Ep 23: Christy King, Co-Owner of King Farm

Growing a beautiful plant doesn't always mean growing a profitable crop. At King Farm in Massachusetts, Christy King and her team made a surprising decision: they stopped growing poinsettias, even though they knew how to produce exceptional ones. The labor, production time, heating costs, and uncertain demand simply didn't justify continuing. So how do greenhouse growers decide which crops are actually worth the time, space, and resources they require? In this episode of How We Grow, host Chad Massura sits down with Christy King, co-owner of King Farm and a 2026 Greenhouse Grower Head Grower of the Year finalist, to explore the business decisions behind high-quality greenhouse production. Christy shares how King Farm balances premium plant quality with profitability, adjusts production schedules to unpredictable New England weather, and keeps its products affordable for independent garden centers. They also discuss: 🌱 Why King Farm walked away from poinsettia production 💰 How crop selection, growing time, and sourcing affect profitability 📅 The scheduling mistakes that can disrupt an entire growing season 🌸 How Christy's floral design background influences the plants King Farm grows 💧 How watering booms and other equipment investments have helped reduce labor demands 🪴 Why quality, customer relationships, and constantly evolving product selections matter for independent garden centers Whether you're managing a commercial greenhouse, supplying garden centers, or looking for ways to improve production efficiency, this conversation offers a practical look at the decisions that make a growing operation successful. About Christy King Christy King is a co-owner of King Farm, a wholesale greenhouse operation in Townsend, Massachusetts. With a background in floral design and years of hands-on growing experience, Christy helps oversee product selection, sourcing, and production planning. She was named a 2026 Greenhouse Grower Head Grower of the Year finalist. Learn more about King Farm: https://www.kingfarminc.com/ Learn more about Rosy Soil: https://www.rosysoil.com/ Subscribe to How We Grow for more conversations with the growers, researchers, and industry leaders shaping the future of horticulture.