Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Lavalier's Berry Patch and Orchard in Grand Rapids

Maggie Montgomery
East Nary garden strawberries

Stuart Lavalier spoke to us this week from the strawberry patch at his u-pick business--Lavalier's Berry Patch and Orchard in Grand Rapids. It was June 27th, the morning of the first day of the 2018 strawberry season. When he picked up the phone, helpers were picking boxes of berries for customers who prefer to buy their berries ready-picked. The birds were singing. Anticipation was in the air.

Stuart's been in the business a long time. He said that when he was growing up the strawberry plants in his parents' garden were misshapen and seedy. "I grew up having a big garden and strawberry plants. The funny thing was, I took classes at the University of Minnesota and I needed an elective. My advisor said, 'You should take horticulture,' and I said, 'Okay, sign me up!' And after I walked out of his room I said, 'What is horticulture?'

"I took the class and there was an instructor...he was just an amazing guy. He could get you excited about anything! After taking his classes and learning how to grow things I told my parents, I said, 'Hey, I think I can fix that strawberry problem!' That got me excited in trying to do things like growing a patch like this one here. So this is something that right out of college I thought, 'Okay, this is something I want to do.

"I was a lot younger back then, but it's surprising. The years go by and I look in the mirror and I see this guy and I go, 'Whoa, who is that?' But I still enjoy it. I still enjoy it a lot!"

Strawberry season lasts about 3 weeks. Stuart expects the blueberries will follow in just about exactly one month. Then tart cherries and, later, apples.

If you're thinking of picking at Lavalier's, call the strawberry hotline for hours: 218/327-9199 or check theirFacebook page. His interview, below, covers berry cultuvation, varieties, and lots of information about his farm. Be sure to give it a listen!

Maggie is a rural public radio guru; someone who can get you through both minor jams and near catastrophes and still come out ahead of the game. She pens our grants, reports to the Board of Directors and helps guide our station into the dawn of a new era. Maggie is a locavore to the max (as evidenced on Wednesday mornings), brings in months’ worth of kale each fall, has heat on in her office 12 months a year, and drinks coffee out of a plastic 1987 KAXE mug every day. Doting parents and grandparents, she and her husband Dennis live in the asphalt jungle of East Nary.