At Tigchelaar Berry Farm, it’s all in the family

Jeff Tigchelaar, one of the farmers at Tigchelaar Berry Farm said his farm’s appeal is simple, “People love to see a family farm in action.” Started in the late 1960s by Jeff’s parents, the farm was one of the first in the region to offer pick your own fruit to local consumers. The farm is now run by Jeff, his brother and both of their families. As Jeff puts it, he is “a second generation farmer from a family of five kids running the farm with my own five kids.” The pick-your-own is as popular as ever and Jeff and his family also sell pre-picked and custom order berries. Strawberries aren’t the end of the line for the Tigchelaar family - they find a way to keep busy from June to November with peas, tomatoes, assorted peppers (including hot chillis), pickling cucumbers, romano beans, eggplant, apples, pears and more. With a great crew and a friendly atmosphere, picking strawberries at the Tigchelaar Berry Farm is a great way to spend the afternoon. Melissa Tigchelaar explained that what she loves about the farm is that she gets to work with the entire family, side by side, all year long. She loves having her family around and the satisfaction of growing great food their customers appreciate makes the hard work
worthwhile. When asked about the challenges facing Ontario Farm families today, Melissa acknowledged that it can be very difficult to compete with imports from California or China. The rising price of fuel and, consequently, other resources paired with unpredictable weather only makes farming harder. She remains optimistic, however, and is certain that the imports are unable to compete with the quality of locally produced food like theirs. And so, the Tigchelaar family will continue producing delicious fruit and quality vegetables for another season. To pay
them a visit, swing by the farm at 1280 Henderschot Road, Hannon. 905 692 4556.