PRINTOn the Job: Local Produce Purveyor
Q&A with Deanna Pickering
Christine Martinez
July 8, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
How did you come up with the idea for a pick-your-own-food plantation business?
Well, I used to work at the post office, but when both my husband and I came close to retiring, I knew I needed something to keep me busy. The idea came about because I was looking for a place to pick fresh strawberries, and the nearest was in Fayette. So we started Pick and Pick in 2005, and this year is our fourth picking season.
How do you pick what fruits or vegetables you grow?
Well, I only grow what I like to eat. That’s why I don’t grow peppers. So we eat what we grow, and if people buy some too, that’s always good.
NAME: Deanna Pickering
OWNER: Co-owner, Pick and Pick Plantation
AT JOB SINCE: 2005
--Ashanya Indralingam
What are the best and worst parts of your job?
Well, I genuinely love growing things, and I like doing things together with my husband. I’m not too fond of working in the hot, hot sun though or having to cover the strawberries with straw over winter. But I generally manage to convince someone else to do those things for me.
What is your favorite fruit or vegetable to pick?
Oh my, well that’s hard because I love strawberry shortcake and blackberry cobbler (laughs). Probably blackberries because they’re easier to pick — they’re just hanging there right in front of you.
Do you sell your produce at the Farmer’s Market?
Yes, I mostly sell the berries, but I also take anything else that we have then. I always take my card and hand it out and tell people they can also come pick their own. I really love our (Columbia) Farmer’s Market — I’m very grateful to have that outlet for our excess production.
What is the one thing you wish more people knew about the fruits and vegetables they were consuming?
Where they came from. Seriously — know what part of the world they’re from, how they were shipped, how they were grown, how fresh they are. I’m not a big fan of making it mandatory through legislation, but I think people should make an effort to find out.
What do you do if bad weather ruins crops?
Well, last year was particularly bad; it was just too wet for green beans. But that’s part of farming; you just never know. Last year and this year we won’t be able to have pumpkins for Halloween either. Timing makes a huge difference.
What is the fruit or vegetable that best describes you?
Bananas — because people always say, “Well, you’re bananas!”
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