How I Got Here

Unlike lots of other young folks entering the ag career field, I didn’t go to school for agribusiness. I actually did not complete any college period. I’ll admit, school wasn't for me. But I wound up having a job I really love, in a field I feel very confident in, here's how-

Growing up in California means being constantly surrounded by orchards and dairies and vineyards and plants, plants, PLANTS! I grew up in a small dairy where my dad has worked for the last 20+ years. Like lots of families in the valley, we always dabbled in gardening. Not to save money on groceries but simply because growing most things in this area is undoubtedly simple. Citrus Trees, Stone Fruit Trees, berry bushes, grapevines, veggies and flowers all take off without much effort. Our long warm summers and mild winters make the perfect environment for growing all sorts of things year-round.

In my earliest memories I can see the home of my early childhood where I ate grapes off the vine and tormented my parents' tomato plants. I grew up watching my parents dig and plant and fertilize and weed and harvest all summer.

Helping in the garden was essential and as I got into my teen years I grew to deeply enjoy it. I ordered seed catalogs which we looked over to pick new plants to try. I bought my own starts and helped turn soil and water. 

I graduated high school and started at a local community college. I had always loved reading and writing and so I meant to pursue something in Language Arts but also something practical. I got it stuck in my head that I could probably handle being an English teacher and I didn't think about much else for a while. But as adult-life progressed I grew increasingly concerned about finding a job. I was still living at home but I had a car payment and needed money to pay for gas and books and classes. 

I wrote up a mostly empty resume and started applying at any local establishment with a listing. Finally I got an interview with my local hardware store. A small shop consisting of tools, parts and a small garden section. During the interview, to my surprise, the manager walked me out to the garden section and said that whoever got the job would be a cashier but also responsible for the plants and eventually the garden supply section as well. She asked if I knew how to water plants and I assured her I did. 

I worked there for nearly 3 years and all that time I remained part-time. They asked me several times to take it full-time but I was still trying and struggling to get through my college classes. I didn't want to put cashiering before my degree. But I was learning more there than I had ever expected. The hardware store turned out to be one of the most solid businesses in the small town and attracted all of the most influential figures. Every local business owner, his handyman, his landscaper, they all went there for supplies. As a cashier I was able to learn names and make connections. As the garden department leader I gained an understanding of what plants sold best, what questions people asked most and how to answer them. I started caring for the garden supplies and learned about soils and fertilizers and pesticide and which people told me worked best. By the time I was ready to leave the store I was already assisting in ordering plants even. 

At some point I realized school wasn't working out. I didn't care about being a teacher. I knew my job at the store would never allow me to advance my career, there were less than 15 employees, there was nowhere for me to grow. But by then I was well aware of all of the plant nurseries around me. I knew several company names by then and even knew some of the owners by name, and chatted with them whenever they visited the store. 

I decided that if I wanted to actually get somewhere I enjoyed, it would require a risk. People liked me at the store, customers asked for me by name, even called to speak with me sometimes. I’m an outgoing person and my coworkers had grown to know me as a friendly person who worked hard and knew what I was talking about. I was getting good raises, the managers and my boss all said I was great. I just didn’t love it there. 

One thing I learned from my initial job search was that work experience is valuable, in some cases just as valuable as a degree. Who wants to hire a kid with a bachelors degree and no work experience when they could hire someone who's already been in the business for years? Someone with a solid resume full of skills..like me.

So I rewrote my resume, making sure to catalog all the various responsibilities I had been given at the store. Not only could I run a register but I had a deep understanding of what plants people shop for, how to educate the consumer and my background knowledge of how to be a successful gardener. I printed 10 copies..but I got a callback for an interview after submitting the very first one. 

A nursery just about 5 minutes from my house, family owned, acres upon acres of plants for wholesale and retail. During the first interview they told me that they could give me a position at their garden center, cashiering. I declined the offer. They told me the only other option would be a field worker. I accepted. I did not care if I had to start from the bottom. I knew then that I had what it takes to work in the office and if I had to start from the very bottom then I would do that. 

For the first 2 months there I worked outside as an inventory checker, riding around in a golf cart, scanning plant codes and logging their height, visual quality and snapping a photo. I loved it. It was full time, I was learning even more about plants, beginning to memorize latin botanical names. 

Then an office position went up. I applied. I did not get that position but they gave it to someone else already in the office, which left a different position open. E-commerce. 

It's been another 2 years since then. I have learned about web design, marketing, social media management, shipping and receiving, USDA Ag-laws and so much more. When people ask me how work is going, all I can say is that I have my dream job.