with an estimated 20,000 onions in the ground this spring.
“This all started with my parents Walter and Erna Peters who grew a garden alongside their grain farm back in the late 1970s….” says Marlin.
It is of course seasonal and intensive work so help is of the essence.
“We have one or two full-time helpers and twelve to fourteen casual assistants,” says Peters. He says there’s about eight acres of farmland devoted to the vegetable market garden while a 2,000 sq. foot greenhouse is where some of the garden plants are started.
Peters says the heat has been fantastic for plant growth and the humidity aids in the germination. “It is like a rainforest out here.”
Peters adds that they are very fortunate because a lot of areas have had very little rain.
He and his crew of planters and pickers attend many farmers' markets in the area. They usually head out to Virden, Souris, Brandon and Oak Lake Beach with a truckload of produce that’s ready to eat.
When it comes to the water supply at the farm, they are right along the creek where the water runs every spring. “Our reserve is generally not adequate as we have had a full season of drought before, but it does help with irrigation options.”
They have no animals on their farm as there’s not enough time left at the end of the day to accommodate livestock as well. The preparing and pre-planting workload process normally starts in April or the end of April depending on what kind of spring it was. “By late October we are hoping to have everything harvested and done.”
Peters Market Garden is located approximately five miles north of Virden; about four miles of that being gravel.
For this year, their customized veggie boxes will be available for pickup or home delivery in Virden, Elkhorn, Oak Lake, Brandon, Moosomin, Maryfield and Kola. These veggie boxes will run from June 29 to September 1. Peters says the veggie boxes subscription has been very successful.
