2023 - Volume #47, Issue #4, Page #06
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Vet-Owned Cannery Makes Unique Pickles
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Husband and wife duo Scott and Laurie Weber came up with their business name from an experience during Scott’s military service. He remembers a drill sergeant getting onto a bus filled with recruits and yelling, “You window lickers have three seconds to get off my bus!” The phrase hit Scott as funny enough that he mentally filed it away for future use.
The cannery itself came to be 8 years ago due to Laurie’s love of gardening and a quest by Scott to make a perfect pickle and improve his homemade bloody Mary mixes. The two purchased a piece of property with plenty of room for gardening. As the harvest came in, they started experimenting with preserving it the same way their grandparents had - canning and pickling. The canned goods started to pile up, so the Webers gave some away to family and friends.
After several years and a few influential visits to local farmers’ markets, they started considering selling publicly. By 2012, the pair began to sell their wares in the Ashland area at farmers’ markets and festivals. That’s when the business took off.
The Webers moved to a larger property in 2018 and scaled their pickling business accordingly. Today, the cannery sells several varieties of pickles, ranging from dill to bread and butter and spicy garlic pickle chunks. You can also choose from numerous other pickled vegetables like dilly beans, asparagus, mushrooms, a variety of salsas, spicy jams, homemade mustards, and more. While the Webers source some items, such as mushrooms, from local suppliers, they grow 95 percent of what they use.
“This remains a small husband and wife operation,” says Scott. “We control what we can based on need and availability. Our biggest challenges have been sourcing raw materials (jars) and rising costs.” Even so, the duo is in the business because they have fun doing it. Future plans include putting up high tunnels to lengthen the growing season.
“Don’t be afraid to take a chance,” Scott suggests to other potential cannery owners. “Have fun doing it and have the courage to work through obstacles.”
It’s possible to order all products online for delivery nationwide. Once you submit your order online, Scott or Laurie will follow up by email with payment instructions.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Window Licker Cannery, 30395 Hagstrom Road, Ashland, Wis. 54806 (ph 715-682-4219; windowlickercannery@yahoo.com; www.windowlickercannery.com).
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