August 18, 2017
CapitalPress.com
3
Peoria Gardens pursues sustainability
Capital Press
JUNCTION CITY, Ore.
— Peoria Gardens takes
pride in being sustainable,
whether it involves the envi-
ronment or employees.
Having taken over the
business from his father
four years ago, Ben Verho-
even, president and general
manager of Peoria Gardens,
is passionate about social
issues. He also hopes to
continue the legacy of sus-
Aliya Hall/Capital Press
tainability his father pursued Ben Verhoeven has been running Peoria Gardens for four years. His family has owned the company
since founding the business since 1983.
in 1983.
“Agriculture is a different beast, there are
and he’s trying to minimize
“Dad always treated em-
that. Peoria Gardens has so-
ployees with respect and
complicated factors involved; we’re at the
lar panels on two-thirds of
with benefits. Some of the
its buildings and has already
employees have been around
whim of mother nature.”
reduced its energy use by 30
for 20 to 30 years. They
are good people, fun and Ben Verhoeven, president and general manager of Peoria Gardens percent.
“No one likes paying util-
hardworking. I feel strong-
ly about their benefits,” he I wish more people would our certified organic, and we ity bills. This is better for
do that,” said Verhoeven. “It want to expand that produc- the bottom line and the long
said.
term,” he said.
Peoria Gardens offers 12 feels good and it’s worth it. tion,” Verhoeven said.
However, Verhoeven said
The biggest challenge in
weeks of paid parental leave It helps people out.”
The nursery is also en- maintaining sustainability is there’s always more to do.
for both mothers and fathers,
The nursery finished up
overtime pay, paid vacation, vironmentally sustainable, pest control. Environmental-
sick leave and health and selling annuals, perennials ly friendly insecticides are its harvest season despite the
not always easy to use, he “awful” spring that was ear-
and vegetable starts.
dental insurance.
ly and wet, he said.
“The veggie starts market said.
“It’s the right thing to do.
“Agriculture is a different
Verhoeven also said that
It’s not that much money. It has grown as more people
isn’t free, but it has a much are growing their own food. the nursery industry uses a beast, there are complicated
bigger, more positive effect. There’s been an increase in lot of electricity as a whole, factors involved; we’re at
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first, but now that they are
following suit other produc-
ers can see that the business-
es haven’t suffered or cost
them as much as they initial-
ly thought.
“I like being sustain-
able, environmentally and
socially. I’m a new father
myself, and anyone you
know is either a parent or
has been really sick before.
These life events happen to
everyone. We, as the agri-
cultural industry, need to
agree to help our neigh-
bors out because they’ll
help us out,” Verhoeven
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the whim of mother nature,”
he said. “But we came out of
it.”
Other nurseries have
followed Peoria Gardens’
sustainable example. Al-
though there is a bad con-
notation with the word
“sustainable” within certain
groups, the Oregon Asso-
ciation of Nurseries is us-
ing the term to showcase
efficiency.
California and Wash-
ington already have similar
benefits programs in place
for their employees. Ver-
hoeven said he would have
loved to see Oregon be the
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By ALIYA HALL