Feature your Flower Farmer!

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Feature your Flower Farmer!
see page CA-3 for full story
MEL RESENDIZ
Resendiz Bros. Protea Growers
Fallbrook, CA
CA-2
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
CA-3
Signs showing who grew the flowers are sought by today’s consumers
By John Niblock
The cover photo on the California Flower Growers Report &
2010 Floral Buyers Guide shows
Mel Resendiz of Resendiz Bros.
Protea Growers in Fallbrook,
CA, holding one of his protea
bouquets. It highlights the
growing movement of featuring the flower farmer. More
photos like the one on the
cover may be coming to a
supermarket near you.
“Our flower farms aren’t the
only ones benefiting from this
approach,” explained Kasey
Cronquist, the California Cut
Flower Commission chief executive officer and ambassador.
“You can see examples of this
type of grower profiling with
wines and avocados, for example. Even Frito Lay’s most recent
campaign is capturing the
farm-to-store story.”
Customers today want a personal relationship with whom
they buy from, research indicates, right down to the farmer
who grows the flowers they
take home. A study recently
conducted for a coalition of
California agriculture organizations confirmed that the
romantic image of the “family
farm” appeals to consumers.
They picture farmers with
rolled-up sleeves and dirty
hands who care for their crops
and land. Based on this
has long displayed pointof-sale materials that tell
shoppers
where its perishables are
produced and
by whom.
Safeway
recently
reported
strong 2009
fourth-quarter
floral
earnings, during
which it had
been executing
a
storewide
“locally
grown” camThis poster in a supermarket floral depart- paign.
ment in Santa Barbara, CA, depicts two
The impegrowers at Ocean Breeze International, part tus
toward
of a move to identify for consumers the identifying
flower growers who supply supermarkets.
sources may
have begun
research, the coalition will with traceability initiatives for
launch a “Know a California produce and other food prodFarmer” campaign this month. ucts, but it soon migrated to
Fresh Market, Safeway and country-of-origin” labeling and
Whole Foods Market are now has become part of the
among the large-chain leaders “locally grown” movement.
Retailers aren’t the only ones
in this trend. Using beautiful
high-gloss posters, they provide driving this consumer outreach
consumers a visual description effort. A campaign developed
of the farmers that grow the by the U.S. Department of Agriflowers and produce they buy. culture last fall called on citiParadise Foods in Marin Coun- zens to “Know Your Farmer,
ty, CA, is a small chain, but it Know Your Food.”
USDA
Deputy Secretary Kathleen
Merrigan
launched the
initiative to
continue the
national conversation
about developing local
and regional
food systems
and finding
ways to support small and
mid-sized
farms,
“This is a
good time to
be a California
flower
farmer,” Mr. This map of California, displayed in a California supermarket floral department, shows
Cronquist
said.
“This the locations and varieties of flowers grown
by the dozen flower growers who supply
doesn’t
appear to be flowers sold in the department.
just a marketing trend, it seems to be an ers have become the largest
actual movement by consumers group of licensees of the CA
who are looking at what they GROWN campaign.
Images, like the one of Mel
are buying and from whom.
More and more people are ask- Resendiz, tell shoppers the
ing who am I and what am I farmers’ story and encourage
supporting with my purchasing them to make “locally grown”
purchases. As more retailers
dollars.”
For this reason, California employ photos and flower farm
flower growers and their retail- profiles in supermarket floral
ers have increasingly adopted departments, more consumers
the California Grown cam- are going to respond to these
paign. California’s flower farm- signs of the times.
CA Grown label more widespread among state’s flower growers
By John S. Niblock
The “California Grown”
logo, identifying products
grown within the state to consumers, is now in more widespread use among the state’s
cut-flower growers. Currently,
about 50 of the state’s growers
are using the label on products
they sell, according to Nick
Matteis, assistant manager of
the Buy California Marketing
Agreement in Sacramento, CA,
which operates the program.
California cut-flower growers
are now the largest licensee
group of the California Grown
campaign.
“The California Cut Flower
Commission has really become
engaged in this program,” Mr.
Matteis said in a June 17 phone
interview. “They have developed some innovative ways to
use the “CA GROWN” logo,
and we are seeing more and
more cut-flower growers sign
up for it.”
Participating growers use a
tag and other promotional
materials with the eye-catching
logo of a blue license-plate
with the message “CA
GROWN” on flower sleeves,
bouquets, bunches of flowers,
foliage and potted plants. All
cut-flower growers in the state
are able to become licensees
free of charge due to signatory
membership of the California
Many California floral growers are putting this ‘CA GROWN’
license-plate logo, which identifies flowers and plants
grown in California, on products they ship across the
nation. A nationwide poll indicated most customers didn't
know where their flowers
Cut Flower Commission on the
Buy California Marketing
Board. This saves growers at
least $1,000, the minimum cost
to be licensed on their own.
Licensing fees increase based
on size of operations.
“People want to know
where their flowers are coming
from,” explained the commission’s promotion committee
chairman, Chad Nelson, sales
manager at Eufloria Flowers in
Nipomo, CA. “Clearly the little
‘CA GROWN’ logo delivers a
big statement for people who
are looking to buy a more local
product.”
California flowers make up
20 percent of flowers sold in
the United States, Mr. Nelson
pointed out, and the California
Grown program provides growers and their customers the
opportunity to identify California flowers.
“With imports making up
80 percent of what’s available
in the cut-flower market, California Grown has become the
logical ‘local’ choice for retailers, wholesalers, designers and
customers who are looking for
something local and sustainable to support. The commission has received requests from
as far away as Minnesota from
organizations looking for ‘local’
product donations,” said Mr.
Nelson.
“We know that 85 percent
of consumers do not know
where their flowers come
from,” Mr. Nelson stated. “We
believe the program helps all
domestic flower farmers by
making consumers and flower
buyers aware that sourcing
domestic product does make a
difference. Increased sales offer
proof of the success of this program,” he concluded.
“Consumers increasingly Chad Nelson
value locally produced products,” agreed Scott Fulton, vice advertising for the California
president of sales and market- Grown marketing effort said
ing at California-based B&H they were twice as likely to buy
Flowers. “Retailers can capital- more California products.
The commission is one of 13
ize on that trend,” he said. He
attended a recent trade show in organizations and hundreds of
Northern California and pro- products licensed by the cammoted B&H flowers as Califor- paign. The web site logo for the
marketing campaign depicts
nia grown.
The commission also pro- flowers as one of six examples
motes the “CA GROWN” logo of California products. For
within the state and nationwide products with some out-ofin presentations at trade shows state ingredients, mixed bouand other industry events. “The quets, for example, 85 percent
campaign provides growers of the product must be Califorwith a brand-building resource nia-grown to earn the “CA
that has a proven ability to GROWN” tag.
Retailers interested in marimprove sales,” said Kasey
Cronquist, the commission’s keting the California Grown
executive director and ambas- program are encouraged to talk
to their grower/supplier or consador.
