History
From a tailgate in 1988 to a green shack to a little red barn .
It all started way back in 1988 when my brother, Todd and his friend, Blaine grew a patch of sweet corn. The corn was sweet and plentiful, so their mothers, Shirley & Joan decided to hit the road with their truck load of corn. Selling from the tailgate of the truck on the Trans Canada was a hit.
During the next few years, my brothers, Pat and Todd, continued to grow the sweetest sweet corn. Family and neighbors picked the corn and our dad, Ken, and mom, Shirley, marketed the corn at the highway in the little green shack, appropriately named “Shirley’s Shack”. Mom and Dad also delivered to a few market stands in Winnipeg. The demand for their corn increased and they began to market it through the Peak of the Market. They set up a corn line which eliminated the need for us to hand pick in the hot, scratchy patch with the mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, my husband, Darren and I planted potatoes and cucumbers in our garden to add to the corn at Shirley’s Shack. Over the next few years, we added other vegetables to our garden and two sons, Taylor and Braden, to our family. Two more farmers in the making.
The variety of produce outgrew Shirley’s Shack, so in 1996 “The Little Red Barn” was built on a hay wagon and pulled down the road to it’s current location. Mom managed and grew The Little Red Barn sourcing a greater variety of fruits and vegetables from local producers and expanding into Local Manitoba Made Products. Dad picked up and delivered produce and products. He helped open up in the morning and close down at night.
Mom was the driving force behind the growth of The Little Red Barn. Her goal was to make everyone’s visit to The Little Red Barn an ‘experience’ that they would like to repeat. She followed some key rules:
Provide only high quality, fresh produce at reasonable prices
Greet all customers with friendly respect. Make them feel special. And “the customer is always right!”
Produce and product displays must be ‘eye-catching’ and always well stocked.
Signs, signs and more signs!
The Little Red Barn was an important pit stop on many tours throughout the years!
While Mom continued to operate the business, Darren, the boys and I continued to grow a variety of vegetables and attended farmer’s markets throughout the summers with our “Little Red Barn on Wheels”. Taylor and Braden grew up in the garden, planting, weeding, irrigating, picking, cleaning, bunching, and selling. Many nieces, nephews and neighbors had their first job in our garden. In 2010, we purchased ‘The Little Red Barn’ from my parents. Mom and Dad thankfully did not retire. They continued to be active in the running of the business.
In 2016, we added a greenhouse to grow tomatoes and peppers. This has been a great learning experience. We have been experimenting with growing other vegetables in the greenhouse in an attempt to extend the Manitoba growing season. Our new daughter in law, Katie, takes pride in her planting and pruning and providing us with that first cucumber or tomato.
The success of The Little Red Barn can also be attributed to all of the past employees for the past 30 years from retired teachers to young mothers bringing their pre-school children playing under the counter while their mother sold vegetables. The employees at The Little Red Barn do not just sell fruits and vegetables. They artistically create appealing displays. They husk dozens of cobs of corn. They sweep floors. They ask customers how their day is going. They carry purchases to vehicles. They call tow trucks. They give water and snacks to tired cyclists. They answer questions about nearby crops. They give directions to travelers. They learn about communities in Manitoba, Canada and from all over the world. They communicate with customers who may speak another language. They adapt to any weather condition. They even open their home to travelers who have fallen on hard times. The Little Red Barn employees, past and present, have contributed greatly to the success of the business.
Thank you to all who have enjoyed “the experience at The Little Red Barn” as customer, visitor, producer and employee. We love sharing our experience of providing local produce and products with all of you from near and far. Thank you.