In quaint Rowan County, North Carolina, the Patterson family farm has been growing quality produce for the last century, always bustling from spring to fall. The harsher cold months offered limited work and revenue opportunities—until the mid-1970s, when Phyllis Patterson was struck by the possibilities of poinsettias.
“My mom saw the need,” says Randall Patterson, the current third-generation co-owner of the farm with his brother Doug Patterson. “We had employees that weren’t very busy because of the cold temperatures, and a good place to work is in the greenhouse with heat and shelter. It started out with one small greenhouse—maybe 500 to 600 plants—and we’ve been able to expand from that.”
These days, the Pattersons devote five greenhouses to the poinsettias, producing about 15,000 per year. The family boasts an extensive variety of sizes and shades (from classic red to more unusual offerings like Marble, Jingle Bell, Monet, and Ice Punch), as well as custom wrapping with several foil and bow colors to choose from. Native to Mexico, the flowers only grow in the wild in a few parts of the U.S., so in North Carolina, the Pattersons plant cuttings. The process begins in August and comes to fruition just before Thanksgiving when they open their greenhouses for business.
For the Pattersons, growing poinsettias and other crops is about sharing the pride and joy the practice brings them. What started out as a humble cotton and tomato farm in 1919 has developed into a 1,500-acre operation yielding abundant plants and produce, including peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, pumpkins, and beyond. And though poinsettias aren’t their most lucrative product, Randall says, tradition keeps them growing the plants Christmas after Christmas.
For information, visit pattersonfarminc.com.
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