He cited a report from the tact the California Cut Flower
Buy California Marketing Commission directly.
“There are a lot of resources
Agreement office which noted
a 7 percent increase in sales of to be leveraged in this camCalifornia-grown agricultural paign,” said Mr. Cronquist. “It
products within the state since appears to serve as a buy local,
the campaign began. Cus- sustainability, and origin label
tomers who saw promotional all in one.”
CA-4
JULY 2010
A&M Flower Growers, Inc.
(805) 933-3693
www.amflowergrowers.com
A. Cozzolino Nursery
(650) 726-9512
A. Nagamine Nursery, Inc.
(831) 724-1282
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
Figone Nursery
(650) 726-5833
Fisher Farms, Inc.
(805) 735-1598
Five Star Roses
(831) 722-8620
Foothill Produce & Flower Farm
A. Repetto Nursery, Inc.
(650) 726-6414
(916) 408-3887
www.foothillproduceandflowerfarm.com
Agrispect
Four Seasons Ornamental Horticulture
Akiyama Nursery
Fowler Wholesale Flower Co.
Ano Nuevo Flower Growers
Garden Valley Ranch, LLC
(951) 676-4308
(831) 722-1797
(650) 879-0389
Asahi Greenhouse, Inc.
(831) 424-6744
Aspen Enterprises
(831) 722-7676
Astones Protea
(831) 662-3735
B & H Flowers, Inc.
(805) 684-4550
www.bandhflowers.com
Bianchi Flowers
(650) 879-0221
Bluebird Ranch Corp.
(310) 394-2319
(760) 728-1427
(707) 792-0377
www.gardenvalley.com
Gatanaga Nursery, Inc.
(831) 422-4474
Gi Gis Callas
(805) 684-7878
Glad-A-Way Gardens
(805) 938-0569
www.gladaway.net
Green Valley Floral, Inc.
(831) 424-7691
www.greenvalleyfloral.com
Green Valley Growers
(760) 723-3815
(707) 823-5583
www.greenvalleygrower.com
Brassica Wholesale Nursery
H.Pastorino & Son, Co.
(805) 929-1550
Bricker Floral
(760) 749-8797
Burgos Foliage Farm
(760) 742-3517
C&F Flower Growers
(805) 641-9337
California Floral Greens LLP
(831) 728-0320
California Pajarosa
(831) 722-6374
www.pajarosa.com
CallaCo
(831) 728-5392
www.callaco.com
CALMEX Wholesale Growers
& Shippers, Inc.
(760) 598-8425
CamFlor Inc
(831) 726-1330
www.camflor.com
Casitas Gardens
650 726-6440
www.pastorinofarms.com
Harry H. Fukutome Nursery
(831) 722-0230
James Hatano
(310) 521-8706
Hayato Nursery
(831) 422-5580
Hilltop Flowers Inc
(805) 684-3541
www.hilltopflowersinc.com
Holland America Flowers, LLC
(805) 343-4004
www.haflowers.com
Ito Flower Grower
(805) 488-1714
J & D Wholesale
(530) 902-2070
Javier Flower Growers
(760) 744-0106
Johannes Flowers
Maximum Nursery
(805) 684-4006
www.maximumnursery.com
Mayeda Cut Flower Co.
(805) 488-1538
Mazzanti Carnations, Inc.
(650) 879-0138
McGrath Family Farms
(805) 485-4210
www.mcgrathfamilyfarm.com
McLellan Botanicals
Rose Story Farm
(805) 566-4885
www.rosestoryfarm.com
Rudvalis Orchids
(760) 438-2121
www.rudvalisorchids.com
S & R Flowers
(760) 451-8925
www.srflowers.com
Saito Nursery
(805) 684-4030
(831) 726-1797
www.taisucoamerica.com
Sakaue Nursery, Inc.
Mellano & Company
Salinas Valley Nursery
(760) 433-9550
www.mellano.com
Meristem International
(831) 475-1321
Minami Greenhouse, Inc.
(831) 761-0916
(831) 758-4996
San Martin Roses, Inc.
(650) 965-0155
Santa Barbara Orchid Estate
(831) 758-4903
(805) 967-1284
www.sborchid.com
Myriad Flowers Intl.
Silva Wholesale Florist
(805) 684-8079
www.myriadflowers.com
Neve Bros
(707) 778-2326
Neve Roses II
(707) 766-7673
Nunes Blossom Growers Inc
(650) 726-4325
Silver Terrace Nursery
(650) 879-2110
Silvermink Protea Ranch
(760) 742-1215
Skyline Flower Growers
(209) 892-2000
(805) 929-7162
www.skylineflowers.com
O & J Growers
St. Francis Flowers
(800) 599-2189
www.ojgrowers.com
Obie’s Nursery
(831) 728-3636
www.obiesfloral.com
Obra Verde Growers
(760) 749-2050
www.obraverde-flowers.com
Ocean Breeze International
(760) 749-0155
Sun Coast Growers
(831) 757-2625
Sun Mountain Natural Products
(530) 778-0120
Sun Valley Floral Farms
(707) 826-8700
www.thesunvalleygroup.com
(805) 684-1747
www.oceanbreezeintl.com
Sunrise Ranch
Ocean View Flowers, LLC
Sunshine Floral
(805) 488-0814
(805) 736-5608
www.oceanviewflowers.com
(805) 684-1177
www.sunshinefloral.com
Oku Incorporated
T & E Pastorino Nursery
(650) 879-0100
(650) 726-4000
Onitsuka Greenhouse
Takeoka Nursery
(831) 758-0687
(831) 724-0502
Owens Acres and Fortuna Farms
Tayama Greenhouses, Inc.
(530) 626-3587
www.owensacres.com
(760) 753-6206
www.tayama.com
Pacifica Flowers, Inc.
Terando Rosa
(805) 684-5552
(805) 684-5686
www.johannesflowers.com
(760) 753-5376
www.pacificaflowers.com
Central Coast Greenhouses
Joseph & Sons, Inc.
Peace Nursery
(831) 722-3848
(805) 984-7972
www.topstarfloral.com
Protea From Shirl
Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens
(831) 422-4813
Central Evergreen
(209) 577-3243
Cliff Chak Nursery
(408) 778-3053
Cypress Flower Farm
(650) 728-0728
Cypress Hill Farms
(760) 728-6345
www.cypresshillfarms.com
Devoto Gardens & Orchards
(707) 823-6650
Dramm & Echter
(760) 436-0188
www.drammechter.com
Endow Nursery
(805) 684-2982
Erwin Mojonnier, LLC
(760) 942-7410
Eufloria Flowers
(805) 929-4683
www.eufloriaflowers.com
Ever-Bloom, Inc.
(805) 684-5566
www.ever-bloom.com
Farmers’ West Flowers and Bouquets, Inc.
