Fruit Hill Farm - 30 Years in Business

To celebrate 30 years of helping people grow organic, we are looking back at how it all began and what has changed over the years.

How Fruit Hill Farm started

Fruit Hill Farm was started by Manfred and Edite Wandel from their home in 1993. Manfred and Edite were organic pioneers in the eighties and they found it hard to get the tools and inputs they needed. So alongside growing fruit and vegetables, they started to source quality products with the intention to supply other organic growers, small and large. Their own market garden was a perfect place to trial new products.

There was a lot of work in the beginning making contact with suppliers, setting up the administration and making the first ever catalogue. This was made on an old computer and a second hand printer.

These catalogues were posted to roughly 80 potential customers and then the orders started coming in via letter and landline telephone. There were no emails or internet, and no internet banking either..

The biggest hurdles to overcome in the beginning were; cash flow as everything had to be pre-financed, as well as transport from the continent to here and then distribution country wide. Small orders were sent out by post or Interlink, larger orders were delivered by Manfred and Edite with a van.

The goal of the company was to offer all organic growers and gardeners good reliable products to be able to grow successfully.

The company grew due the popularity of the good products, a great customer service, as well as going to garden shows with a stand, so customers could see the tools and equipment first hand.

How Fruit Hill Farm has changed over the years

The interest in the environment and organic growing has grown a lot since the early nineties and this has contributed to the growth of the business. Fruit Hill Farm always listened carefully to the needs of the growers and introduced many new products to the Irish market.

Fruit Hill Farm operated as a mail order business for 20 years - our last catalogue was printed in 2012. After this point most of our business was done through our website and over the phone.

In 2015 the company was incorporated and moved to a larger premises down the road. Since then the company has seen steady growth and went from employing 3-4 people to having an experienced and dedicated team of 18 people (including part timers).

The current managing director Elmer Koomans began working at Fruit Hill Farm at the start of 2012 as sales manager. Elmer has been an organic grower since 1989 and had been a customer of Fruit Hill Farm for years. His experience in farming, organic food production and his in depth knowledge of soil health helped source new products and attract new customers. In July 2021, when Manfred retired, Elmer took over the reins.

The future of Fruit Hill Farm

Going forward the aim is still the same; Fruit Hill Farm will continue to supply quality products to environmentally friendly gardeners, growers and farmers in Ireland. We endeavour to continuously improve our range with more sustainable options to help further reduce the environmental impact associated with growing.

Whatever your growing requirements, Fruit Hill Farm prides itself on offering high quality customer service and products. We're ready to help you make the right choice for your own needs and the environment.

To celebrate 30 years of successful business, Fruit Hill Farm will be running some fun giveaways over the next few weeks, keep an eye on our socials or sign up to our newsletter for more details.