Andy and Sunday Todosciuk
Pumpkins, corn – and mint
By Rhonda Dedyne
Andy Todosciuk is known far and wide for his gourmet sweet corn and fantastic pumpkins. Now, he’s adding mint to his resume as the Grand Marshal of the 2010 St. Johns Mint Festival.
The St. Johns Mint Festival Steering Committee selected the lifelong Clinton County resident for the honor following a process that involved nomination applications and letters of recommendation by area residents and members of the Clinton County Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Andy was a unanimous choice,” CCACC Director Brenda Terpening said about the steering committee’s selection. “It’s especially appropriate in 2010 because Andy T’s Farm Market is celebrating its 25th anniversary at the current location on BR-127, just south of St. Johns. The site includes acreage that Andy and Sunday purchased earlier this year which had been part of Crosby Mint Farm.”
While he’s new to mint farming, Andy has had mint oil and other minty products available for sale at the farm market for many years.
“We’ve always supported the mint industry and Clinton County mint producers, and have participated in many Mint Festival activities over the years,” Andy said. “It’s an honor to be named as the 2010 Grand Marshal – we’re looking forward to all the Mint Festival events more than ever this year.”
In reality, Andy has been an ag producer for a lot longer than the 25 years being celebrated at the farm market.
“I started selling sweet corn when I was eight years old – it was at sidewalk sale days,” he said with a hearty laugh. “When I was a teenager, I took orders and made deliveries to customers downtown and at their homes. Actually, there I still people today who I deliver to.”
Andy T’s as it’s known today began in February 1985. That’s when Andy purchased 20 acres at the current site and invested in improvements that included a parking lot, driveway entrance and tiling on 12 acres. Andy T’s opened that fall.
“At 23 years old, I had no idea what would become of that purchase,” he said.
When a nation-wide drought in 1988 resulted in Andy not being able to harvest enough sweet corn for a local food retailer, he opted to sell all his corn at the roadside market on US-27 along with other vegetables that he grew.
Andy T’s weathered that drought year – and ended up expanding in 1989. Six acres were rezoned as commercial property and a 40×80-foot building was constructed, along with a separate building with restrooms. Andy sold produce, pumpkins and vegetables and added Christmas trees and mum plants in 1990.
“Because mum sales were so good, the grower suggested I should try selling annual and perennial flowers and plants,” Andy recalls. “I took his advice and built a greenhouse the following year – I had no idea what a begonia or impatiens was at the time.”
Good and bad times followed in 1992. He and his new bride, Sunday, settled into a home on the property – but unseasonably cold weather hampered production that year.
“It was the coldest summer on record – terrible for growing and selling produce. Sales were down and the farm lost a huge amount of money, but we were able to restructure our finances and the market survived.”
In fact, the newlyweds added a bakery in 1993 and began selling trees and shrubs. Andrew Jr. was born the following year – and a second greenhouse was constructed. A third greenhouse was built in 1996, and in 1998 Andy T’s made a decision to sell only products grown in Michigan.
“We know how important it is to support our ag industry here – we all can grow together,” the entrepreneur said about his successful farm operation.
The farm market quite literally weathered a storm two years ago.
“It was late in the afternoon on June 6, 2008 when I saw a huge storm coming across from the west – I have never seen clouds like that before,” he said about what turned out to be a tornado that tore through the countryside between Taft and Parks roads. “I ran to the market for shelter and heard a noise that sounded like a train, and heard things hitting the building. It lasted only about 30 seconds – when I walked outside all I could see was destruction.”
The couple rebuilt the greenhouse structures, and were ready for spring-time sales in 2009. As a way of thanking their customers and vendors for support following the storm, Andy T’s held a “Tornado Sale” in June.
“Everyone enjoyed that so much, we decided to do it again this June – but this time it was even more special being our 25th anniversary,” Andy said, noting that the addition of 40 acres from the Crosby farm is another highlight of the 2010 season. “We hope to begin growing and harvesting mint there.”
It’s that wide range of experience in varied types of agriculture commodities and products that makes Andy T one of the most versatile Mint Festival honorees to date. The 2010 Grand Marshall talked about his upcoming Festival duties – with typical good humor.
“I guess I’ll be a hard act to follow,” he said with a grin.