Hoffman Nursery Earns Top Honor From NCNLA

By Greenhouse Grower staff|February 22, 2012

The North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA) recently recognized Hoffman Nursery by naming it Grower of the Year for 2011.

“NCNLA is proud to present the 2011 Grower of the Year Award to Hoffman Nursery in recognition of more than 25 years of premium plant development and its expanded production facility,” says Ross Williams, NCNLA executive director. “The award also recognizes Hoffman’s active support of horticultural research, environmental stewardship and community service.”

The Grower of the Year is always an operation that is an NCNLA member exhibiting a high level of professionalism in the management or ownership of a field or container nursery in North Carolina (or other states where that operation may be located). In addition, the Grower of the Year exhibits leadership in the nursery industry through participation in local, regional, state and national organizations.

John and Jill Hoffman started Hoffman Nursery in 1986 on 45 acres in rural Durham County. Specializing in ornamental and native grasses liners, Hoffman ships to wholesale customers across North America. The nursery has expanded to include a production facility with automated mixing and potting equipment and more than 60 cold frames and hot houses. While the operation’s focus is on producing premium plants to fill this niche, Hoffman has a broader vision to actively support horticultural research, environmental stewardship and community service.

To improve horticultural practices, the nursery collaborates with several researchers from North Carolina State. Current projects include working to find safer and better pesticides for containerized grasses, developing a miscanthus that won’t self-sow, and searching for more effective ways to use beneficial insects. Hoffman also runs an active trial program and partners with public institutions to test the grasses in a range of environments.