Growing for good

Photos courtesy of Tom Caan

Tom Caan loves growing so much that he came out of “semi-retirement” to get back into the greenhouse. He even refused to take a salary for it — opting instead to donate his earnings to a good cause. Now, in addition to bringing smiles to customers at Bloch’s Farm in Green Lake, Wisconsin, Caan’s mission is making an impact around the world.

Caan worked in his parents’ retail greenhouse for nearly 30 years, ultimately taking ownership as the family grew Caan Floral and Greenhouses from about 20,000 square feet to three acres on an eight-acre property in Sheboygan.

Then, when Caan was 49, he had a chance to sell the family business. Although the offer came earlier than expected, he knew that “this opportunity might never present itself again,” he says. Since neither of his children wanted to take over the family business, he sold the company and continued working for the new owner for about a year.

One day, a longtime sales representative from Fred C. Gloeckner & Co. Inc. stopped by, and Caan commented, “‘I think I’d be good at your job,’” he recalls. “And the next thing you know, I’m in New York interviewing for a sales position.” Caan moved to Baltimore to launch his sales career, covering a territory in the northeast selling crops and other supplies to growers.

“When I had my greenhouse, I didn’t get out too often,” Caan says, “so I really enjoyed sales. I traveled around, got to see a lot of different places, and made a lot of friends.”

After five years at Gloeckner, when Caan’s father passed away, he decided to move back home to Wisconsin to be closer to his mother. Most people would have eased into retirement at that point, but the greenhouse kept calling Caan — quite literally. Bloch’s Farm, a former wholesale customer of his, called one day last year asking if Caan could recommend a new head grower, and he offered his own service instead.

Back to basics

At Bloch’s, Caan oversees 12,000 square feet of greenhouses as head grower. His growing season starts in early March with hanging baskets, annuals and perennials. After adding another greenhouse last year, the inventory at Bloch’s continues to expand. “Last year, we grew 3,000 perennials,” Caan says. “This year, we grew 10,000.”

Caan leads the growing team, which consists of two or three other workers, with a focus on the basics: proper watering, pinching, trimming and spacing to make the plant selection look its best for retail customers.

“Most people overwater,” Caan says. “We grow a lot of baskets — more than I’ve seen in a greenhouse before — so we don’t get a lot of light on our crops below until we sell some baskets. It’s very critical that we don’t water too much, or the plants would just stretch out.”

Caan encourages his workers to let crops dry out between watering to maintain the best plant quality and appearance. By paying attention to watering, fertilizing and basic care, quality has improved noticeably since Caan joined last year.

“The customers could see a difference from one year to the next, and they’re still talking about it,” he says. “Nowadays, the expectations are higher for plants, so we have to have good plants, and our service has to match. That’s what separates a local garden center.”

Giving back

As seasonal head grower, Caan works full-time from early March until early June, then scales back to working just a couple days a week through the month of June. “I like growing plants, and I like the busy times when I can interact with people and put smiles on people’s faces,” Caan says. “That’s what brings me back. It’s peaceful and rewarding to watch things grow.”

As much as he enjoys watching plants grow, Caan’s other passion is “to watch kids grow and become the best they can,” he says. He and his wife are actively involved in missions work around the world, teaching English to children through their church. On a missions trip seven years ago, they met a man from Africa who established a foundation to provide food, education, and basic necessities to children in Kenya.

Caan ultimately joined the board of the foundation, Change Destiny Life Africa, as its president. His wife, Barb — who also works seasonally at Bloch’s Farm as a buyer, merchandiser and custom planter designer — serves as secretary, while their daughter handles the marketing. They visit the children in Africa once a year, bringing them Bibles, food, and other supplies. To support this mission, both Caan and his wife donate their salaries to the cause. Bloch’s Farm matches their donations every year.

“My goals in life have changed dramatically,” Caan says. “It’s not about money for me anymore. I’ve been blessed to have enough, so I try and give more than I receive to make a difference in people’s lives.”