As you enjoy your succulent, sweet strawberries, perhaps picked by your own hand at some local berry farm, this news article from a 1903 country newspaper should make you chuckle.
Richard Stickney, at Lot 10, concession 7 of Peel, pioneering the “pick your own” concept, sold a daily pass, allowing the purchaser to pick any quantity, at 10 cents per day per person.
Further highlighting the almost surreal difference between life then and now, is this piece from a 1932 publication. Recall this was still height of depression era where unemployment was at all time highs, food was hard to come by and real estate prices were tumbling.
The grim outlook for farmers was reflected in farm prices. A 200 acre property in eastern Peel, with good buildings, sold at auction for $3,100 and another property, 218 acres with buildings, changed hands for an even $2,000.
Hard to get your head around those prices. Yes, watermelons were 50 cents each, 2 lbs of chocolate could be bought for 60 cents, 100 lbs of sugar for $4.95. But $2,000 for 218 acres with buildings! It’s a brave new world folks. Come back soon, I’ll be posting more regularly once again. Cheers!
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