4 tips for productive vegetable transplant production

Jeff Pereira has almost 30 years of experience growing vegetable transplants. Below, King City Nursery’s farm manager offers his advance on tapping into the budding organics market, why hustle matters and more.

On how King City Nursery has tapped into the organics market: "Our weather here in King City is conducive for growing - there's a lot of sunlight, and a lot of wind. But it comes down to being here and watching your crops and keeping an eye on things. It comes down to a lot of hustle." 

Jeff Pereira’s definition of hustle and why it matters: "Be the first one here and the last one to leave. And work hard the whole day. ... My customers also can call me at any time and I'll know where their plants are - I've looked at all of them. I look at most everything every day. So I'm here, I'm around, I'm accessible. There's a lot to be said for that." 

The biggest tip he has for other growers: "Really paying attention is key. You can't let your guard down for a second because there is just so much happening so fast. And be accessible to your customers." 

On the benefits of automation: "The cost is definitely huge, the investment is huge. But I think it's going to be worth it in the long run. And with the labor shortage we are experiencing , we really have no choice but to automate... You've got to really plan out ahead of time and plan for any eventuality. You really have to measure twice and cut once."