Wiers Farm celebrates 117th year of operation during 2013
Wiers Farm celebrates 117th year of operation during 2013
Wiers Farm is celebrating its 117th year of operation during 2013. “It’s always a pleasure to see members of our family’s fourth, fifth and sixth generations working side by side at the farm,” President Ben Wiers told The Produce News.
From its headquarters in Willard, OH, the company farms over 40 commodities in Ohio and Florida. The extensive commodity manifest includes cabbage, varieties of lettuce, leafy greens, cucumbers, parsley, peppers and squash.
Seen here are Tom Wiers and John Wiers, both vice presidents and field managers/growers at the farm. (Photo courtesy of Wiers Farm) “Our Florida watermelon and tomato crops are just ramping up at the beginning of May. We anticipate a healthy, high-quality crop,” Mr. Wiers stated. “We have had an exciting first year of partnership with sweet corn producer/packer S.M. Jones in Belle Glade, FL. The production at S.M. Jones is in full swing at this point. Oregano is a new commodity that we are growing in Ohio this year.”
The company grows and packs over 200 different items, and its primary label is “Dutch Maid.”
Dutch Maid Logistics, part of the Wiers Family of companies and sister company to Wiers Farm, has a state-of-the-art truck fleet of 100 trucks and 150 refrigerated trailers. The fleet is equipped with GPS units, and temperatures are monitored from the time of loading to the time of delivery. Dutch Maid Logistics can deliver fresh commodities to most of the United States population within 24 hours.
Mr. Wiers was asked about facilities upgrades. “We have completely redesigned our squash packing line for increased efficiency and gentler handling of product,” he replied. “The design of our new single-layer hydro-cooler allows for increased cooling capacity and less labor than our old setup. It is also designed to use less energy and water. There are also improvements being made to our pepper packing line to improve our ability to place pack pepper and cucumber.”
Wiers Farm works with Primus Labs to certify its food-safety practices. Facilities installations and redesigns are incorporating use of stainless steel to meet the most rigorous food-safety standards.
