David and Susan Walker have owned the Sunset U-Pick for 40 years. The business is nestled within the city limits of Fredericton, N.B., making it even more unique.
They have decided it’s time to hang up their hats and hand things over to someone new, but their plan has been met with an obstacle.
“We, my wife and I, made the decision this spring to retire and we were getting a lot of questions from our customers and things like that early on, even before we opened,” Walker said. “We’d like to see this transition to another couple that is interested in taking it over.”
Since 1983, the Walkers have had a year-by-year lease renewal with the City of Fredericton.
But the couple interested in taking over the business needs their own multi-year agreement to secure the financing before next season.
It’s a decision the city has yet to make, but one that has left the Walkers with uncertainty.
“I have to say the city has leased this land to us for 40 years and we don’t want to forget that the city has been good to us, but now it’s time; we need to transition the land,” he said.
The soil in the area is ideal for agricultural use, whereas much of the rest of the city is not.
When the harvest season finishes, the renovations for the next begin. It takes a lot of planning, Walker explained, meaning the clock is ticking on getting the deal done to ensure the new owners can open next summer.
The weather this year has made it a bit more difficult for picking, with New Brunswick seeing long stretches of rain, but Walker said the crop is good.
On Tuesday, more than 60 people were out in the fields picking pounds-upon-pounds of strawberries.
“I’ve put my heart and soul into this for the last forty years and to see anything happen to this land other than agriculture would be almost criminal to me,” Walker said.
Long-time picker Susan Brown said it makes her feel sad to think this could be the U-pick’s final year.
She’s been coming to pick strawberries for nearly 15 years.
“It’s very sad. I’ve been coming here to pick strawberries now for many years and to think that it wouldn’t be here anymore, that’s bad news. It’s bad news for the city too,” she said.
Her husband lives in a nearby nursing home and the proximity to the city has allowed her to continue picking while staying close to him.
“Anything we can do to keep it going, we should do,” she said.
She isn’t the only one who would be devastated if the U-pick was to shutter. It was Amy-Lynn Smith’s first job. She said she sees David and Susan Walker as her second grandparents, adding the two have given her so many opportunities over the past three years.
“It’s sad. When I found out that it was just their last year, I couldn’t believe it because my family has been coming here and it’s a huge staple in the community,” she said.
Wayne Knorr, a spokesperson for the city, said it has been working with the Walkers diligently to help them transition out of the business, adding the city felt the most recent negotiations were progressing respectfully and in a productive manner.
“Staff will continue to work toward an outcome that respects all parties and acknowledges the current agricultural use of the site,” he said.
“In the meantime, year-to-year leases are in affect.”
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