Not Your Average Joe

The sweet taste of a warm, cinnamon-sugared donut, a squeal of glee as a baby goat jumps up on a child feeding it, the fist pump while recording a hole in one on the mini-golf course, or the awe of rows upon rows of multi-coloured tropical plants one sees while buying a gift for a loved one - these are just a few of the memories that readers may have had on a visit to Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens in Ruthven.

This oasis in our community was started from scratch, seed by seed, by the hard working Colasanti family and continues to evolve and delight locals and tourists to this day. A familiar face that has been very visible for decades as this business has grown has been that of beanie-sporting Joe Colasanti.

Joe was born in Detroit in 1933, the first child of four raised by his father Alex (who emigrated to Canada from Ceprano, Italy) and his mother Emma who decided to put their roots down on a 20-acre farm on the 3rd Concession in Ruthven. Joe grew up working tirelessly on the family farm along with siblings Ron, Alex Jr. (Sonny) and Anna Marie. One of the area’s first fruit and vegetable stands, it has blossomed into a multimillion dollar business.

Barb Fuller came into Joe’s life and the two were married in 1955, raising four children — Terry, Debbie, Michael and Joanne — in a small apartment above the boiler room on the family farm. Barb and Joe had a great partnership until her passing in 2008. Joe’s life has been enriched with a growing family that includes eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren with a seventh on the way.

Taking the reins from his dad in the early 1980s, Joe was a key part in the expansion of the business as Colasanti’s began to have a larger food/banquet presence, more animal exhibits, rides for the kids and connections to a wide variety of charities.

In recent years, the torch was again passed as Joe’s children began to oversee the day-to-day operations and his grandchildren are also emerging to play a larger part in the operations of the farm. While his role has been reduced, this vibrant senior punches in on a daily basis to help out with deliveries, works in the produce department of the operation, and continues to be the friendly face that so many look forward to seeing on an outing to this gem of a destination.