As the U.S. market for ornamental and food crops continues to evolve, Westland Orchids and Westland Produce are looking for products that consumers are willing to pay for and are profitable. They were featured in issue 12 of Urban Ag News.
When Jerry Van Wingerden started growing greenhouse cut flowers at Westland Orchids Inc. in Carpinteria, Calif., in 1971, he never imagined that someday he would be growing greenhouse food crops along with flowers. But in 2010 a sister company, Westland Produce Inc., began growing hydroponic lettuce. Even before a lettuce crop was planted, Westland Orchids went through an evolution in terms of the flowers it was producing.
“We started with carnations and chrysanthemums and then later added cymbidium orchids,” said David Van Wingerden, who is Jerry’s son and president of Westland Produce. “We were also doing bouquets for the supermarkets, but we evolved and stopped doing those and began to specialize in orchids. Five years ago we started growing the produce.”
Click here to read the complete story by the hand of Dave Kuack online at the website of Urban Ag News!
Announcements
Vacancies
- Senior Grower UK
- Customer Support Executive
- Sales Representative Substrates Peru
- Head Grower – High Technology Organic Greenhouse
- Import and Export Sales Manager
- Sales Manager - US
- Key Account Manager (f/m/d) - Full-time
- Vice President of Growing Operations
- Account Manager - Canada
- Account Manager - United States
Crop diversification helps ensure Westland Orchids and Westland Produce stay profitable
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Other news in this sector:
- 2023-12-07 India: Couple grows exotic produce in hydroponics
- 2023-12-07 US (IL): Container farm makes Quad City debut
- 2023-12-07 "The production increase on an annual basis is about 10 percent"
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- 2023-12-06 Spain: Rosa de Barbastro tomato production one million less than expected
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- 2023-12-05 Cucumber grower opts for LEDs to reduce energy consumption and up production
- 2023-12-05 "Imbalance in berry chain squeezes both ends: the grower, and the consumer"
- 2023-12-04 South Africa: Gesture helps Soweto residents to put healthy food on the table and boost a local economy
- 2023-12-04 US (MA): Jail supervisor jumps at chance of running aquaponics greenhouse
- 2023-12-04 "In Almeria we have lacked water for 60 years; for us, it is not a new issue"
- 2023-12-01 Former Isle of Wight tomato business land could be turned into houses
- 2023-12-01 "We all need to quickly switch to tropical fruit production in greenhouses"
- 2023-12-01 Bringing affordable specialty mushrooms to tables across Germany
- 2023-11-30 From eggplants to bullseyes: Dirk is the 'Aubergenius'
- 2023-11-29 Goulburn Valley grower abandons crop blaming high mark-ups at supermarkets
