Children certainly change your life, there is no question about that. But Ronda Morritt had no idea of the impact they would have on her future career.
Ronda had been happily pursing a career as a manager in a department store before leaving to have her first baby. After getting back on her feet, she realised that she needed to work again to provide an income but wanted to be at home as much as possible to care for her child.
Initially, she started working on the family farm which grew arable crops which mainly involved heavy machinery. As the work wasn't really suitable, Ronda decided to look for something different that she could incorporate in to farm and family life.
First thoughts led her to consider a pick your own strawberries business, but after consideration it appeared that the local competition was too strong. Ronda was advised that the farm had the perfect land for asparagus growing. So she decided it try it. With little idea of what she was doing, she planted her first acre in 1997. Only a few bunches were produced to start with and Ronda put them in a toy box on a table outside the farm gate to see what happened. People snapped them up and were asking for more.
The business grew from the early days of selling at the farm gate and taking the left overs to local greengrocers who loved the fantastic freshness of Ronda s asparagus. "Everybody wanted the asparagus straight from the field. Greengrocers started ordering more and more, so we kept planting acre after acre of asparagus. We now have 12 acres of asparagus and still can't produce enough," says Ronda.
"I was surprised to realise that experience in my previous career helped with a farming business. I knew how to approach the asparagus business professionally and I understood marketing - for example how to present our asparagus through good signage and packaging. Experience of budgeting helped ensure that my costings were correct." says Ronda. She is passionate about her product, fiercely believes in attention to detail in every way and will only accept her product going out to the public in pristine condition.
Low Moor Farm at Sand Hutton now employs 25 staff and amongst her other roles, Ronda looks after all of them. The asparagus is still sold at the farm gate, where Ronda operates a post card system for the public to fill in their details so that she can let them know when the spears are ready for sale. In addition, they sell to a wholesaler who supplies hotels and restaurants and also a very well know local restaurant called the Star Inn at Harome.
"The thing I love most about growing asparagus is eating it - every day in the season! The best way to cook it is roasted with a little olive oil and some sea salt. It just needs to be popped in the oven whilst you pour a glass of wine, relax for ten or fifteen minutes and then tuck in with a bit of butter and parmesan. Make sure that it's the freshest asparagus possible." says Ronda.
For her husband, Richard, the best aspect of asparagus growing is the customers. Farming can be a lonely life and there is huge engagement with people drawn to buy the asparagus.
