I was raised on locally grown Michigan produce,
and it’s nice to know there is a nearby place where I can still get those high
quality products. Eating locally is easy when you can shop at a place like Gleis, just south of Jonesville Michigan.
I
recently took my Hillsdale College Horticulture class to visit Gleis and meet
with staff horticulturalist Chris Witschen.
We were eager to learn the ideas and practices that has kept this green
business thriving for ninety-four years.
Chris described how he has stayed abreast of trends in the plant
business throughout his career, which has spanned over 30 years.
After going through a
period of expansion during the mid 1980’s, the greenhouse business has had its
ups and downs in Michigan, along with the general economy. Chris explained the current market emphasis
is on low-maintenance, high impact plants, such as wave petunias. It is not as common these days as it once was
to see people growing large flower beds and gardens, but there is a big demand
for easy care plants and containerized plantings. Chris described Gleis selection as a balance
between the “bread and butter” items that everyone likes year in and year out, and
new plant varieties coming from the breeders to appeal to people’s desire for
something unique. Gleis still provides perennials
and more unusual plants for their loyal specialty-customers who often travel
some distance every year to visit the nursery.
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| Be Still My Heart! :) |
The consumer market’s
diversity of interest is also reflected in the apple varieties grown in the
orchard. Most of Gleis customers buy a
few types of popular apples, such as McIntosh, Fuji and Gala, and the regional darling
Honeycrisp. But Gleis carries over 30
varieties of apples, including the old favorite Northern Spy. Chris said he had one customer who comes up from
Indiana to the orchard every year to get this variety for her pies.
Another trend in plant sales Chris mentioned is an increased
interest in home vegetable gardening, due to taste, economic and food safety
concerns. Gleis has started carrying
more variety of vegetable plants in recent years. They also grow vegetable crops to sell for
their summer farm stand. But there’s even
more to love at Gleis! You can find
indoor potted plants and flower arrangements, as well as many food items
including cheese, nuts, preserves and maples syrup. They sell items to decorate your indoor and
outdoor spaces for holidays too, including Christmas trees and pumpkins, Easter
lilies and poinsettias.
When I asked Chris if Gleis had any interest in the organic
movement, he emphasized his company uses a variety of non-chemical techniques
for controlling pests, such as crop rotation and companion planting. This is part of their integrated pest
management philosophy. It makes economic
sense for them to use methods of crop management that prevent pest problems
before they require a lot of chemical inputs.
He felt that USDA Organic certification was an impractical process due to
many cumbersome hoops to jump through, such as the requirement that fields go
without pesticides for three years before being awarded the certification. That’s a difficult business model to follow
and I have heard this complaint from many small growers over the years. The policies and politics of “organic” in
this country are a fascinating study, but that’s another article! Meanwhile, as
I always say, best to seek out your local producers and get to know them and
their practices. They are usually happy
to share!!
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