We are working at separate work stations these days, so hard to get a picture with all the smiling faces in it, but the gang is here, planting away. Together but apart.
Hi friends. We are here for you. Many, many of you have reached out over the past few days to ask about plants for your gardens. Please know that we are doing all we can to get plants to you by the time gardening season starts in a couple of weeks. Our warm and sunny March and being in refuge at home have fueled our gardening fires. The demand is high, the stakes are high, and we are calmly figuring out the best way to safely provide you with the plants you crave.
Here is what we have been up to:
- We are following strict sanitation and social distancing protocols at work and in our lives outside of work.
- We are filling up the greenhouses with healthy, beautiful plants and have increased our production of food plants. We have reduced the amount of ornamental plants we are growing so that we can focus on food crops for all of your back yards and community victory gardens.
- We are staying calm and positive so that we can be of service to our community. Our crew is made up of super smart and talented people. We are rotating through work shifts so not all of us are at work at once. People who can, are working from home. And those who are temporarily furloughed to allow for fewer people at each work station, are home on paid leave. We are taking social distancing very seriously and paying people to stay home to guarantee a minimal contact work space.
- We are setting up online ordering for seeds, soil, and plants. You can visit our online store but please keep in mind that it is a work in progress. We are not a seed company, we are not online merchants, and we don't have a 'Creative' department. It is just a couple of us, teaching ourselves how to do it as we go. You can help us by checking out the on-line store on our website and placing an order, so that we can practice these new systems before things get very busy. Your feedback is welcome, but please know that we are working on a new system that we hope to roll out next week. The current system is just a shell that will allow us to practice some curb side and home delivery sales.
- We are setting up contact-free methods to get plants into your hands. Curb side pick up at the greenhouses and home delivery are the two options. We will not be open for regular retail hours; instead we ask that you follow the steps outlined on our website for pick up or delivery.
-We are working with our incredible wholesale partners to deliver plants to their stores. As of now, we will still be delivering plants to our regular customers, and you can find a complete list on our website page called 'where to find out plants.'
-We are setting aside a portion of our production to supply plants to people in need. Please consider a contribution to this effort by purchasing plants for people who would like to garden, but cannot afford to at this time. We will have a way to do that on our website, details coming soon.
Thanks for your understanding and patience as we work out these systems. We are excited to be a part of the solution, and to give more people the opportunity to learn about growing their own food. This has been the core of my business for 23 years, and our entire team is rooting for your gardening success.
Sending you all love and good thoughts,
PS - THANK YOU! You have always been the best customers (who become friends) and we cannot do any of this without you. We are so grateful for our community.