The North Pole must be quite the operation. From sorting mail to building toys to packaging and shipping logistics for 195 countries and countless unique zip codes...Makes our heads spin just thinking about it. But there's one woman who wouldn't be phased at all. In fact, if she showed up at Santa's Workshop tomorrow, she'd probably find 20 things she could optimize within the hour. Many call her ma'am. Some call her Vicki. But everyone here knows her as The Captain.
We recently sat down with Vicki and Al to talk about how Vicki got started at the farm, how she keeps things in order and how two complete polar opposites can get along so well for so long.
Vicki, How did you end up at Pearson Farm? When did Al hire you?
VICKI: He didn't hire me when he should have, he hired someone else, and I have made him pay for that for thirty-something years.
AL:[laughing] She was not who I thought she was. When Vicki came, we were a third of the size we are now. She came from a background in insurance, and insurance is really detailed. I didn't know what was possible for our farm until we hired her. If something was supposed to be done, then Vicki would get it done. And for a group of folks used to doing it however we wanted...Well, Vicki kept us all in line. We trust her.
So, what was it like working for a farm in those first few years? Especially as someone who was completely new to farming.
VICKI: Rocky.
AL: Really?
VICKI: Yeah..[to Al} You fired me!
AL: No! You quit. I didn't fire you!
VICKI: Well...It's the same thing!
But what made you come back?
VICKI: [nodding to Al] He did. [with a smile] He did.
AL: Without Vicki...We wouldn't have made the changes we needed to. That's why a lot of farms quit. The processes can be very frustrating without administrative help.
Is it safe to say that Vicki was hired at the perfect time? Without jumping to conclusions, a lot of Pearson Farm's growth seems to stem from changes she made...
AL: Once we started shipping, we quickly learned that is a whole different business. What Vicki brings to the table is not just more of what's here. She's different. That's a good thing.
VICKI: [laughs] You and I are just different. Completely different. I'm an old hippie. You're an old fraternity brother.
AL: Even that viewpoint...We don't agree on that. But the different take on things-it's just been a pleasure.
Is there a specific memory that stands out from your time here?
VICKI: The most vivid memory was the tropical storm in '94, and us picking peaches in the rain. I can remember that so well, so clearly...
AL: We had to get the job done and we couldn't just quit.
VICKI: it rained like an inch an hour...
AL: There were orchards I went to where the peaches were floating...When the water went away, there were fish left in the fields.
VICKI: We all had to work together. It was extraordinary; it was not something we had ever dreamed of having to do.
Okay...Last question...How did Vicki become the operations legend she is today?
VICKI: Well, I was a bit of a know-it-all growing up.
AL: Because you do know it all...
VICKI: But when you grow up in the country, encyclopedias become gooooood reading.
AL: What? Did you know about my history? I would get up every morning before everyone else and sit and read encyclopedias.
VICKI: I had World Book. It had slick pages...Smelled so nice.
AL: I didn't know we shared that...That's nice. And it's been nice working alongside you all these years.
VICKI: It is. And it has.