(805) 684-5531
www.farmerswest.com
(805) 933-5572
Kato Cut Flowers
(831) 761-7754
www.katocutflowers.com
Kendall Farms
(760) 731-0681
www.kendallfarms.com
Kenneth Roth
(760) 751-8658
Kitayama Bros. Inc.
(760) 749-0691
Pyramid Flowers
(805) 484-4466
Topstar Floral, Inc.
(530) 472-3066
www.tuscanheights.net
(805) 382-8070
www.pyramidflowers.com
Twins Flower Growers
Racey Farms
Valley Flowers, Inc.
(760) 931-8120
(760) 941-4541
www.raceyfarms.com
(805) 684-6651
www.valleyflowers.com
(831) 722-2912
www.kbflowers.com
Rainbow Protea
Westland Floral Company
(760) 723-5701
www.rainbowprotea.com
(805) 684-4011
www.westlandfloral.com
Koch California Ltd.
Ranch of the Golden Hawk
Westland Nursery, Inc.
(805) 929-4153
www.kochcalifornia.com
Kohara Nursery, Inc.
(805) 685-8168
Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers
(650) 879-0148
Wise Acres
(760) 749-2532
(831) 422-4941
(760) 731-3305
www.resendizbrothers.com
Kono & Sons, Inc.
Robert C. King Nursery
(805) 684-2051
(760) 723-3184
www.wollamgrovemanagement.com
Roger’s Wholesale Flowers
Yamaguchi Greenhouse, Inc.
(831) 724-4269
(831) 422-3567
M. Tashiro Nursery, Inc.
Rolling Hills Ranch
Yamashita Flower Farm, Inc.
Mamoru Yamaoka
Rose Lane Farms
(805) 684-2055
Kuramura Nursery, Inc.
(831) 422-5854
(831) 422-3990
(805) 684-4349
(760) 751-1527
(323) 791-1367
Mark Wollam
(831) 422-9361
www.yamashitaflowerfarm.com
Yuai Nursery, Inc.
(831) 757-8201
* additional information regarding the flower farms listed above can be found on the
Commission's website and represents information on those farms that can be found on
publicly available lists or have provided the Commission with express written permission.
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
JULY 2010
CA-5
Sun Valley Floral Group
The 10 guiding principles for
Sun Valley grows hundreds
Sun Valley Floral Group in Arca- of varieties of flowers, and ships
ta, CA, include fostering a team more than 100 million stems a
culture, treating team members year to customers that include
with respect, helping improve H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Trader
the community, and being on Joe’s, Wegmans Food Markets
the cutting edge of the industry. and Whole Foods Market.
“We live and breathe them,”
A key challenge came in
said Lane DeVries, president 2008,
when
immigration
and chief executive
agents swooped
officer,
who
down on Arcata
proved it by firing
and Sun Valley lost
an e-mail copy of
more than 75 perthem off to a
cent of its team
reporter within 60
members there as
seconds.
a result of enforceThree
things
ment actions. “It
that Mr. DeVries
was a devastating
people
thinks
blow,” Mr. DeVries
should
know
acknowledged,
about Sun Valley:
“but our team had
First, quality is Lane DeVries
what I call the Sun
its core value,
Valley spirit, and
upheld throughout growing, we pulled through it all and
processing and shipping. Sec- emerged stronger.”
ond, dependability is its watchTo spur retail sales, Mr.
word. “We have a stellar record DeVries suggests more emphaof supplying product on time sis on research that shows flowand correctly, even during holi- ers aid health and well-being.
days,” Mr. DeVries said. And Also, he urges that Internationthird, Sun Valley offers an array al Women’s Day on March 8 be
of key crops on a year-round promoted as a floral holiday.
basis. “Our moderate climate in
“This is huge in Europe, and
Northern California produces a great opportunity here,” Mr.
high-quality flowers and allows DeVries observed, “because
year-round availability,” he 2011 is the centennial of Interadded.
national Women’s Day.”
B&H Flowers
800-682-5666
w n ...
o
r
G
y
l
b
Sustaina World!
ful
i
t
u
a
e
B
for a
Calla Lily
Asiatic Lily
Oriental Lily
Discovery Iris
Gerbera Daisy
Dutch Tulips
LA Hybrid Lily
B&H Flowers in Carpinteria, the prestigious Santa Barbara
CA, unites family traditions, County Green Award in 2007
innovations in floral operations and was one of the first Califorand expert knowledge under nia growers to be certified by
the
slogan,
“Sustainably Veriflora.
Grown...For a Beautiful World.”
Marketing and packaging
Owner Hans Brand puts it this innovations as described by
way: “Growing quality flowers Scott Fulton, vice president of
is more than the right bulbs, sales and marketing, include
plants and technology. Growing the Homegrown Floral Market
is a feeling for the
Merchandiser,
flowers. You can’t
along with a host
get it from a book
of various in-store
or from a school.
seasonal merchanIt’s in your fingers.
diser kits. B&H has
It’s in your blood.”
developed a tulip
The company is
box that allows
known for its gerside loading and
bera, lilies, tulips
removal as well as
and iris, grown on
custom packs for
California’s Cencustomers.
B&H
tral
Coast
in
also operates a fullCarpinteria
and Scott Fulton
line
bouquet
Watsonville, and
design center feaalso for its environmental stew- turing domestic and California
ardship. “We promote high Grown flowers.
standards towards social, enviThe firm supports a corporonmental
and
economic rate culture that emphasizes a
improvements,” said Mr. Brand, team approach. “We believe in
a fifth-generation grower.
the power of a group effort,”
These include keeping its cut said Mr. Brand. “Our cusflowers in the cold chain, cap- tomers, vendors and communituring run-off water in a perco- ty join us as team members.”
lating pond, waste recycling, Ideas from frontline workers are
using predator insects as alter- rewarded with bonuses.
natives to pesticide, organic
B&H Flowers are showcased
composting and cost-efficient at major retailers around the
boxes. The company received country.
CA-6
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
Farmers’ West Flowers & Bouquets
:“Farmers’ West Flowers &
Bouquets is much more than a
“Dutch Flower farm” growing
innovative crops and flowers,”
said Wilja Happé, the owner
and chief executive officer. “It
is a place called home for the
wildlife like bobcats, raccoons
and owls that depend on us for
a sustainable habitat.”
Farmers’ West has been
independently certified under
the VeriFlora Certified Sustainably Grown Program, which
confirms that all Farmers’ West
farms meet high standards for
environmental sustainability,
social responsibility and product
quality.
The firm recycles. Green
waste is collected and composted, eliminating the use of
chemicals in synthetic fertilizer.
All planting crates are steamed
and re-used, eliminating the
need for chemical fungicides
and toxic cleansers. All cardboard and plastics are recycled.
