How did we ever get into growing garlic? Like many gardeners, Jean, (my mum) and I, (Elly), we try new things, garlic was one of them. Our garlicky interest quickly developed into a love once we found out the pure pleasure of achieving quality and flavour. Jean was given a few bulbs by our neighbours to grow in our small market garden in the early 1990’s. Shortly after, we found some really awesome varieties at local farmers markets. Later, we discovered festivals actually dedicated to all things garlic! Jean was especially excited. She learned that garlic can grow bigger than what she was accustomed to growing in her garden. Around that time there was this rumour going around that Ontario could grow ‘good’ garlic. This motivated us to achieve that same standard of quality. We wanted to achieve large volume since we were going to grow garlic for our market customers. By 2003, we turned it into a major part of our farm production. Back then, Railway Creek Farm was the first to grow over 15,000 with the largest variety in Hasting County. 35 years later, there are now many more growers making local garlic available to eager shoppers.
Over the years we collected a nice diversity of garlic varieties and strains. Each year we decide what to keep. We evaluate each garlic by its flavour, growing habit, disease resistance, storage longevity and popularity. We have chosen the best to sell commercially and we have more than 30 kinds including those still in trials. We like to take our time. We test each new strain for 3 years. This happens before we offer it to our customers. We grow seven varieties; these are porcelain, purple stripes, glazed purple stripes, marbled purple stripes, creoles, artichokes and rocambole. A commercial favourite is the Mennonite porcelain and here is its story.
In 1996, Mum was given a couple of porcelain garlic bulbs at the Madoc Fair. This generous gardener thought we might be interested in this particular garlic. It was large and tasty. It was also very attractive and had a very high sugar content. Did this porcelain garlic have a name? No, he only knew that it came from Mennonite brothers named Bass. They were farming in Wellesley, Waterloo county in Ontario. Many Mennonites who settled in that region were of German and Russian descent. However, Mennonites who migrated from Pennsylvania were of Swiss descent. They could have brought garlic with them from the old country. Alternatively, they might have picked it up as they moved around. We don’t really know. Today, what matters most is how well this garlic grows on our farm. Customers also enjoy growing it. They love cooking with it too.
We simply called it Mennonite to remember where it came from. This was to fill in this no-name blank. We never thought it would become its official name or gain so much popularity. In the first few years, we gradually increased production by saving a good quarter of each harvest to replant. That is a lot of seed stock! Through an accidental discovery in our early years, we found something surprising. When we tossed the clipped immature scapes into the pathways, their life didn’t end. Surprisingly, it continues to mature even after it is severed from the plant’s stem. It will eventually replant itself with hundreds of tiny bulbils. What a mess, but what a discovery of mass reproductive potential! We replanted the bulbils. We discovered that it takes approximately 4 years to grow garlic to a decent size. This is achieved by replanting it every year. It has been 35 years since that discovery. We continue to use the bulbil method in every garlic strain we grow. This method helps us increase planting stock.
Under perfect conditions, and during a perfect summer, the Mennonite bulbs are 2.5 inches across on average, juicy, hot and garlicky. The bulbs usually have 4 to 6 easy to peel cloves. Sometimes there are 3 or 6. It doesn’t seem to know what it wants to do. Regardless, all the cloves are large. I tested it on a brix meter and it reads over 40%. This means that growing it here on our sandy loam soil maximizes the highest percentage of sugar, mineral, and protein. This achieves that nice flavour. Still, I am still learning about Brix meters and how to interpret this information. The growing advantage of this garlic is that it seems to be more resistant to fusarium fungal disease. It is also more resistant to some other pests. To grow garlic good garlic, lots of good compost, sunlight and water. Some mulch for the winter is helpful and of course some weeding. Yet, leek moth and weather conditions have been a bit of a problem for us lately. 2016 gave us a nasty drought to deal with, then too much rain in the next years.
Railway Creek Farm has been producing garlic and various other veggies for over 35 years. Garlic is still the favourite vegetable to craft a sale pitch to eager growers. We attended Garlic Festivals every year since 2003. RCF picks out different local food shows each year in Hastings County to promote the consumption and growing of garlic. I package and sell garlic for our local Foodland grocery store. We supply several veggie roadside stands north of Belleville. Of course, we also sell it from the farm. In 2012, I developed my first Google website to show case the varieties and blog about the farm. Since 2020, I now have a better website with an online store. This site is perfect for those who like to shop from home. It’s also great for those seeking new varieties from across Canada. Check out the list page for all that we grow! Click here to see the list
We grow only a small amount between 15,000 and 25,000 bulbs per year. All this garlic fits in about half an acre. The garlic is planted 3 rows 8 inches apart and 5 inches between cloves in raised beds. Having access to both cattle and horse manure has been a huge beneficial factor in healthy growth and large size. I spend 4-5 days laying drip irrigation lines. This is a must on our sandy loam soil to make sure that adequate moisture is available. We have a 5 year rotation plan. The 5- 1/2 acre plots are situated in group within a hay field. The land is never bare. I use a combination of clover, buckwheat, fall rye, oats, peas, sorghum, and brassicas. These plants keep the soil alive and healthy. The harvesting time in late July is intense and demanding. I rely on my harvest team who come every year as well as volunteers and neighbours. Once the garlic is out of the ground, it is cleaned up a bit. It is then hung in the well ventilated new barn built in 2020. There, it cures for 3-4 weeks. After curing, the next tasks include clipping stems and brushing off loose dirt. We then grade and inspect the garlic for imperfections. Finally, we sort it before packaging and selling. This all takes a tremendous amount of time, patience and a keen eye for quality.
Railway Creek Farm answers many calls about how to grow and market garlic. My first advice is to have a market ready for the crop. Make sure this before you plant. Grow small amounts and build up volume slowly over several years. My last word of advice is to know your pricing, consider the work involved and don’t sell cheap. You must pay yourself, your staff and all the expenses that are incurred with the production.
As long as Railway Creek Farm continues to grow garlic, there will always be Mennonite garlic to buy. We carry a large choice in garlic, 31 in 2025.
