Upstate Heirlooms

I’m looking to lease tillable land with access to a water supply for a seed farm as well as a market and cut flower farm.

I would be growing and saving garden vegetable seeds. Non GMO, open pollinated, heirloom varieties.  All the typical things one would grow in a home garden. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, etc.

In addition, I would like to grow flowers for a market and a cut your own opportunity. If permitted, customers coming to the farm to cut their own flowers would be on a limited pre sale basis. That way I can control the day, time and amount of visitors. Something along the lines of 10 to 15 people at a time for a designated two hour period. Maybe once or twice, possibly three times a week. Of course I would hold all the necessary insurance required for such an operation.

I will tell you a little about myself here. I am the area manager for ICS Plant Specialists. We represent all the nurseries that grow and deliver live goods for a nationwide big box retailer here in CNY.

I have always been involved with plants from an early age. From growing up in the garden with my grandparents to working in the landscaping field for years. I have been growing and saving seed, starting and selling heirloom tomato plants at farmers markets and I currently manage over 3 million dollar’s worth of live goods annually, representing over 10 nurseries in area retail stores. 

I’m looking to start small, just one acre this season and grow from there. The company I work for has steadily become a buyer of live goods in addition to representing and servicing them in stores. The opportunity for me to be a grower for them is present. Specifically with specialty pumpkins and herb garden starts.