Farming Flowers In California With An Eye On Colombia: 'Fortunately, They Can't Grow Daisies'
February 13, 2015 | 1 min to read
Fred Van Wingerden represents just how global the fresh cut flower industry is…and has been. He was born in Holland, but raised on his parents' flower farm in California.
His wife, Edith, was born in Argentina and they, and their two grown children, speak fluent Spanish.
Although the Netherlands is the largest exporter of flowers in the world, Fred's dad and three uncles left Holland after World War II to grow year round in the fertile land between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Today, few stories about California flower growers bypass the Van Wingerden dynasty.
After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and working in the industry, Fred started Pyramid Flowers in Oxnard, California, 25 years ago. His son Marcos, also a Cal Poly alum, is the grower.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Oregonian/OregonLive