Magalas Produce - an Ontario Vegetable and Fruit Producer

Farm History

The Beginning:

Harry and Helen Magalas established the starting grounds for Magalas Produce LTD. A 50-acre farm devoted to raising 150 laying hens and four cows. Moving to another bigger farm allowed them to buy more milking cows and to gain a contract with Acme Dairy in Toronto. Vegetable production soon followed as with attending the Hagersville Market every Wednesday afternoon. The Magalas’ soon gained contracts with E.D. Smith in Winona and Campbell Soup in Toronto. In a few years the cows were sold to accommodate full devotion to the growing of cucumbers, strawberries and tomatoes (roma and cannery) for the Ontario Food Terminal along with canning tomatoes for contracts.

A new Generation:

In 1979, with the death of Harry, three of there fives sons (Greg, Martin and Eugene) took a more active role in the family business. Their help enlarged the farms productions. In the latter part of the 1980’s the canneries closed down the contracts for Ontario farmers and the farms focus was switched to fresh vegetables. In 1994 Martin and his wife Cheryl solely took over Magalas Produce LTD, and expanded the fresh fruit and vegetable production to include strawberries, zucchini, melon (cantaloupe), sweet corn, tomatoes and roma tomatoes.

Farm

We are located North of Waterford, Ontario, in Norfolk County owning 520 acres of rich sandy loam soil. Along with area rented, acres we grow 800 acres of fruit, vegetables and grain crops.