Grower News

Partnership between two large Langley businesses could help stem COVID-related losses for both. The collaboration gets underway on the holiday Friday, with a series of pop-up garden shops being introduced to sell an abundance of spring plants that might otherwise end up in the compost. As industries struggle to come to terms with the impact of the coronavirus, many businesses are having to look to one another for support. And such is the case for Langley’s Darvonda Nurseries, which less than two weeks ago learned that its largest single wholesale buyer would be unable to accept a majority of this season’s orders. That meanss the nursery is sitting with at least 80 per cent of its annual vegetable plants and potted annuals, and no way to get them to the consumers, explained nursery owner Lawrence Jansen. Sure, Jansen can sell a few from their Milner greenhouses, but nothing substantial. No where near the 40 acres of plants they have in inventory and ready to go – now. So, he and the team had to start thinking outside the proverbial [planter] box – and it had to be done quickly. Casting around for ideas, that’s when Jansen reached out to a fellow Langley/Surrey-based company – Joseph Richard Group (JRG) – which had sponsored past events with Darvonda in previous years, including the Glow Gardens events. With all the recent changes in the local communities due to COVID-19, JRG was happy to offer up any assistance possible, said JRG’s CEO Ryan Moreno. Working together, the two businesses are launching the pop-up stores in the parking lots of several Langley, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack restaurants and pubs this long weekend. “During times like this, we believe it’s more important than ever for community to come together and businesses within it to try and hold the communities up as best they can. That’s one of the many roles of local businesses so we’re happy to work with the team from Glow Gardens and hope our locations provide great community spots for pop ups for their business. Plus it provides our guests […]

Source: www.mapleridgenews.com