Garwood Says Food Quality Is Key
Published: Friday, July 17, 2026
Members of the Indiana Horticultural Society, Indiana Vegetable Growers Assn., Indiana Farm Market Assn., fruit growers, Purdue students and Hoosiers from across the state gathered in LaPorte last Thursday for the summer field tour featuring Garwood Orchards.
Brothers Brian and Mike Garwood led a three-part tour through their orchards, vegetable fields and processing facilities.
The key to success, according to Brian, is quality.
"Sometimes the mistake farmers make is thinking 'more is better,'" he said. "Don't try to be the biggest guy out there. Just do what you do well."
He added that it is better to focus on the quality of the product and dependability for the customers. If these two things are achieved and maintained, the business will thrive.
The top two crops at Garwood Orchards are apples in the late summer and fall, and strawberries, in late spring and early summer.
Brian Garwood gave a history of the family orchard, which began in the 1920s. The farm expanded beginning in the '50s, and is now run by Brian, Mike and their cousin, Tom. They are the sixth generation on the farm.
Today, they own over 600 acres, split between vegetables (350 acres) and fruit (250 acres).
As the tour moved through the vegetable fields, Brian pointed to beds covered in black or white plastic. He said black plastic is used for early-season crops to give them a "fast start," but once daily temperatures consistently reach 80 to 82 degrees, the Garwoods switch to white plastic to prevent heat damage. Planting in plastic helps control weeds and moisture. After the season, the biodegradable plastic is plowed into the soil, where it breaks down.
As the tour continued, Brian discussed some of the challenges they have faced this year. The biggest setback has been excessive rainwater, which flooded parts of his chili pepper crops.
"We could have ridden a boat on that for three days," he said. "When your plant starts wilting, it's not going to come back to life."
The Garwoods grow fruit and vegetables on contract with Piazza Produce, Walmart, online markets and others. In order to ensure the contract is fulfilled, Brian said they grow about 20% more than they expect to sell to offset any lost crops, such as those lost to flooding. Another key aspect of fulfilling those contracts is to grow multiple rounds of crops.
"We constantly have fresh fields. We often grow three rounds per year," he said as the group passed a field of chili peppers and eggplants.
However, the biggest challenge is government regulations and changes to government regulations.
Finally, Brian said that crop rotation matters.
"Take strawberries for example. You don't want to plant them three years in the same spot," he said.
The facilities tour featured coolers, a vegetable cleaning station and the cider press. Mike led this section of the tour, noting the importance of having enough workers to process and inspect products.
The tour was offered in partnership with Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
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