Farmers’ West also conserves
water by using drip irrigation
practices that result in zero runoff. Water from its hydroponically grown gerberas is used on
all other crops. Rainwater is
captured by sediment and
drainage ponds on its farms,
conserving natural wildlife.
The firm innovates, using
steam to treat its soil before
planting, using soft chemistry
and “spot” spraying methods
to reduce pesticide thresholds.
Another way Farmers’ West
reduces use of pesticides is to
employ the “good bugs” to eat
the “bad bugs.” This Integrated
Pest Management program
uses beneficial insects, traps,
and light and temperature
adjustments to reduce dependence on insecticides.
Disease and pest infestation
is reduced by a specialized croprotation cycle that allows Farmers’ West to cut back on the use
of pesticides, fungicides and
synthetic fertilizers.
Also, innovative packaging
allows it to offer biodegradable
and compostable sleeves and
flower tags.
Farmers’ West Flowers &
Bouquets is known not only for
its environmentally conscious
practices, but also for its fantastic flower programs: Oriental,
Trumpet, Tango, LA Hybrid and
Asiatic Lilies are offered, as well
as Gerberas, Gerbera-Midis,
dahlias and iris.
With 15 core crops and more
than 30 seasonal and specialty
flowers and greens, Farmers’
West can give its customers the
variety and quality they are
looking for.
Cal-Americas/USA Bouquet
A partnership between CalAmericas and USA Bouquet
forged in October 2009 has
allowed both parties to further
develop their markets in Western states, according to Steve
Dionne. Mr. Dionne is responsible for integrating the newly
merged firms’ West Coast operations.
“California sets the bar for
quality, especially for varieties
like gerbera and lilies. By being
active in the market we know
when and where crops are
available in volumes suitable for
supermarkets and other massmarket stores,” Mr. Dionne said
in a phone interview. “We can
bring in specialty and top-shelf
items because we are on the
scene and we can be nimble
when opportunities arise.”
A recent example is rotundifolia, a robust blue flower
native to Australia, but grown
in limited areas in Southern California with similar climates.
“We used this as filler in our
bouquets,” Mr. Dionne said.
“We only had it available in the
quantities we need for three
weeks, but it made for striking
bouquets.”
The full-service bouquetmaking operation that Mr.
Dionne runs at the Cal-Americas facility in Vista, CA, special-
izes in hand-tied bouquets.
“Those bouquets have a special
California look,” he added.
“The quality of construction,
color combinations and unusual
local crops make them in high
demand.”
Cal-Americas was founded
in 1987 by Jim and Thayis
Dionne, Mr. Dionne’s parents,
to serve supermarkets and bigbox stores. The firm offers a
complete line of fresh flowers
and foliage and has a special
focus on Southern California
field-grown crops.
Mr. Dionne is active in the
California floral industry, currently serving as president of
NORCAL, the California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers. Cal-Americas not only
buys flowers from growers but
also has some crops grown
under contract.
In recent years, USA Bouquet, a nationwide cut-flower
bouquets and arrangements
supplier, has opened regional
production facilities to locate its
operations closer to its markets.
Its headquarters are in Miami
and its four other U.S. facilities
are in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas
and Cresskill, NJ. USA Bouquet
serves all segments of the massmarket floral industry throughout North America.
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
CA-7
Dos Gringos
8]ZZYfYbh Vm 8Yg][b" 
Dos Gringos is the place to buy California Sunshine…
You can buy it in two ways... Sunflower Bunches
or Bright and Cheery California Twist™ Bouquets.
w w w. d o s g r i n g o s . c o m
Ph: 1-888-357-3378
Determined not to endure net flower company called sunanother Illinois winter and flowerguy.com and is a partner
armed with a finance degree in Nobleza Tequila Co.
from Michigan State, Jason
Dos Gringos started in a
Levin moved to San Diego get- shack in Carlsbad, CA, but by
ting a job with a small flower 2004, Mr. Levin was able to
company.
save enough pennies to build a
When the business went up new state-of-the-art, 60,000for sale a year later, he wrote a square-foot facility in Vista, CA.
47-page business
He’s most proud an
plan
and
underground conapproached local
veyor which recybanks, which were
cles more than
not eager to dole
1,400 tons of
out cash to a 22green waste per
year-old. Mr. Levin
year.
found two partDos Gringos can
ners — a chap
produce
6,000
well-seasoned in
bouquets an hour.
the flower industry
Mr. Levin leads a
and another with
team that strives,
enough credibility Jason Levin
as he puts it, “to
to garner financmake fresh flowers
ing.
a part of everyday lives and
Dos Gringos started with six bring smiles to millions.”
people. After 17 years of yeoMr. Levin serves on the board
man’s work, a buyout of both for NORCAL, the California
business partners, a business Association of Flower Growers
model change, and many near- & Shippers, the YMCA, Greater
ly sleepless nights, Mr. Levin San Diego, Meals on Wheels
employs 167 and claiims Dos and is a member of Vistage, the
Gringos is the world’s largest executive leadership program,
ornamental sunflower compa- and the Young Presidents’
ny, shipping fresh flowers to Organization.
grocery store chains throughout
Mr. Levin and wife, Melissa,
the United States and Canada.
have two children, Annie and
Mr. Levin also owns an Inter- Jack.
Gallup & Stribling
The Exquisite Bouquet in a convenient carry
pack features three mini sprays.
New shipper packing box.
Minimum of 25 plants, can
double stack for 50 plants.
Orchids on a Stick,
an elegant upgrade
for bouquets.
Suzie Schneider, Sales & Marketing Manager
Mass Market/Wholesale/ECommerce
3450 Via Real • Carpinteria, CA 93013
P: 800-222-7450 x330 • F: 805-684-3227
E: suzie@gallup-stribling.com
IM: sbsathome@yahoo.com
Gallup and Stribling Orchids
Gallup & Stribling Orchids
has been producing orchids for
more than 53 years on its 48acre farm on California’s Central Coast, where its state-ofthe-art breeding laboratory has
developed many new orchid
varieties. Corsages and cut
orchids account for about half
of the company’s annual business and potted Cymbidium
orchids make up the rest.
The company continues to
innovate. A recent offering is an
“orchid-on-a-stick,” a premium
Cymbidium bloom on a green
floral stick, a product that can
enhance any ordinary bouquet
or arrangement.
Another
new
offering,
invented by Jim Stribling, vice
president, is a retail-ready shipping and “instant display” box.
“You cut the strap, slip the
cardboard cover off, and voila!in less than a minute you have a
beautiful fresh-cut Cymbidium
display,” Mr. Stribling said. The
display features 12 mini orchid
sprays per box or 8 standard
and 27 boxes in a pallet. The
company will grow and ship
over 2 million cut flowers and
more than 150,000 Cymbidium
plants this year. In the summertime, when its own plants are
out of season, it imports orchid
sprays from New Zealand.
