Editor’s note: For more insight from the Nursery Grower Business Coalition, read the May 2015 issue of Nursery Management.
Doesn’t it seem like all the so-called inspiring quotes about the joys of being young are made by old people? Maybe it’s because young people are too busy experiencing life and making some rather astute observations.
Lloyd Traven, owner of Peace Tree Farm and spirited Nursery Grower Business Coalition (NGBC) participant, learned something from one of his youngest employees that helped change the face of his entire company. Traven had just returned from California Spring Trials and was showing his staff one of the products that caught his eye. He was really excited about the prospect of growing and selling this plant. After Traven was done oohing and ahing over this selection, a cocky (Traven's depiction), brand-new employee fresh from one of the local colleges pipes up and says, “OK, but what does it do?” Perplexed, Traven answered, “What do you mean, ‘What does it do?’ You’re looking at it. It’s a really cool plant.” Not satisfied with that answer, the young man retorts, “Really, what does it do? What’s so great about it? I see the cool flower, but that’s just background noise.”
He started asking questions like, “Can I eat it? Can I make dye with it? Can I make alcohol with it? Does it hang? Is it hardy? Does it have good winter color?” And he continued to rattle off a list of things he thought a plant should do to warrant such excitement, Traven explains.
The young man went on to say that people his age don’t care about the “pretty petunia. We don’t really notice it.” That’s the “background noise” he was referring to, Traven says.
“I was like, Wow. That is some concept that you just dropped in my lap,” Travenrecalls.
And that became Peace Tree’s credo: What does it do? The company started eliminating ho-hum plants, which was also the precipice of Peace Tree’s Garden Geek program.
“And it was then that I realized I had to staff my business with as many young people as I possibly can,” Traven says.
Peace Tree Farm has a significantly younger skill. The nursery just hired a 21 and a 25 year old. And Alex, the lead grower (also Traven and his wife Candy's son), is 25.
“I want to hire someone who is so sure of themselves, they get it and understand what they want. They don’t just do something because that’s the way it’s always been done,” Travensays. “It’s one thing to hire a grower from a big industry player who has a ton of production knowledge, but they will fight you all the way if you try to get them to do things differently.”
Traven is upfront and honest with all of his hires. He tells all of his young staff that they will be flipped right into the fire; they’ve got to be desperate to learn because he’s “going to throw so much stuff at them;” and they’ve got to know where to find information and filter that information.
He says the biggest downside to hiring a 20-something is that there is no loyalty and they are always ready to move on and always looking for something else.
But the high energy, the eagerness to learn and those sharp observations of his young staff help Peace Tree Farm succeed.
Peace Tree also brings something to the table.
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Labor from around the world Labor is always one of the biggest challenges for growers. Hoffman Nursery has found success through unconventional means – hiring refugees through organizations that help these displaced people find work in the U.S. Jill Hoffman, co-owner and vice president of Hoffman Nursery, says the company has used Lutheran Family Services (LFS) and Church World Services (CWS) since 2006. “For the most part, it’s been a very positive experience,” she says. “They help the refugees to get settled in apartments or houses, they help them get hooked up with doctors, and assimilate into the local community and also will help them find jobs. That’s been helpful for us, because we can say ‘We need to hire workers this year.’ Right now we are talking to them about the need to hire five to 10 people at least seasonally. Maybe they will stay on as full time workers if we need them.”
“These are usually political refugees who come here and want to work, they want to do well,” Hoffman says. “They care about their work and very rarely have we had any kinds of problems with them.” One of the biggest challenges in hiring refugees is the language barrier. Usually the organization will help provide short-term interpreter services. The nursery has been able to hire local interpreters as needed. But the Vietnamese refugees speak an obscure dialect, and neither the organization nor the nursery were able to find an interpreter. Working through organizations like LFS and CWS is beneficial because of the support they provide. Besides ensuring the refugees have the appropriate papers to work in the U.S., they provide help with all aspects of being in a new country. “That support means they are better able to apply themselves to the workplace,” says Shannon Currey, marketing director for Hoffman Nursery. “And the diversity is kind of fun.” The diversity is especially welcome on pot luck day at the nursery. “We’ve had some great food,” Hoffman says, “from the guacamole to the egg roll.” |
The nursery has hired between 30 and 35 people through the two programs. One-third of them have stayed on, though some come and go seasonally. The refugees turned employees hail from places like Vietnam, Burma and the Congo.
“We’re an exciting place to work. We’re not mainstream and we’re highly visible,” Traven says. “And that’s a benefit of working here because our staff will be networked and introduced to famous horticulturists, they’ll go to events and they’ll be regarded as an expert. We empower our staff.”
Traven says his best advice to the industry regarding the next generation of workers is to change the status quo of your business and empower your staff. Listen to them. Learn from them. Do things differently.
“It’s not the young people who have a problem," he says. "It’s the industry that has a problem, and that’s why there aren’t enough kids getting into this business."
Explore the June 2015 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
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