From the Cultivating Our Communities Stories series BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek
Customers hungry for local fresh strawberries, following health safety guidelines, and supporting Schwartz Orchard’s retail stores in Centralia and Mount Vernon make Tom Schwartz optimistic — even after a long day picking berries. “The millennials, they’re coming out to the country to get product. They’re talking to growers and seeing the (fruit) trees. It’s really straight from the farm to the table. It’s going to be hard for them to go back (to old shopping habits). I’m very optimistic. I wish I was 25 again,” Schwartz said Wednesday night after a 4:30 a.m. start in his strawberry field.
In addition to strawberries, the Marion County specialty grower grows a variety of fruit, including blackberries, peaches, and apples. He also grows tomatoes and pumpkins.
Bakeries at both retail stores offer cider donuts year-round and foods made with seasonal fruits, including strawberry shortcakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, cobblers, and gourmet candy apples. Customers can also buy award-winning cider and Schwartz’s own Schweet Juice made with different types of fruit. Both stores are open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Since opening at the end of April, Schwartz estimated retail business has doubled or tripled compared to last year. Customers have driven from as far as Champaign, and more local residents are shopping, too.
Early during the pandemic, the grower planned how to implement Center for Disease Control safety standards. Currently, mask-wearing customers wait outside as baked goods and fruit are brought to them. “They get out of their cars, wearing masks. They patiently stand in line. They get their orders and leave,” he explained.
With the increased demand, it is fortunate Schwartz is experiencing a good strawberry season that he hoped would last a little longer, weather permitting. While Wednesday’s temperatures soared into the 90s, the grower worried about the early heat and possible storms.
Retail sales have been strong, but the pandemic altered some wholesale markets for Schwartz’s fruit juice. A distillery that bought Schwartz’s juice is now making hand sanitizer. However, grocery stores are selling his apple juice, and he’s calling on microbreweries in St. Louis, Missouri, and wineries.
Looking ahead, Schwartz predicted consumers will continue to want local, fresh food, especially after tasting local products. “It’s a good trend,” he said. “I’m very optimistic.”