But the real story at this company is not the impressive volume it turns out. It is the struggle to maintain a quality product in an industry where price is
key. “On the plus side, orchids
are more popular today than
ever,” said Nancy Welty, vice
president
for
operations.
“When people want a special
plant they buy an orchid.” On
the minus side are increased
transport costs and buyers opting for low-priced plants rather
than quality orchids.
“Some growers use heat to
force their plants to bloom
sooner. They can grow them
faster, but the result is an inferior product — the foliage
droops and the buds drop off.
Instead of lasting three to six
weeks, the cut flowers die in a
week or two and the customer
is disappointed,” she said.
“Weaker plants damage the
market for all of the growers.”
G&S is after the repeat business, Ms. Welty said. “When
customers buy an exotic flower,
they want one that will last.”
G&S was one of the first
orchid growers to enter the
supermarket scene, way back in
1986, and today sells directly to
chains like Kroger, Topco, Publix, Safeway, Sam's Club and
Walmart.
CA-8
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
Schubert Nursery
Customers looking for a new
floral product, yet something
with a proven history that mixes
innovative and traditional styles,
can turn to Schubert Nursery in
Salinas, CA. Schubert offers a
full line of hand-crafted topiaries to meet the needs of customers seeking innovative products that also deliver proven
sales success.
Topiaries have been on the
market for years and have never
lost popularity. Schubert Nursery is known throughout the
United States for designing and
growing high-quality ivy topiaries, its flagship line of products.
Schubert also grows an
extensive selection of herbs
(such as rosemary and lavender), small shrubs (such as
Euonymus) and flowering vines
(such as jasmine) in a wide variety of topiary shapes. It has
built a strong reputation for its
potted ferns and foliage as
well.
The company is as proud of
its sales team as it is of its quality products. Professional, trustworthy, dedicated, creative,
friendly and obsessed with
detail — these are just a few of
the words that describe the
Schubert Nursery sales team.
Team members work individual-
ly with customers to create a
custom lineup of topiaries, with
or without upgrades, which
meets their pricing, style and
quantity needs.
For innovative products with
time-tested quality, backed up
by top-notch service, Schubert
Nursery offers creative topiaries
and individualized sales assistance.
Schubert Nursery was started
in the early 1970’s as a single,
small greenhouse that sold to
wholesale customers only out
of the back of a Volkswagen
bus. Capitalizing on the foliage
plant craze then going on in the
United States, Schubert has
from day one always offered
unique plants for a niche market. Its current focus on topiary
began in the early 1980s after
growing a single batch for a
well-known gardening catalog
company.
Today, Schubert dominates
the indoor topiary market by
combining a broad selection,
first-rate quality and customer
service second to none. Its topiaries can regularly be seen in
the background of many television shows, in movies, national
magazines and home décor catalogs, as well as at various
celebrity events and weddings
across the United States.
Kendall Farms
Kendall Farms is a vertically
integrated grower and shipper
of fresh flowers and greens.
The firm is located near
sunny Fallbrook, CA, in Southern California on more 500
acres. The hilly terrain offers a
unique micro-climate that
allows Kendall to produce flowers year-round.
The company sells more than
115 varieties of cut flowers and
fresh greens throughout the
United States and internationally.
In 2007, Kendall was ravaged by wildfires that destroyed
its flower fields, but with fierce
determination, the company
replanted with increased organic acreage and more perennials
now reaching mature levels of
production.
The farm’s water supply
comes from its own wells, 31
one of them, each about 80
feet deep, which pump
750,000 gallons of water a day
and enable Kendall to produce
quality products at a low cost.
The operation has hundreds
of fields growing a total of a
million plants, each producing
10 to 40 bunches of flowers a
year.
Kendall is also one of the
few farms to provide a full line
of U.S. Department of Agriculture Organic products. About
10 percent of its flowers and
foliage are USDA Organic.
The company places high
value on sustainable farming
and was the first farm in the
United States to receive Veriflora certification for sustainability
and social and environmental
measures.
Kendall Farms is also one of
the United States’ larger growers of plants native to Australia
and South Africa, including
eucalyptus, protea and wax
flower.
“Consumers today demand
more vase life from the flowers
they buy, and these flowers provide it,” said Jason Kendall,
president. “Protea, for example,
can last for three weeks.”
The farm is a family business,
started in 1987 by David
Kendall, and also grows 30-foot
palm trees and 30 acres of avocados.
Kendall entered the supermarket floral field about three
years ago when General Manager Troy Connor hired 15 new
employees, set up a bouquet
production line, and reconfigured 3,500 square feet of production space and 2,000 square
feet of cooler space.
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
CA-9
CallaCo
CallaCo, a leader in fresh-cut
calla lilies, is located in the
Monterey Bay area where the
year-round climate provides an
excellent environment for producing quality fresh-cut callas in
rainbow colors. The company
also grows several varieties of
seasonal flowers such as
amaryllis, eucomis
and narcissus.
“CallaCo’s yearround colored calla
production
lily
assures consistent
quality and availability,” said Frank
Siri, sales manager
for mass marketing.
“Fresh-cut
callas from CallaCo
have extraordinary Frank Siri
vase life and are
known for their brilliant color
tones.”
The callas come in 18 hues
ranging from white to pink, yellow, orange, purple and lavender.
A special offering is the elegant Diva Maria, a patented
CallaCo lily with touches of purple on the back of its blossoms.
Mr. Siri proudly notes that he is
the only person in the world
who can sell you a Diva Maria
calla. Another popular product
is the stately Green Goddess lily.
CallaCo is a grower, hybridizer, and shipper that benefits
from the experience of more
than 80 years and four generations of breeding and production by CallaCo’s parent company, Golden State Bulb Growers
in Moss Landing, CA, is represented in every
fresh cut calla lily
sold by CallaCo,
Mr. Siri said.
In fact, the cutflower calla business there began
as a strictly bulbgrowing
operation. Then one day
in 1995, another
kind of bulb lit up,
a light bulb. “We
said, why are we
throwing all these nice flowers
away and selling just the
bulbs?” Mr. Siri recalled. And
CallaCo was born. It now ships
a growing volume of flowers
nationwide, mainly to wholesalers, but also directly to 10
supermarket chains and a
dozen bouquet-makers. Mother’s Day is big for CallaCo,
which expands its work force by
more than 30 percent for the
run-up to Mother’s Day, Mr. Siri
said.
Duarte Nursery
Citrus, Fruit Trees and
Heart-Healthy Plants
• New Leader in Fruit
Trees & Vines
• Professional Grower
Quality Trees
• National Store Delivery
• Greenhouse Grown
• Tissue Culture Lab
• Highest Retail $ / Sq Ft
in the industry.
Duarte Trees
and Vines
1555 Baldwin Road
Hughson, CA 95326
Eddie Yarberry
Director of Retail Sales
209.531.0351
eddie@duartenursery.com
www.duartenursery.com
Duarte Nursery Inc. is the
largest permanent crops nursery in the United States. The
family-owned-and-operated
company is located near
Modesto in California’s Central
Valley.
