Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
North Carolina is well-represented in Greenhouse Grower magazine’s rankings of the top 100 growers in America.
Four North Carolina greenhouse and nursery operations were among the top 100:
- Metrolina Greenhouses of Huntersville, No. 6.
- Van Wingerden International of Mills River, No. 47.
- Rockwell Farms of Rockwell, No. 54.
- Baucom’s Nursery of Charlotte, No. 81.
Two other U.S. companies on the list also have large operations in North Carolina: Costa Farms of Florida, ranked No. 2, and Young’s Plant Farm based in Alabama, ranked 40th.
It is not surprising to find this kind of business diversification given the great production climate North Carolina has, and the state’s central location that makes for easy distribution along the East Coast.
There was a time before the recession when greenhouse and nursery was N.C.’s top cash crop. The green industry took a significant hit during the recession, as housing starts and sales dropped and people scaled back their spending on plants and landscaping. But the green industry is rebounding as the housing market improves, Commissioner Troxler says.
Click on the link below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss North Carolina’s representation on Greenhouse Grower’s top 100.
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