OUR STORY
1800’s
1881 - Henry and Kathryn Wiers left their home in Groningen, Netherlands where they were farmers, and arrived at Ellis Island, New York. They settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Henry worked in the local factories.
1896- Henry Wiers traveled with his family and other Dutch immigrants from Kalamazoo, Michigan to purchase 5 acres in the muck lands near Willard, Ohio. At that time, the muck consisted of swampy and poorly drained land, but Henry Wiers along with others used draining techniques from Netherlands to make the land farmable. The area came to be known as Celeryville. Celery was grown and shipped to local markets using horse and wagon and transported to further locations using the railroad.
1900’s
1906 - Henry Wiers helped finance and build Celeryville’s first church. Sermons were preached exclusively in Dutch.
1922 - The 2nd generation took over the farm when Henry Wiers passed his 10 acres of land on to his sons, Edd and Garrett.
1934 - There were 37 families and 27 farms in the Celeryville area farming a combined 210 acres of celery.
1940 - The 3rd generation of the Wiers family began taking on responsibility at the farm. The five sons of Edd Wiers -- Henry, Frank, Corwin, Norman, and Eddy -- took over the operation.
1965 - The Marsh Run Watershed Project was built. This 75 acre reservoir gathers excess rainwater and allows the Celeryville area farms to irrigate their crops even in severe droughts.
1970 - The 4th generation (Jim, Ed, Frank, John, Tom, Ben, and Jerry) of the Wiers family began to enter the business.
1975 - The importance of on-time delivery and flexibility became more apparent. The Wiers family realized how crucial it is to have control over their produce’s transportation. Thus, Dutch Maid Produce was born with the purchase of 8 trucks and 10 trailers.
1992 - The 5th generation (Dean, Darren, David, Tyler, Luke, and Hunter) began entering the business.
1996 - The 100th anniversary of Wiers Farm.
2000’s
2001 - Dutch Maid Produce changed its name to Dutch Maid Logistics. This change helped expand services to existing customers as well as provide transportation throughout the lower 48 states for new customers.
2003 – Wiers Farm modernized and strengthened its stringent Food Safety protocols in an effort to enhance its commitment to both produce and consumer health.
2006 – Wiers Farm spread its roots and began farming near Sarasota, Florida. This expansion enabled Wiers Farm to grow and deliver a wide variety of fresh produce to customers throughout the year.
2011 – Wiers Farm became a partner in S.M. Jones & Company based in Belle Glade, FL. Known as a premier grower, S.M. Jones provides customers with fresh sweet corn through the spring and fall.
Today
Wiers Farm continues to grow and provide the best and freshest produce as well as maintain its position as a leader in food safety practices. Wiers Farm controls production from the point at which seed is delivered. Using their own greenhouses, land, packinghouse, coolers, and Dutch Maid Logistics, Wiers Farm has an unprecedented amount of control over its products. Dutch Maid Logistics now operates a fleet of nearly 200 trucks and over 300 refrigerated trailers. With production in Ohio and Florida and grower partners across the eastern USA, Wiers Farm is able to provide solutions to your produce needs year round.