Wholesome Pickins receives Delhi’s Business of the Year Award

David and Jennifer VanDeVelde have been ‘growing their dreams’ since 2006 in Delhi.

The owners of Wholesome Pickins Market and Bakery were honored recently with the 2023 Business of the Year Award from the Delhi & District Chamber of Commerce.

The market and bakery’s success story goes back to “a wild dream,” said Jenn, accepting the award with her husband David, a fourth-generation tobacco farmer, at a Chamber of Commerce gala ceremony at the Delhi German Home in May.

In 2006, the VanDeVeldes diversified their Delhi tobacco farm by introducing three acres of June bearing strawberries and the following year adding ever-bearing strawberries, which bear fruit from May through to Thanksgiving. Strawberries were sold from a roadside fruit stand, which was an old tobacco tying machine.

“I know that neither of us would have ever predicted that we would be where we are now, or what that journey would look like over the last 18 seasons,” said Jennifer, thanking their family for continued support.

Given the success of the strawberry business, renovations in 2008 expanded their market facility to feature other products from Norfolk County. Another expansion in 2013 added additional floor space and a full kitchen. The Wholesome Pickins bakery operation was expanded to include pies, cookies and tarts. Today, they employ three full-time bakers.

“Truthfully, adding the kitchen, it was on a total whim,” said Jenn.

“We were renovating the barn to make it into a store,” David explained. “One day at coffee break, the contractor and I thought of a plan ‘we should put in a bakery,’ because Jenn had talked about a bakery.”

The estimate was two weeks and about $5,000.

“About six weeks and about $14,000 later…” David laughed, “we finished the bakery, which did not go very well at the time.”

“David’s aunt Linda, who started the bakery with us, she really helped us build the bakery from the ground up,” said Jenn. “And we still use all of her old recipes and we still make things from scratch. We can do that because of the people who are in our kitchen. In 2023, we have truthfully the greatest kitchen staff ever.”

Prepared meals and salads were added to Wholesome Pickins’ selections in 2018 and two more full-time kitchen employees were hired. In addition to kitchen staff, the farm and store operation employs 14 migrant farm workers plus local students.

“We have also been blessed with some great friendships, that are like family,” said Jenn. “To those who have stood beside us every step of the way, encouraged us through the difficult times, been the first to celebrate our successes… we’re very grateful.”

David, Jenn and family cultivate more than 200 acres of various crops including berries, asparagus, field and cover crops – ‘a true field to plate operation.’

Both David and Jenn, who were named Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers in 2022, have held senior leadership positions with farm organizations including the Ontario Berry Growers Association and the Tobacco Marketing Board. They have also served in the Delhi community with the Delhi Medical Center Board, Norfolk County Tourism and Economic Development Board and the St. Frances Parents Group, minor hockey, and contributed to the revitalization of the Delhi & District Chamber of Commerce.

“Dave and I love the community of Delhi, we love Norfolk County,” said Jenn. “Our community is made up of people who do so much good, and I have heard many of the people who spoke tonight allude to that. Over the years we’ve been honored to work with many of those people, and we’ve always walked away feeling like we learned more than we gave. We have a great business and volunteer network here in Delhi – hardworking people who want good for others and are ready to roll up their sleeves and make things happen. A big thank you to all of the volunteers that make Delhi what it is.”

Strawberry season is well underway at Wholesome Pickins. Pick Your Own is expected to start on Father’s Day weekend.

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