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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
August 18, 2017 CapitalPress.com 15 DeGoede Bulb Farm and Garden in third generation By SHERYL HARRIS For the Capital Press MOSSYROCK, Wash. — Travelers along Washington’s scenic Highway 12 are bound to notice the colorful fields of tulips, iris and perennials that is DeGoede Bulb Farm and Garden. Henry and Hildegarde De- Goede started the operation in 1951 in the Skagit Valley of Washington state. Needing more property, they purchased land outside Mossyrock, and around 1976, they moved the family and business to its present location nearby. Today, sons Jack and Bob and grandson Alex are at the helm. Jack and Alex manage field production, Bob handles the garden center and contain- er plants, and Alex manages cut tulips and the Dutch irises. While bulbs have been a mainstay, Jack DeGoede says they are adding more perenni- als. This is because the bulb market has been decreasing and labor costs and competi- tion from Europe have been increasing. “We have about 100 year- round employees in all divi- sions,” Alex says. “It might vary by 10 or 12 seasonally, but that’s all.” Jack explains, “Our work is steady so it allows us to Sheryl Harris/For the Capital Press Sheryl Harris/For the Capital Press Jack, left, and Alex DeGoede are two-thirds of the team heading up DeGoede’s Bulb Farm and Gar- den. Jack’s brother, Bob, is the third team member. keep good people. Replacing our workers is difficult since we can’t use temp or season- al workers, so we’re always looking for ways to stream- line our work.” He describes a recent equipment advance that fills containers. “It took two people to do it; now it takes one,” he says. Since it is much faster, actual savings may be four or five employees over the year. Jack says another way to save is growing plants in beds, not rows as they get more plants per acre and it helps grow them to size without dividing them. About 250 of their 300 acres are in production. About 95 percent of DeGoede’s product goes to U.S. buyers. Container production goes to an area between Bellingham, Wash., and Eugene, Ore., west to the Olympic Peninsula, and east to the Yakima Valley. About 80 percent of the field production goes east of the Rocky Mountains. Before leaving De- Goede’s, visitors enjoy the peace of the Farm Chapel One of the greenhouses at DeGoede’s Bulb Farm and Garden near Mossyrock, Wash. Together, the greenhouses total 12 acres. and Prayer Trail. Henry and Hildegarde DeGoede built them to give thanks and glo- ry to God for the blessings they had received in their lives, marriage, and a busi- ness to pass to future gener- ations. TAKING WINTER PRE-ORDERS Quantities Limited • 50¢ per tree deposit #1 Yamhill Sacajawea $6 TREE * Additional #1 York* Dorris* Felix* Gamma $7 TREE 50¢ Royalty Payment ORDER YOURS TODAY! • Extensive Root Systems • Vigorous Shoot Growth • Trees sprayed for protection against EFB & Bacterial Blight • Planting advice with tree purchase Aebi Farms McMinnville, OR 971-237-0692 aebifarms@gmail.com License #AG-L1047869ND N17-2/#T3D Chris Aebi N17-3#7
