Peace Angel Farm

Garlic grows garden niche

Morrow, Ohio

Scratch the surface of Peace Angel Farm and grower Paul Zorn's
atypical approach to farming appears: Focus on one main specialty crop, garlic, that defies traditional planting cycles. Avoid the stress of needing to sell product immediately as garlic dries and stores readily. Keep things small and manageable. Throw in some berry-growing for diversity and, bottom line, be passionate about what you're growing. Located in the small town of Morrow in southern Ohio about 30 miles outside Cincinnati, Peace Angel Farm totals three acres, with about one acre in gardens.

"I've always been a strong believer in the health aspects of garlic and the range of ways it can enhance cooking," explains Paul. "I started experimenting with growing it for about five years and officially started selling my garlic last year in 2004, harvesting about five thousand garlic cloves." Living on the farm with his wife, Liz, Paul balances his farming efforts with a full-time post office job. "My goal is to start-up and grow the garlic business slowly so, when I retire in about five years, Peace Angel Farm will generate not only a supplemental income source but provide me with a greater livelihood, exercise and keep me going in retirement," Paul says, with the business generating about five hundred dollars in gross income during its first season. "Right now I'm turning any profit back into the business to get things going." Liz also helps with the garlic business on the web design and mail order side and supplements the household income with her work as an artist and folk musician, with her art studio on-site in a small barn and a recording studio in the basement.

Growing on a different cycle than most garden crops, garlic should ideally be planted in the fall so that the bulbs grow a little bit of the root before winter so that they won't be heaved out by the frost and early spring rains. "Garlic needs to be kept moist, but not soaking wet," comments Paul. "Fall plantings ensure the garlic takes hold when moisture remains pretty even. Planting in spring, you're gambling with the weather." Garlic cloves are planted with the root end down and come up quickly, about a week or two after planting. The garlic is then covered with about five inches of straw (not hay or grass seed from the hay will cause weed problems) to keep the young roots warm in the winter and suppress weeds in the spring. Paul grows naturally with no pesticides or fertilizers, but has felt that, at his small scale, taking on the expense and process of organic certification wasn't a prudent business decision.

As one planted garlic clove yields one head of garlic, seed saving for the following season saves money when growing garlic. "I bought garlic cloves from a supplier for the first couple of years to get started, but now I just pick some of my healthiest cloves from one season and plant them for the next," Paul says. Garlic varietals fall into two types: soft-neck and hard-neck. Soft-neck garlic yields larger cloves and usually tastes better but is harder to prevent from sprouting in long-term storage. Hard-neck bulbs have a longer shelf life and are typically what one finds in supermarkets. "I grow about three-quarters hard neck and one quarter soft-neck garlic varietals, as the hard necks also sell better as they are what my customers can relate to and are used to."

Paul grows about six garlic varieties, focusing on different flavors associated with various cultures and physical, color attributes. "My wife, the artist, makes sure everything I grow looks beautiful as well," Paul smiles. Some key sellers include Siberian Rose, a Russian Heirloom, with a smooth taste good for roasting. Seoul Sister, a Korean garlic, proves more spicy and hot, adding a kick to sauces and marinades. Shvelisi, from the Republic of Georgia, grows with distinct purple stripes and wine colored cloves, medium heat and a good storage varietal. Persian Star distinguishes itself with a crescent moon shaped cloves with large lavender striped bulbs and is moderately spicy. "Garlic is like wine; you have to find the right one for your palette and taste," advises Paul.

When the garlic vigorously grow in the spring, Paul clips the flowering garlic bulb at the tip of the plant, to encourage growth to the bulb while watchful watering to constantly keep the plants moist. The garlic harvest starts in May, with Paul keeping a watchful eye for the right time to pull the cloves. "When half the plant leaves start to brown, that's the sign to start pulling them out, with each varietal browning out at a slightly different time," Paul explains. "Garlic harvesting remains a slow, hands-on process and needs to happen during dry weather when I can gently and easily pull the bulb out of the soil."

Drying garlic offers a product niche of a "preserved" product that can then be sold throughout the year. Beacause garlic is not technically "processed," it does not need to go through state regulations of kitchen and processing certification. After carefully brushing off dry soil from the bulbs, Paul ties string around groups of ten to fifteen cloves and hangs them with the bulbs facing downward from the beams of his barn. "It is important to try to keep the roots intact when harvesting, since the garlic bulb will still draw nutrients from the root during the drying process," says Paul. Drying needs to take place in a dark area with constant air flow; Paul runs an exhaust fan in the barn. After about a month, the garlic stems are clipped and the bulbs are stored in a root cellar. "Garlic harvesting involved a lot of handwork, but once its over you're done," he adds.

Paul sells his garlic locally on a simple on-site farm stand with customers finding him through word of mouth. He's also found a growing niche mail-order market of gourmet cooks nationwide interested in mail ordering specialty garlic. These "foodie" customers primarily find him off the Local Harvest website <www.localharvest.org> and can order garlic on-line at $7.50 per pound with a Gourmet Sampler gift box containing two bulbs of each garlic varietal for $15. Bulk orders are also available.

Garlic ships well, with the only issue being the pungent aroma. "I pack the garlic in plastic bags to help minimize smells, but I still leave the bag open a little and advise folks to take the garlic out of the bag immediately so the garlic doesn't get moist," advises Paul.

To diversify his business, Paul sells a variety of berries, including about a half acre of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. "I pick berries every morning in season, and they sell out just about as fast as I put them out on the stand. I'm adding more berry bushes for next season," Paul says. "Locally, folks understand and can relate to berries. Garlic, particularly different varietals, I've found need a bit more explanation and encouragement for people to try it out," Paul comments. To help this garlic education process, Liz posts a variety of garlic recipes on Peace Angel Farm's website, including simple roasted garlic dip variations. Paul has also been visiting area Italian restaurants with complimentary garlic sampler packs with the hopes of increasing garlic sales to this wholesale restaurant niche appreciative of specialty garlic.

"A small farming business like Peace Angel Farm can provide the ultimate retirement experience, if you do it on your own terms," sums up Paul. "By keeping things small and manageable and cultivating a specialty niche crop, growing something I love, I not only garner an income source but it keeps me physically active and in shape and enhances my quality of life."