30 SWEET potato trials revealing


production of plugs has been ramped up domestically, rather than relying on US suppliers. The one drawback of the slips is that tubers tend to develop a spiral rather than straight form. “They get a bit spinny, curly-looking instead of being nice straight ones,” he said. “Probably next year, I’ll just direct plant them.” Sweet potato isn’t the only crop


Knechtel has been exploring. Broccoli and lettuces are also on his radar, and a test plot of heritage apple varieties sourced from Salt Spring Island is helping him expand his orchard. Early Wynoochee, a dessert apple, is one he thinks has potential. “It’s one of my more-favourite varieties right now, and I’m doing a big block of them out back,” he says. “It always takes a bit to get something like that to sell, but once you start selling it, it’s easy. … There’s no point in growing any of the regular varieties around here because they’re so cheap.”


The trials have been an important


part of becoming familiar with the seven-acre property, discovering not only its potential but what consumers in the Lower Mainland will buy. “There will be a lot more trials of


stuff. We just have to find out stuff that grows well here,” he says.


The consolidation of operations in


Cawston will also mean changes. The family business goes back to 1985 when Ken and Elke Knechtel launched Perennial Gardens (originally Rainforest Gardens) in Maple Ridge. A shift to edible produce began with the


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0 CLAAS % First and Still Foremost. Erik Knechtel is pleased with his field of sweet potatoes in Cawston. PETER MITHAM PHOTO


opening of Red Barn Produce. In 2014, the Knechtels acquired The Vinegar


Works in Cawston from John Gordon and Kim Stansfield, and stage was set


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • SEPTEMBER 2018 nfrom page 29


to relocate to the Interior. This year, the Knechtels shut down


Perennial Gardens and focused on winding down the produce stand, which also hosted sorting and packing of produce for distribution to members of its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and at the Coquitlam farmers’ market. These operations will be handled out of Cawston in 2019, overseen by Ken and Elke, who will also focus on The Vinegar Works while Erik will continue to focus on managing the farm’s day- to-day operations. With fresh produce accounting for 85% of the farm’s sales, Knechtel is looking for ways to keep produce flowing to consumers. Giving up direct sales would mean narrower margins, but working with wholesalers is one option he’s considering to serve markets in the Lower Mainland. “We’ve seen growth of between 20% and 50% every year in produce sales,” he says. “[But] it’s hard to get away, and things start piling up. I’m running this place by myself.” Working with local produce stands such as Parsons Farm Market in Keremeos is another option, allowing him to capitalize on consumer interest in buying local without sacrificing the amount of time he needs to tend the crops those consumers want. While he could hire people, good,


reliable help is hard to find. “It’s taken six years to really understand this property, where everything works,” he says. “It took longer to figure out ways to cut back on labour.”


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