20080521_delilah

Remembering Larry Boven

Greenhouse Grower Editor Delilah Onofrey shares her memories of Larry Boven.

Fifteen years ago, when I was new at the magazine, I went to Kalamazoo in November to attend the Western Michigan Growers conference, a precursor to the Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo in Lansing. Larry Boven was my first real grower visit. I was told how interesting his place was and how the greenhouses were split into two elevations with a conveyor belt going down the hill from one to the other and how he had this neat monorail system to transport product. It was poinsettia season, one of Boven’s signature crops.

horse

But the real treat was a helicopter ride with Larry to get an overview of the entire Kalamazoo Valley and all the greenhouses. I was actually two months pregnant with my first child, so this was a daring move for me to go up. He even encouraged me to steer a little bit, but that was too scary for me. I was amazed at how much even really slight movements would dip or turn the helicopter. As a kid I had been in a helicopter once overlooking Niagara Falls. My last helicopter ride was eight years ago visiting Oro Farms with Brian Gold and Estuardo Arriaga in Guatemala.

Over the years, I’ve really enjoyed working with Larry and seeing him at industry events, especially Pack Trials with Lisa Oliver. He had always been a wonderful resource for us and someone we could interview for stories. He always struck me as such an optimistic, open, trusting person. Even when business didn’t go well, Larry was always able to rise above it and forge ahead. This was especially true when the Franks chain, his largest customer, went out of business several years ago. I was amazed at how fast he was able to recover from that.

Last summer, when I learned he was selling the business to two young growers, I decided I needed to come out again and write the story. I was already planning on attending the Michigan Expo, so I drove up the day before. We were supposed to go up in the helicopter again, but the weather was too windy and rainy. I got to see the new horse farm with all the stables and a special area for the children to hang out, watch TV and look at the horses through a big window. I also got the tour of the poinsettia crop with Kris Van de Streek, who bought Boven’s Quality Plants. It was an unseasonably warm fall and the plants were ahead of schedule.

I’m very glad I made that trip last November and was touched when his daughter, Laurie, wrote to me on Friday to let me know what happened with the helicopter crash. This industry really is one big extended family.

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	Remembering Larry Boven Greenhouse Grower Editor Delilah Onofrey shares her memories of Larry Boven. Fifteen years ago, when I was new at the magazine, I went to Kalamazoo in November to attend the Western Michigan Growers conference, a precursor to the Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo in Lansing. Larry Boven was my first real grower visit. I was told how interesting his place was and how the greenhouses were split into two elevations with a conveyor belt going down the hill from one to the other and how he had this neat monorail system to transport product. It was poinsettia season, one of Boven’s signature crops. But the real treat was a helicopter ride with Larry to get an overview of the entire Kalamazoo Valley and all the greenhouses. I was actually two months pregnant with my first child, so this was a daring move for me to go up. He even encouraged me to steer a little bit, but that was too scary for me. I was amazed at how much even really slight movements would dip or turn the helicopter. As a kid I had been in a helicopter once overlooking Niagara Falls. My last helicopter ride was eight years ago visiting Oro Farms with Brian Gold and Estuardo Arriaga in Guatemala. Over the years, I’ve really enjoyed working with Larry and seeing him at industry events, especially Pack Trials with Lisa Oliver. He had always been a wonderful resource for us and someone we could interview for stories. He always struck me as such an optimistic, open, trusting person. Even when business didn’t go well, Larry was always able to rise above it and forge ahead. This was especially true when the Franks chain, his largest customer, went out of business several years ago. I was amazed at how fast he was able to recover from that. Last summer, when I learned he was selling the business to two young growers, I decided I needed to come out again and write the story. I was already planning on attending the Michigan Expo, so I drove up the day before. We were supposed to go up in the helicopter again, but the weather was too windy and rainy. I got to see the new horse farm with all the stables and a special area for the children to hang out, watch TV and look at the horses through a big window. I also got the tour of the poinsettia crop with Kris Van de Streek, who bought Boven’s Quality Plants. It was an unseasonably warm fall and the plants were ahead of schedule. I’m very glad I made that trip last November and was touched when his daughter, Laurie, wrote to me on Friday to let me know what happened with the helicopter crash. This industry really is one big extended family.