source: Farm and Food Report
Sometimes the most innocuous event can change a life remarkably. For Tyron Demich, a pivotal moment occurred in the symbolic act of eating an apple.
“I was visiting some friends in Meacham, in November of 2002,” Demich says. “They had brought in organic apples from someone they knew in B.C., for distribution just around Meacham. So I bought a box of Fuji apples, you know, no big deal.”
Oh… but it was: “They were the best apples I had ever eaten in my life! They were so crisp and so juicy. It took me three weeks to savour that box of apples, and in that time I realized I had always wanted that quality of food in my life. Until then, I hadn’t known the difference — the difference is… organic.”
Demich, who is 35, lives with his wife and son on a few acres, just south of Big River. He has worked on oilrigs; built straw bale houses; painted and renovated. But for the last two years, his calling has been to deliver organic products to homes and businesses around Saskatchewan.
“People really need to try the taste quality of organic food. I eat probably one-third of what I ate before. I’ve got lots of energy. Organic food has 85 per cent more active enzymes than food bought in conventional grocery stores. You may be paying more for organic produce, but you’re getting more nutritional benefit from that food you’re eating. More bang for your buck.”
After that fateful box of apples, Demich used the money he had been saving to make his last mortgage payment to buy a truck with a cooling unit, and in June 2003, he drove to B.C. to pick up his first load of organic fruit and vegetables.
“I found a market in Cawstan, B.C., where I met up with the people from Harker’s Fruit Ranch. They are the premiere supplier of organic fruit and vegetables in western Canada. I filled the truck with boxes of cherries, peaches and apricots. It cost me over $2,000. Then I drove back to Saskatchewan and started selling right away to local organic stores and everywhere I could — I sold everything.”
After doing a little math, Demich realized that driving back and forth to B.C. could get a little prohibitive. “It cost $1,000 in gas to go both ways, plus 40 hours minimum of driving. So the next fruit order, I had shipped to me. This also reduced my risk hugely, because if I was driving with the fruit and the truck were to break down, I would lose everything. That’s a huge risk to take with perishable items.”
Thus, World Ty’s Trading was born.
“I started trading fruit for vegetables; I found local people that were growing organic veggies, and I exchanged with them. So, besides the fruit, I was able to offer peppers, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic … all sorts of things.”
Demich has also sold handmade soaps, hand-dipped beeswax candles, wild berries and wild rice. “Basically, anything that I could find that was locally produced that I could sell with integrity.”
From his original 14 names, the list of contacts just grew to 30, to 45 and exponentially after that, without even any kind of advertising. Word of mouth… that’s all it takes:
“A special relationship is formed — you’re providing people their sustenance,” says Demich. “It’s all about their health and well-being, and it’s all very positive. I love doing this. I love the expression on people’s faces when they bite into an apple or a peach and then tell me it’s the best peach they’ve ever had. It’s inspirational to see that kind of joy, to see it on their faces.”
In two years, World Ty’s Trading has grown into a busy venture, which keeps Demich racing to keep up. The fruit shipments now come in on reefer trucks, and Demich stores them in a refrigerated warehouse. A fresh load arrives every two to three weeks. He is presently delivering to homes and businesses in Big River, Shell Lake, Birch Lake, Canwood, Prince Albert, Rabbit Lake, Ruddell, Craik, Regina, Moose Jaw … he has 325 contact names in Saskatoon alone. On average, he delivers to 30 clients each day, with time allotted at each delivery to visit and interact a bit.
According to Demich, the organic industry is growing 12 to 20 per cent each year. “So it’s a no-brainer, I can make this work. I’m in a really good position right now, and I really am the only one doing it. There are a couple other organic suppliers, but they’re based out of somewhere else, in B.C. I am the only one based out of Saskatchewan, delivering organic. For a guy working off his cell phone, out of a truck, it’s a big undertaking.”
In fact, he is now looking for a partner, or an investor so he can pay people to help him. He also wants to get a business loan in order to buy a computer and acquire some computer training. It all goes to show how, from the market niche, everything else evolves.
