The province’s pear season is very short and the industry itself very small, but the fruit itself is looking good. “For this year we have a nice crop. The Bosc look good,” said Torrie Warner of Warner’s Farm. He sells locally, giving him an advantage pricewise. “We sell at markets so we seem to get a good price. With the US dollar being high that helps. We’re extremely price-dependent on what’s coming from the States.”
According to a 2010 TV commercial by Hellman’s only one out of every 700 pears purchased is grown in Canada. Warner says growers like him have to rely on the taste of what they grow. “I didn’t realize there was as much of a difference between Ontario pears and imported pears as what there appears to be. I knew there was some difference but pear connoisseurs notice a difference in flavour,” he said. “That’s the only edge we have – we can’t compete with California and Washington on price so we have to compete on flavour. There are people who are willing to pay a premium.” Part of the difference may come from growing conditions and climate. “We can let ours ripen on the tree a little bit longer to develop the full flavour and it could be something to do with our climate too,” said Warner. “We seem to have a climate that allows for (that).”
Warner has a small tree nut growing operation and was in the process of filming a TV commercial about his peaches and rare almond trees. He also grows walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts. “Almonds don’t’ really like Canadian winters. That seems to be the challenge,” he said.
Fortunately this year the trees do have a crop on them; Warner says it’s rare that they do crop. He planted 15 trees about 10 years ago of which 10 are still alive and over those years the trees have produced just three crops. “The hazelnuts and walnuts seem to be tolerating Canadian climates whereas the almonds don’t.” He grows them mostly for interest rather than making money but he says there are customers who are also willing to pay higher prices for fresh (local) almonds.
For more information:
Torrie Warner
Warner’s Farm
Ph: 905-562-5637