Duarte has a history of
aggressively marketing innovative products. This past year, it
grew millions of almond trees
and produced and shipped
more than 100,000 grapevines
a day in the height of the season. Sales of all Duarte products, including recent additions
such as nut and fruit tree products, have passed $30 million
annually.
The company has its own
vineyards and orchards, which it
uses for experiments that focus
on the concerns of Duarte’s
grower customers, such as
rapid vine establishment and
fruit production, and the evaluation of scion clones and rootstocks over a broad range of
growing conditions.
Duarte’s fruit trees won a
Retailer’s Choice award at the
Tropical Plant Industry Exposition held earlier this year in Fort
Lauderdale, FL.
Recently, Duarte began shipping to the East Coast by refrigerated railroad cars from a ter-
minal in Delano, CA, about 170
miles from Modesto, CA, to
Schenectady, NY. The five-day
rail trip saves 30 percent on
shipping costs and opens new
markets for the company
because it enables Duarte’s fruit
and nut trees to be competitive
in price on the East Coast.
The Duarte fruit and nut
trees are 40 inches tall, in custom pots, 240 in a pallet footprint, and retail at about
$14.99. They come in a halfpallet point-of-purchase waterproof display box that holds 60
trees upright and makes it easy
to water them at their base.
The company also offers a
line of patio products, including
citrus, figs and other edibles.
Part of Duarte’s commitment
to innovation and quality is the
Dry Creek Lab, the company’s
on-site laboratory where it produces fruit and nut trees
through micropropagation and
tissue culture.
The fruit and nut trees are
customized selections suited for
the climate zone they are being
shipped to.
During the holiday season,
Duarte Nursery sells poinsettias.
In winter, it makes use of its
facilities off-season by growing
greenhouse vegetables.
CA-10
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
California cut-flower industry boosts state economy
California’s cut-flower industry has an annual impact of
nearly $10.3 billion on the
state, returning 92 cents of
every dollar earned back into
the California economy, according to a report released last year
by Dennis H. Tootelian, director
of the Center for Small Business
at California State UniversitySacramento.
The study was commissioned by the California Cut
Flower Commission and based
largely on statistics from 2007.
“This report demonstrates
that California’s cut-flower
industry touches virtually every
segment of the state’s economy
and positively influences the
social framework of California,” said the commission’s
executive director and ambassador, Kasey Cronquist.
Cut-flower growers in California employ about 7,500
people, according to the study.
Overall, the state’s floral industry, including wholesalers and
retailers,
employs
almost
15,000 people while generating billions in economic activity.
The research indicates that
expenditures by growers,
wholesalers, retailers and affiliated businesses create a ripple
effect of economic activity that
generates 121,950 fulltime
The Flower Fields near Carlsbad, CA, where millions of giant ranunculus form a 50-acre
rainbow on a hillside. (Photo courtesy of The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch)
equivalent jobs in California,
with a total of $3.3 billion in
gross wages.
The report states that without these jobs, the number of
unemployed in California could
grow as much as 12.5 percent.
Additionally, in 2007 California
received $730.1 million in taxes
and other business licenses and
fees generated from the economic activity created by the
cut flower industry, funding
that directly affects the communities where California
flower growers live and work.
“The California flower
industry is a vital part of our
state and clearly has a significant impact on our local and
state economies,” said Congresswoman Lois Capps, who
represents California’s 23rd
Congressional District and
Santa Barbara County, the
highest flower-producing county in California. “This report
details the importance of California’s flower industry and will
serve as a helpful point of refer-
ence in understanding the
industry’s contributions to the
state for years to come.”
The report points out that
the achievements of California’s
cut flower industry are particularly impressive because the
marketplace
has
become
increasingly competitive due to
aggressive pricing of imported
flowers from other countries
and wholesaler and retailer
consolidation.
The study used industry statistics, grower surveys and
interviews, and analyses of data
which shows economic relationships between businesses
and between businesses and
consumers.
The impact analysis measures changes in economic variables on an entire economy.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic
Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, and the U.S. Bureau
of the Census were main
sources of data for the study.
“Even though we took a
very conservative approach to
measuring the data,” said Dr.
Tootelian, “the results showed
a very sizeable impact to California.”
The full economic impact
report and related fact sheets
can be found on the commission web site at www.ccfc.org.
California Cut Flower Commission launches new transportation plan
By John S. Niblock
The California Cut Flower
Commission has launched a
new transport project that it
estimates will save 13 percent
to 58 percent of the cost of
shipping California flowers to
buyers across the nation. The
project, called the “New
Model,” will debut this Sept. 1
when the commission begins a
series of workshops in California’s flower-producing areas to
describe the plans and encourage growers to become a part
of it.
The new transportation
model is centered on a singlesource loading facility and
transport hub in California’s
Central Coast, with a call center and computer systems to
schedule pickups, track shipments, and handle billing and
record-keeping. Also, one or
more regional distribution centers will receive truckloads from
California and deliver orders to
wholesalers and retailers.
Kasey Cronquist, executive
director and ambassador for
the commission, told The Produce News that the consolidation facility is estimated to cost
$20 million to $30 million and
may be located near Oxnard,
roughly the midway point
between Salinas, CA, and San
Diego. The New Model will
require growers to prepay shipping costs, so buyers can
receive better landed-cost pric-
Wilja Happé
Rene Van Wingerden
Vince Thomas
ing, quality assurances and reliability of service.
Rene Van Wingerden, who
had a lead role in the plan,
believes the idea behind it is
key to long-term interests of
the California cut-flower industry. “The growers are seeing the
light,” he said. “We should
have done this 20 years ago,
but that’s all hindsight. We’re
all up against the wall now.
Either we swim together or sink
together.” Mr. Van Wingerden,
owner of Ocean Breeze International in Carpinteria, CA,
chaired the commission’s transportation committee, which
oversaw development of the
plan.
“Working together as California flower growers to negotiate these kind of freight rates
for our customers and our
future customers only makes
sense,” said Wilja Happé,
owner of Farmers’ West and
commission chairman when the
transport project was launched.
“We will now have the tools,
resources and stability of service
for ouar customers that we can
all build a real business plan
on.”
A third-party logistics firm,
Total Logistic Control, founded
in 1902 in Holland, MI, was
chosen to quarterback the project at the commission’s May
meeting. Its selection culminated a 22-month process of crafting the plan and interviewing
firms to carry it out.
The project was developed
under a $95,000 federal block
grant by a consultant, Tom
French of Supply Chain Coach
in Dublin, CA, and the commission’s 14-member transportation committee.
The aim is to become more
efficient by optimizing flower
volumes to ensure trucks are
filled to capacity, thereby reducing the number of trucks on the
road today, said Mr. French in
an interview. “All trucks going
out aren’t full,” he said. “It is
the main problem that’s driving
costs.” The state’s 800-mile
span from top to bottom and
its location almost 3,000 miles
from the East Coast makes
shipping by individual growers
complicated and often more
costly.
