Posts filed under Uncategorized

Thank you - to you.

Accounting for holidays and closures, since 1972 City Farmers Nursery opened it's gates and doors to you for a bit more than 14,000 days. And, truly, we couldn't do this without you.

Starting up the tractor, paying the water bills, scheduling the classes and germinating the plants.  Finding the right vendors who have their heart in the right place.  Hiring people who are willing to work really hard, learn lots, lift heavy stuff and scoop manure. Seeking out special orders and loading the truck for deliveries.

YOU MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE

Our customers are amazing. You all are supportive and patient and make our lives so much richer and our work so incredibly rewarding.

We're an independent business with lots of moving parts.

And we add new things all of the time. (Some of the new things take time to settle in.) Most things take explanation. And you wait and listen.

In a world of hustle and bustle and easy solutions, you patiently wait your turn - sharing information with your fellow customers and passing your gardening experiences forward.

IT HASN'T BEEN A STRAIGHT PATH...

And although he has forty years of well-earned experience, Farmer Bill never picked up any formal training in how to run a business.  He's just done what he's thought was right and helpful. For 41 years.

He goes to industry tradeshows and hears about all of the cost-saving measures and latest ways to "push product" and it works for others… but it doesn't have heart for City Farmers.

Bill's done what's fun for him, and has hoped that it's enough for you.

And time and time again you've proved that it is.

OUR GRATITUDE...

You've likely experienced the fact that yes, we mess up sometimes. On orders. With technology. On scheduling.

When it rains, sometimes it gets smelly.  And it's dusty or muddy sometimes.

Sometimes Mother Nature takes a little time to warm up, so our plants stay dormant longer than the magazines or home improvement shows dictate.

Sometimes we get a little worn down all of the moving parts.

But you, our amazing customers, are willing to accept our imperfections and you keep coming back.

You keep telling your friends and bringing in future gardeners.  You tell your neighbors.  You bring friends to our classes.  You share your experiences on Yelp and Facebook and forward our email newsletter.

You drive to us, even when you have closer options.

WE NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR GENEROSITY AND YOUR SUPPORT...

It's what we talk about at our dinner table.

It's what has powered us for over four decades.

It's what lights Farmer Bill up.

It's helped him to expand the nursery, raise three kids, take two days off a week (!), and employ dozens of wonderful people over the years.

Your kindness, patience, support and understanding means more than you know.

In a world that can be complicated, sometimes messy, and undoubtedly busy, the flexibility and support that we get from you is the fuel that powers us to do what we love.

You've helped Farmer Bill live his life-long dream.

Let this note be a small token of our appreciation for all that you continue to do to make what we do possible.

With thanks and gratitude, Farmer Bill, the City Farmers Team and the Tall Family -- Rebecca, Sam and Sara

Posted on November 24, 2013 and filed under Uncategorized.

Warm your home and porch with color...November 22, 2013

Poinsettias (3)As the weather cools and we think of ways to warm the temperature of our homes with fireplaces and baking, remember that color will give warmth too. Our nursery store is full of beautiful red and white poinsettias, 4" for $4.99, and 6" for $11.99 each.

Poinsettias (5)

Christmas cactus is a succulent that lasts for years.

Friends and family now have plants of their own that were started from ours and provide a garden connection across many miles.

4" pots are $5.99, and 6" are $11.99 each.

 

Rosemary

We have a variety of living evergreens for holiday decorating: 

  • star pines: 15 gallon - $69.99
  • rosemary or Italian stone pines: 10 gallon - $55.99 each
  • Italian stone pines or rosemary: 7 gallon - $42.99 each
  • Italian stone pine or rosemary: 5 gallon - $32.99 each
  • Italian stone pines: 1 gallon - $12.99 each.
  • red or white cyclamen: 4" - $3.99 each

    Wheelbarrow o' Firewood $25.00 !!

 

And for that warm glow from the fireplace or fire pit....

 

 

Posted on November 22, 2013 and filed under Uncategorized.

Bill's First Buck...November 20, 2013

November is Founder's Month at City Farmers, and today is our 41st anniversary. I opened City Farmers for business on November 20, 1972. I was sixteen years old, a Senior at Madison High School in Clairemont. I have some great memories from the past 41 years, such as my first dollar and a nickel. Here's the story:

When I first opened the nursery, we used to get manure from a local dairy. And we used to go up the street to a place called Balboa Bakery, and get their empty paper flour bags, covered by loose flour from baking. My dad, Nathan, and I set up a screen to screen this manure.

The fine stuff would go through the screen, and that would get bagged for lawns. The chunky stuff still left in the screen would be bagged for gardens.

We had stacked all that stuff up, and we sealed it shut, by hand, with a stapler. We measured it with a shovel that held a certain amount of material, and so I would count the shovels to fill a bag. We sold them three for a dollar and a nickel.

Bill's First Buck

And when you visit the nursery, you'll notice there’s a dollar and a dime framed at the counter, that’s because there was five percent sales tax in 1972.

That’s why there’s a dollar and a dime. If you see the dates on this money, it’s before 1972. That was my first day. And my first dollar.

Thank you for making City Farmers what it is today. See you at the farm, Farmer Bill

Posted on November 19, 2013 and filed under Uncategorized.