Greenhouse Grower to Grower

For the team here at Greenhouse Grower, the month of May means the Top 100 Growers. Throughout this month, we’ll be featuring conversations with members of our 2026 Top 100 Growers list, which you can learn more about in our May issue. This week, I’m joined by John Hardiman, CEO of Florida-based American Farms, an annuals and perennials grower that was recently acquired by the Hoffmann Family of Companies. One of the biggest keys to the success of American Farms is its focus on building and maintaining a positive company culture, which includes everything from promoting from within to accountability from the top down. I talked about all of this with John, as well as his advice on navigating the H-2A program, and how American Farms approaches investing in automation. Here’s our conversation. 

Last week, Dümmen Orange and Syngenta Flowers announced an agreement to establish a strategic joint venture that is designed to help them better serve growers around the world. Shortly after that announcement, I sat down for an exclusive conversation with Dümmen Orange CEO Ellen Mackenbach-Lakeman and Mark Schermer, Global Head of Syngenta Flowers, to learn more about this partnership, including how the process started, how each companies’ product portfolios will be enhanced, and what it means for grower customers from both companies, as well as the future of plant breeding. Here’s our conversation. 

or the team here at Greenhouse Grower, the month of May means the Top 100 Growers. Throughout this month, we’ll be featuring conversations with members of our 2026 Top 100 Growers list, which you can learn more about in our May issue. This week, I’m joined by Michael LaRusso and Lucas Ellis from Hampshire Farms, which won Greenhouse Grower’s 2025 Operation of the Year award. Michael is a section grower at Hampshire Farms, and Lucas is a sales coordinator who specializes in social media. In this episode, we talk about everything from new technology to new genetics to new ways to communicate with your customers. Here’s our conversation. 

For the team here at Greenhouse Grower, the month of May means the Top 100 Growers. Throughout this month, we’ll be featuring conversations with members of our 2026 Top 100 Growers list, which you can learn more about in our May issue. This week, I’m joined by Brian Lloyd, CEO of Olson’s Greenhouse Gardens, which is based in Utah but has greenhouse facilities in three other states. One of the keys to success at Olson’s has been its focus on the end consumer, and tracking how plant buyers shop for plants today, and the best platforms for communicating with them. Lloyd says every grower should have their customer’s best interests at heart, which means listening to their needs and helping them become successful gardeners. I talked with Brian about this, and a lot more. Here’s our conversation. 

For the team here at Greenhouse Grower, the month of May means the Top 100 Growers. Throughout this month, we’ll be featuring conversations with members of our 2026 Top 100 Growers list, which you can learn more about in our May issue. This week, I’m joined by Mike Joy of N. Casertano Greenhouses, a third-generation perennial greenhouse located in Connecticut. Inventory management is a big priority at N. Casertano, and in this episode, Mike talks about how the company is constantly analyzing data on sales, market trends, and forecasting, and using all available resources to make informed decisions that help it to more accurately plan for the future. As Mike notes in our discussion, everything goes back to improving profitability and labor efficiency at a time when margins are tighter than ever. Here’s our conversation. 

For the team here at Greenhouse Grower, May means the Top 100 Growers. Throughout this month, we’ll be featuring conversations with members of our 2026 Top 100 Growers list, which you can learn more about in our May issue. This week, I’m joined by Tom Van Wingerden of Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Washington state. Over the past couple years, Van Wingerden Greenhouses has taken on several new projects, including launching a new fundraising software platform and investing in a new garden center. Each of these ventures has given Van Wingerden Greenhouses the opportunity to better connect with the end consumer. Please enjoy my conversation with Tom Van Wingerden, where we discuss these topics and more. 

Last month the Greenhouse Grower team made our annual trip to the West Coast for the 2026 California Spring Trials. In this episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, Marisa Reyes and Allan Armitage talk about their favorite plants, trends, and overall takeaways. 

Earlier this year, Amy Ryan assumed ownership of Stonehouse Nursery, a Southwest Michigan-based wholesale grower of native and classic perennial liners. Amy’s roots at Stonehouse Nursery go back nearly 30 years when she first joined the summer potting crew. She earned her degree in Nursery and Greenhouse Production and Management from The Ohio State University, and after gaining additional industry experience, she returned to Stonehouse Nursery in 2016 as the nursery manager. In this conversation, I caught up with Amy Ryan to talk about how her background helped prepare her for this new role, how the transition process at Stonehouse Nursery took place, and why she’s excited about the future. Here’s our conversation.