Total Logistic Control is making final arrangements for a
September roll-out, Mr. Cronquist said. “The commission
will be organizing workshops
with growers in each of its districts to introduce TLC and the
concept to those who would
like to commit their shipping
volume to this new program.”
Mr. Cronquist said that the
new transport program will be
a competitive alternative to current transportation arrangements and will “help California
flower farms deliver a lower
landed cost for their flowers to
customers.”
A recent $150,000 grant
awarded to the commission
from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture will underwrite
education and outreach for the
plan to growers and buyers.
Activities will include meetings
and training sessions with California growers and large flower
buyers across the nation, along
with development of communications materials.
A recommendation for federal funding for the new floral
distribution facility and transport was included in the fiscal
year 2010 federal budget by
the House Appropriations
Committee at the urgings of
Rep. Lois Capps (D-23rd CA)
and Rep. Sam Farr (D-17th CA).
Vince Thomas, director of
sales, logistics and distribution
for another grower, the Sun
Valley Group, said reducing
transportation costs is essential
to remain competitive and
would offer opportunities for
the entire industry. “I think
there’s a little bit of skepticism,
but overall we’re getting positive response from the growers
and support from our customers,” he said.
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
CA-11
Hint Cards say ‘just because’
is reason enough to buy flowers
By John S. Niblock
Whimsical Hint Cards asking
for flowers in subtle and bold
and downright flirtatious ways,
began showing up in supermarket bouquets last fall. The posy
purchase prompters are the size
of a business card and were
developed by a public relations
agency for the California Cut
Flower Commission (See “California Cut Flower Commission
rolls out marketing efforts,”
Feb. 2, 2009, page F-10).
“The Hint Cards could
become a calling card for the
industry,” said Kasey Cronquist,
executive director and ambassador for the commission.
“They are fun, direct and
whimsical.” Each set includes a
perforated strip of five Hint
Cards, along with information
about what makes Californiagrown flowers special.
“Hint Cards bring something
new to the floral industry,” Mr.
Cronquist pointed out. “They
can be added to bunches or
bouquets, featured in counter
displays or sent out with deliveries. Their call-to-action is
tough to ignore and can drive
additional purchases from
flower buyers who normally fall
off the flower-buying radar
screen after Mother’s Day.
Because they can be customized, Hint Cards can keep a
store’s brand at the top of their
customers’ minds.”
Five versions of the reminder
cards (see story, this page) offer
a variety of hints centered on
one common theme: “just
because” is reason enough to
give flowers to that special
someone. The back of the cards
reads, “Someone’s hoping you
get the hint. So give them what
they really want: CaliforniaGrown
Flowers-America’s
Freshest!” Also appearing are
logos for the California Cut
Flower Commission and the
California Grown campaign
Kasey Cronquist
and the Hint Card web site,
www.flowerhintcards.com.
Supermarkets and other
retailers can design their own
customized cards and add their
own logos to them. Bristol
Farms, Lazy Acres, Safeway,
Vons and Pavilions stores are
among the supermarket chains
carrying flowers with the cards.
Tests of the Hint Cards
that
consumer
showed
favorites are, “Not because you
have to. Not because you’re
sorry. Just because.” and the
not-so-subtle “Pssst ... My
favorite flower is in season.”
Women testing the cards used
creative delivery systems, slipping them into suitcases and
wallets, sliding them under
windshield wipers, taping them
to credit cards and, the ultimate
weapon, placing them gently
atop a pillowcase.
“ ‘You don’t bring me flowers anymore’ is a cliché because
it’s so true, and we think Hint
Cards are the solution to the
age-old complaint,” said Mr.
Cronquist. The cards not only
ask for flowers; they specify
California-grown flowers.
Some growers are providing
the cards in bouquets and
arrangements, and supermarkets and other retailers are also
downloading and customizing
their own Hint Cards from the
Hint Cards mix humor, romance
The Hint Cards distributed by
the California Cut Flower Commission use a deft touch to help
flower enthusiasts ask for what
they really want — Californiagrown flowers.
Five different cards are available in bright pastel colors, each
with a light-hearted “hint” mixing
romance and humor:
• Not because you have to.
Not because you’re sorry. Just
because.
• I dare you to buy me flowers.
• Pssst … My favorite flower
is in season.
• Flowers make a girl happy.
And you know what happens
when this girl is happy.
• I’m cooking dinner. Are you
bringing the flowers?
On the back of the cards are
the slogans, “Someone’s hoping
you’ll get the hint, so give them
what they really want: CaliforniaGrown Flowers-America’s Freshest!” Also appearing are the logos
for the California Cut Flower
Commission and the California
Grown campaign and the Hint
Card web site, www.flowerhintcards.com.
The commission is working
with retailers to develop customizable campaigns to help
increase sales by drawing the
male demographic back to the
flower-buying habit after the
Mother’s Day holiday.
A resource center on the commission’s web site, www.ccfc.org,
provides more information about
the campaign.
commission’s web site at
http://www.ccfc.org/content.p
hp?id=273.
In-store posters and banners
also are available. Consumers
can also buy cards online or
send them by e-mail.
The web site offers a presentation that can be downloaded
and used for sales presentations and staff training. The 24slide show describes the
research used to develop more
than a dozen Hint Cards and
the field testing that whittled
the number down to five. It
also carries real-life videos of
interviews
with
everyday
women in Los Angeles, San
Diego and San Francisco showing how they feel about giving
and receiving flowers and their
reaction to the Hint Cards.
The women who tested the
Hint Cards showed creativity in
deployment. They tucked Hint
Cards in glove boxes, slipped
them into suitcases and wallets,
slid them under windshield
wipers, placed them gently
atop pillowcases and even
taped them to credit cards to
make sure their significant others “got the hint.”
The Hint Cards are based on
two surveys. In a 2009 survey
of 600 adult women living in
California, about six out of 10
said they liked to receive flowers for no other reason than
“just because.” A 2007 nation-
These whimsical Hint Cards were designed so flower lovers
can ask for flowers in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
wide survey of 1,000 adults
found more than half would
prefer to buy California-grown
flowers if given the choice.
Both surveys were funded by
the commission and conducted
by its public relations agency.
“We intend for Hint Cards to
be around for a long time,”
said Mr. Cronquist. “Our goal is
to develop more cards offering
a wide range of creative comments, available in more places.
It’s all about helping people get
what they want, which is more
California Grown flowers.”
California Cut Flower Commission chair
Hans Brand sees member support growing
By John S. Niblock
A busy and game-changing
year for the California Cut
Flower Commission: That’s the
brief but upbeat assessment of
its chairman, Hans Brand,
owner of B&H Flowers Inc. in
Carpinteria.
