Once considered a luxury item for
the gardens of royalty, advancements in growing technology have made orchids attainable for any home. And these fancy flowers can accentuate any interior de- sign for up to three months, allowing the consumer ample time to “get personal” with their plant—for a good value at under $20 per potted orchid. Joe Overgaag, Toine’s father, knows
flowers. When Joe founded Westerlay in 1978, the first-generation Dutch immi- grant started out as a rose grower. Con- verting to orchids was a good business decision, explains Joe, because custom- ers understand the value of a live orchid versus a cut rose. “Roses are only for the time of giving,”
says Joe with an easy smile. “If you give a girl an orchid, two weeks from now, she’s still going to know you love her.” Joe, already a father of four when he
made the move to Carpinteria from the Netherlands, wanted to build a family business that would last. “My dad’s philosophy was, if I build it
strong enough, it’s going to last a long time,” explains Toine. In constructing his greenhouses, Joe used pipes from disassembled oil pipe- lines so that that the sturdy frame for his new greenhouses would hold up for decades. “People thought he was ab- solutely insane to build anything that was so heavy,” recalls Toine. “There are greenhouses that were built at the same time—or even after—that have been torn down or are on their last legs, but our greenhouses have another 25 years left in them.” In addition to his principled interest in longevity, Joe
also had a keen sense for innovation and adapting to a changing market. Fiberglass was the popular material for the transparent casing of greenhouses in 1978, but after seeing the fiberglass yellow in the sun after only a few years, Joe became the first local grower to switch to glass. In the 1980s, Dutch growers were using hydroponics in the Netherlands and Joe became one of only a handful of growers in California to use the technology. As the 1990s rolled in, emerging competition from
South American growers threatened domestic growers. Increased production in Ecuador and Colombia flooded the U.S. market with cheaply grown roses, cutting into
TOP, Joe Overgaag takes in the sweet smell of a Phalaenopsis inventory. He and a few other growers from the Carpinteria Valley were part of the handful of California growers using hydroponics in the 1980s. Now the practice is common.
ABOVE, Joe, left, and his son, Toine, discuss the future of the family business, which may include an energy neutral greenhouse. Joe has no immediate plans to retire.
RIGHT, all grown up, the tall pink Phalaenopsis are ready to leave the nest and go to market.
28 carPinteriaMaGaZINE
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