For more information, contact:
Tyron Demich
Cell phone: (306) 227-7720
Email: worldtystrading@sasktel.net
Sometimes the most innocuous event can change a life remarkably. For Tyron Demich, a pivotal moment occurred in the symbolic act of eating an apple.
“I was visiting some friends in Meacham, in November of 2002,” Demich says. “They had brought in organic apples from someone they knew in B.C., for distribution just around Meacham. So I bought a box of Fuji apples, you know, no big deal.”
Oh… but it was: “They were the best apples I had ever eaten in my life! They were so crisp and so juicy. It took me three weeks to savour that box of apples, and in that time I realized I had always wanted that quality of food in my life. Until then, I hadn’t known the difference — the difference is… organic.”
Demich, who is 35, lives with his wife and son on a few acres, just south of Big River. He has worked on oilrigs; built straw bale houses; painted and renovated. But for the last two years, his calling has been to deliver organic products to homes and businesses around Saskatchewan.
“People really need to try the taste quality of organic food. I eat probably one-third of what I ate before. I’ve got lots of energy. Organic food has 85 per cent more active enzymes than food bought in conventional grocery stores. You may be paying more for organic produce, but you’re getting more nutritional benefit from that food you’re eating. More bang for your buck.”
After that fateful box of apples, Demich used the money he had been saving to make his last mortgage payment to buy a truck with a cooling unit, and in June 2003, he drove to B.C. to pick up his first load of organic fruit and vegetables.
“I found a market in Cawstan, B.C., where I met up with the people from Harker’s Fruit Ranch. They are the premiere supplier of organic fruit and vegetables in western Canada. I filled the truck with boxes of cherries, peaches and apricots. It cost me over $2,000. Then I drove back to Saskatchewan and started selling right away to local organic stores and everywhere I could — I sold everything.”
After doing a little math, Demich realized that driving back and forth to B.C. could get a little prohibitive. “It cost $1,000 in gas to go both ways, plus 40 hours minimum of driving. So the next fruit order, I had shipped to me. This also reduced my risk hugely, because if I was driving with the fruit and the truck were to break down, I would lose everything. That’s a huge risk to take with perishable items.”
Thus, World Ty’s Trading was born.
“I started trading fruit for vegetables; I found local people that were growing organic veggies, and I exchanged with them. So, besides the fruit, I was able to offer peppers, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic … all sorts of things.”
Demich has also sold handmade soaps, hand-dipped beeswax candles, wild berries and wild rice. “Basically, anything that I could find that was locally produced that I could sell with integrity.”
From his original 14 names, the list of contacts just grew to 30, to 45 and exponentially after that, without even any kind of advertising. Word of mouth… that’s all it takes:
“A special relationship is formed — you’re providing people their sustenance,” says Demich. “It’s all about their health and well-being, and it’s all very positive. I love doing this. I love the expression on people’s faces when they bite into an apple or a peach and then tell me it’s the best peach they’ve ever had. It’s inspirational to see that kind of joy, to see it on their faces.”
In two years, World Ty’s Trading has grown into a busy venture, which keeps Demich racing to keep up. The fruit shipments now come in on reefer trucks, and Demich stores them in a refrigerated warehouse. A fresh load arrives every two to three weeks. He is presently delivering to homes and businesses in Big River, Shell Lake, Birch Lake, Canwood, Prince Albert, Rabbit Lake, Ruddell, Craik, Regina, Moose Jaw … he has 325 contact names in Saskatoon alone. On average, he delivers to 30 clients each day, with time allotted at each delivery to visit and interact a bit.
According to Demich, the organic industry is growing 12 to 20 per cent each year. “So it’s a no-brainer, I can make this work. I’m in a really good position right now, and I really am the only one doing it. There are a couple other organic suppliers, but they’re based out of somewhere else, in B.C. I am the only one based out of Saskatchewan, delivering organic. For a guy working off his cell phone, out of a truck, it’s a big undertaking.”
In fact, he is now looking for a partner, or an investor so he can pay people to help him. He also wants to get a business loan in order to buy a computer and acquire some computer training. It all goes to show how, from the market niche, everything else evolves.
For more information, contact:
Tyron Demich
Cell phone: (306) 227-7720
Email: worldtystrading@sasktel.net
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