Mr. Brand tosses bouquets
all around, to the committee
chairs and to their members,
who came up with innovative
marketing programs, a new
transportation model and a
focus on sustainability. The
biggest bouquet, though, goes
to flower growers who voted to
continue the commission in the
recent five-year referendum on
its future.
“Those growers said through
the ballot box that we need to
continue our work. They share
with us a forward vision. They
backed our efforts on their
behalf to create value for
them,” Mr. Brand said in a
wide-ranging phone interview
June 17.
The Hint Card program (see
stories, this page) has opened
new avenues for sales growth,
Mr. Brand commented. “People
are beginning to hear our message that California flowers are
a quality product.”
Hans Brand
The transportation committee’s “New Model” program
that will roll out Sept. 1 (see
story, page CA-10) addresses a
critical issue of California growers-how to get their flowers to
markets across the nation in a
more cost-effective way. “We
stepped up to the plate on
this,” Mr. Brand said, “and if
we get cooperation from our
growers it can make a big difference for us all. California
flowers will arrive fresher and
faster.”
Sustainability will be a con-
tinuing theme of the committee’s work, Mr. Brand believes.
“We are already meeting
some of the strictest environmental and labor standards in
the world,” he stated. “Many
growers go beyond these standards, not because they were
forced to, but because it’s just
good business and saves money
not to have to use fertilizers or
pesticides. We grow from the
land, so we depend on it and
protect and conserve it.”
Mr. Brand recently led a contingent from the commission
that visited Capitol Hill and met
with congressional leaders. “It’s
important that the commission
keep California growers on the
radar screen in Washington and
in Sacramento, CA,” he pointed out.
“We need to be at the table
when legislation is being written and administrative regulations are drafted. All we ask is
that laws and rules allow us a
chance to be successful.”
Mr. Brand has a long and
well-rounded history on the
committee. He has been serving on its research and education, promotion and finance
committees since before he
became vice chairman and then
chairman.
CA-12
JULY 2010
CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION
For Oku family of flower growers, everything old is new again
By John S. Niblock
Everything old is new again
for Oku Inc., a family business
with greenhouses in Pescadero,
CA, and marketing operations
called Mountain View Greenhouses in Mountain View, CA.
“We started out 108 years
ago when my grandfather,
Unosuke Oku, would hop a
predawn train into the city with
a box of flowers and sell them
on the streets of San Francisco,” recalled Steve Oku, president of Oku Inc., in a phone
interview. “Today, we’re getting
up at 2 a.m. and hauling flowers to San Francisco. We’ve
come full circle, except instead
of wandering the streets looking for buyers we sell from a
stall in the San Francisco Flower
Market, which grandfather
helped organize.”
By the 1950s, Oku Inc. had
become one of the largest
growers in Santa Clara County,
then the nation’s biggest
flower-growing county. While
the founding Oku grew 10 to
15 varieties of flowers, the
postwar family business began
to specialize.
“After World War II, we specialized in carnations, and they
found a huge demand. The
postwar economy was booming and people bought flowers,” Mr. Oku said. “Then in the
1970s Colombia came in with
carnations and knocked the
bottom out of the market.”
Oku Inc. switched to roses
and became wildly successful,
Mr. Oku related. “By 1980, we
were selling six to seven million
roses a year. Then Ecuador
came in and knocked the bottom out of the market.”
Today
Mountain
View
Greenhouses sells mainly oriental lilies, gerbera, dahlias and
alstroemeria, tulips and also
offers gardenias and statice.
“We’re back to our roots trying
to sell locally again, courting
Steve Oku is pictured in the Mountain View Greenhouses in
Pescadero, CA. The company's marketing operations are in
Mountain View, CA.
wealthy Charles Crocker family.
Mr. Crocker, a railroad baron,
had built a palatial home on
Nob Hill in San Francisco. Mr.
Enomoto attended business
college at nights and soon had
organized the Crocker household staff into an investment
group, with himself as money
manager.
“Grandfather
Enomoto
quickly had a thriving business.
He grew flowers and imported
flower bulbs and products like
bamboo,” Mr. Oku recounted.
“One day my mother, as a
child, overheard a conversation
about grandfather buying a carload of eggs. ‘How are you
going to eat a whole carload of
eggs?’ she asked. He explained
This 1913 photo shows a Wells-Fargo & Co. Express wagon carrying the first shipment of
California flowers sent east of the Rocky Mountains. The boxes with chrysanthemums are
headed to an ice-filled railroad boxcar in Redwood City, CA, on the way to New Orleans for
All Saints Day. Sadakusu Enomoto, grandfather of Steve Oku of Mountain View Greenhouses and a pioneer in the floral industry, is seated next to the wagon driver.
retail florists and local high-end
supermarkets, however shipping out of state is still a big
part of our business” Mr. Oku
concluded.
The Oku story of nimble survival includes a young lad
named Sadakusu Enomoto. He
arrived in San Francisco in the
late 1890s fresh off the boat
from Japan, with limited English. He was an enterprising
youth, however, and soon landed a job as houseboy to the
it was a railroad boxcar full of
eggs.”
In fact, the erstwhile houseboy was so successful that in
the early 1900s he received a
medal from the emperor of
Japan for his success in Ameri-
ca. When World War II broke
out, though, that was not a
good thing. Although he loved
America as the country that
gave him so much opportunity,
he was thrown into prison
rather than an internment
camp because he was viewed
as a leader in the Japanese
community.
“That experience changed
him,” Mr. Oku said. “When he
got out after the war he retired.
I remember him just sitting
around the house.” Mr. Oku’s
father, Masao, also was affected by the tensions leading up
to the war. He developed ulcers
and lost 50 pounds.
Mr. Oku’s paternal grandmother, Yoshi Oku, a “picture
bride,” was the lead grower,
and won a national award for
developing a new carnation
variety. “She would walk
through the greenhouses and
write production or cultivation
notes on the poles,” Mr. Oku
said. “Unfortunately, the poles
were repainted. I’m sure if we
had gotten these notes translated before they did that, we
would have learned a great
deal about growing flowers.”
Quality and environmental
stewardship are the watchwords at Mountain View today,
with an early computer-controlled greenhouse system in
the 1980’s, water conservation,
carbon dioxide injection and
integrated pest management.
The Oku family has been
honored by the state legislature
in California. Mr. Oku served as
president of the California Floral Council, and like his grandfather sat on the board of the
San Francisco Flower Market.
His brother, David, runs the
marketing business, which also
involves David Oku’s son, Craig,
and Steve Oku’s daughter, Jennifer. Steve’s son James plans to
come into the family business
after he graduates from college.
Colorful flowers from
around the Golden State
Gerbera are a colorful specialty at Farmers' West Flow- A display of U.S. Department of Agriculture certified-organic sunflowers from Kendall
ers & Bouquets in Carpinteria, CA.
Farms at a Vons store in Pasadena, CA.