Changes are cropping up in the local saskatoon berry scene.
The 11-acre Rutherford orchard, located near Grosse Isle, recently changed hands from long-time owner Wendy Rutherford to Jeff and Amy Spruyt. The Spruyts are now running the operation — which they’ve renamed Meridian Saskatoons — with help from their kids, 12-year-old Emily and eight-year-old Brady.
“Talk about lovely timing. It was getting to be physically too much — the pruning and the picking rocks and dealing with the weeds,” said Rutherford, who recently retired and moved to the city.
“Because we had other orchards, harvest was a two-week slog, so it was time.”
For the past dozen years, Rutherford had been running the saskatoon berry orchard along with her brother Rick. The Rutherford orchard was originally part of a consortium known as Interlake Saskatoons, which also included growers from several other local orchards— many of which are also undergoing changes.
“In the early days, the bushes were really low. People sat on five-gallon pails and picked from there,” Rutherford recalled.
“I loved being in the orchard. It’s a little piece of paradise. It’s in the middle of the field, so it’s quiet. I really enjoyed working there and I really enjoyed the people. It was just lovely to connect with people in a place like that.”
Although she’ll miss her time in the orchard, Rutherford is still on hand to help ease the transition for the Spruyts, who will be managing their first full harvest this year.
“Last year, we did a bit of a transition where I still worked with them and showed them the ropes. I’ll help out while they get their feet wet in this whole process,” Rutherford said.
“They’ve got so many skills and they’re connected to so many people. I think it’s going to be just wonderful for them.”
For Amy Spruyt, it’s familiar ground since she has been working at Rutherford Farms for nearly five years.
“As Wendy started to discuss and prepare for retirement, she had Jeff and I start helping and learning about the orchard,” Spruyt said.
“Once we decided it was a task we wanted to take on as a family, we started taking over for Wendy so she could enjoy her retirement.”
Although they’ve been involved in grain farming, saskatoon berries are a new venture for the Spruyt family.
“Our children Emily and Brady love being out in the orchard. They come out to help prune and clean things up in the early summer. Emily also helped on our processing line for the first time last summer,” Spruyt said. “They love chasing all the rabbits out there and catching frogs.”
As they embrace their new role, the family looks forward to meeting all the customers while also continuing to provide berries from the orchard to individuals and businesses across Canada and the United States.
“We offer pre-sold bulk berries, fresh sales during harvest in the form of five-pound pails and 10-pound boxes,” Spruyt said.
“We hope to offer a U-pick this year. It will just depend on how wet it is out there and the accessibility. We are currently working on finding a local retailer to have our berries available for purchase.”
The benefits of saskatoon berries are bountiful, she added.
“They are delicious and very healthy for you,” she said. “Our daughter loves to use them in baking, and we all just enjoy eating them any way they are prepared.”
To keep up to date with the local orchard on social media, follow Manitoba Saskatoons on Facebook or @meridiansaskatoons on Instagram.
Tribune Photos Submitted
