March 2017
In the Green
Andrew Pauli uses a unique growing space and business model to sell produce
Bob Hawkins explains how sphagnum moss is used to package trees.
By Jon Shoulders | Photography by Chad Williams
T
he urban agriculture trend sweeping across many cities in the U.S. has resulted in some unique projects right here in Indiana. Community produce plots, restaurant microfarms and rooftop gardens are all sprouting up at a steady rate. Nevertheless, Andrew Pauli’s new Columbus-based produce operation known as The Gardeners Farm sits in a rather distinctive location, even within the context of the growing urban ag movement. Eighteen months ago Pauli was working as the official gardener and groundskeeper for The Inn at Irwin Gardens, a 19th-century mansionturned-bed-and-breakfast facility on Fifth Street in downtown Columbus, and he approached Jessica and Chris Stevens, owners of the inn since 2009, with a plan to utilize a somewhat neglected greenhouse space built on the property in the early 1970s. Pauli was finishing a horticulture degree at Purdue University at the time and saw enormous potential in the space for not only cultivating plants for the inn gardens,
but also for growing and selling veggies as a standalone business venture. “I’ve been the gardener there for about five years now, and about a year and a half ago we started fixing some of the masonry and glass panels on the greenhouse and replaced the fans, and I began learning how to grow inside a greenhouse, which I’d never done before,” Pauli says. “It’s a pretty different realm than just growing in a field, and I’m doing it all organically, so you have to focus on prevention and keeping things very, very clean so you don’t have bug problems. So it’s
Getting a head start
Tree seedlings dug, packaged and waiting for spring at Vallonia State Nursery
J
story and photos By Marcia Walker
Andrew Pauli
been a learning experience.” The result is The Gardeners Farm, a year-round produce business Pauli officially launched in September that resembles a community supported agriculture program while retaining some unique characteristics, beyond the fact that the business exists in a refurbished greenhouse in downtown Columbus. Rather than following a traditional CSA structure where customers pay a lump sum at the beginning of the growing season and pick up their predetermined orders for the duration of that season, Pauli bills his clients monthly, and they can notify him if they wish to skip a pickup. “That way you’re not paying for something that you may not be using,” he says. “All my clients have my number, and they can call or text me saying they’re going to be gone and they need to be taken off the list for that week. When you come and pick up your bin, you can make additions on top of what’s in there.” Pauli sends out text and email alerts on Saturdays at noon notifying his customers what will be in their pickup bins for the coming week, which can include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, a variety of leafy greens, eggplants, carrots and more. Customers can choose their pickup day each week. All the veggies are picked fresh for customers on their pickup day.
Farm Indiana is a monthly publication of AIM Media Indiana.
“Everybody seems to like the property is not rented it so far. It’s cool being right for weddings and other downtown, and I think the private events. “Andrew convenience of being located has really worked hard downtown and on such a and been thoughtful about cool, historic property has continuing that with the an attraction to it,” says gardens and has found Pauli, a Columbus native ways to use the greenwho attended Columbus house space positively.” East High Pauli operSchool before ates The Garpursuing hortideners Farm culture studies as a separate at Purdue. business entity Jessica from the inn Stevens sees but grows any The Gardeners Farm new plants The GardenLocation: 608 Fifth St., ers Farm as a needed for Columbus (located on unique means its gardens the grounds of The Inn of connecting alongside his at Irwin Gardens). the public with produce within Products: Fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, the greenthe property, cucumbers, eggplants, on which the house. “So far carrots, onions, turnips, 13,000-squarethe customers leafy greens and more. foot Italianate are primarily Customer pickup hours: house was individual resiTuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round originally dents, but I’ve (no walk-ins; customers built by the sold vegetables must sign up for monthly Irwin family to the Cumbilling and pick up orders in 1864 before mins cateron a prearranged day). being coming kitchen, Contact: Andrew Pauli, (812) 344-4943. prehensively and I hope to For more information on renovated and start growing The Inn at Irwin Gardens expanded in some produce bed-and-breakfast and 1890 and again for the inn event rental facility, visit in the early kitchen soon irwingardens.com. 1900s. “The and getting best thing since we’ve been into some local restaurants,” here is being able to preserve he says. “I’m also working the house for nostalgia and on setting up a separate for the community, and for little place where people tourists and anyone visiting can come to pick up their or exploring Columbus,” stuff, which will hopefully says Stevens. The inn ofbe ready by the spring. This fers seasonal open garden whole property has become hours for the public when a real passion of mine.”
Publisher Chuck Wells Editor Doug Showalter
Just as the season is winding down for most agricultural-related businesses in Indiana, workers at the Vallonia State Nursery are preparing for action. The busiest months for the state-owned and operated nursery, located south of Vallonia near Starve Hollow Lake, are November through May. That’s when most of the 3.5 million tree seedlings that are shipped out annually are dug, processed and put into cold storage until orders are filled in the spring. “We try to get as much done in the fall and winter because it makes it so much easier in the spring,” Bob Hawkins, nursery supervisor, explained. The nursery encompasses 250 gently rolling acres in Driftwood Township, an area of Jackson County with sandy soil and that is better known for growing watermelons than growing trees. The sun was out but not doing much in the way of providing warmth on the day that Hawkins gave a tour. The temperature hovered in the low teens; a skiff of fresh snow covered the ground. Hawkins was pleased to see the snow, explaining it acts as insulation and helps keep the ground from freezing. “Once they go dormant and start losing leaves in November ... we’ll dig trees until the ground is frozen,” Hawkins said. “We have to have everything packaged and out by late March.” In the fields, the trees are dug, lifted and placed in huge boxes; a tractor is used to haul the boxes to the processing building. The seedlings, most a year old, look like little more than sticks with long, stringy roots. They are watered, then placed in cold storage until they are processed. The processing building is basically a huge walkin cooler. The temperature is kept at 35 degrees, the concrete floor kept wet to keep the humidity level up. Processing, in assembly line fashion, involves inspecting each seedling before bundling them into groups of 100. “They have to meet minimum size requirements, must meet certain specifications and must be free of any insect or mechanical damage,” Hawkins explained. He estimates that so far this season, some 600,000 seedlings are being stored, about 50 percent of what is needed to fill orders. “We only lift and pack trees that have been sold,” he said. The trees are packed in sphagnum moss. Hawkins explained the moss acts like a sponge, holding water and keeping the roots moist. Some 10 to 12 semi loads of moss, harvested in bogs in Wisconsin, are hauled to the nursery each year. All the seedlings at the nursery are grown from seed that comes from several sources. Some, about 30 percent, come from seed orchards on the nursery, but seeds are also purchased from local vendors. Most of the seed comes from Indiana; any that come from outside the state must come from the same hardiness zone as Indiana. Seven people work full time at the nursery along with 10 to 15 seasonal workers, but much of the manpower comes from an inmate work crew from Edinburgh Correctional Facility. As many as 44 inmates are bused to the nursery several days a week. At one time, the nursery that is now under the auspices of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources was under the control (Continues on page 2.)
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