How One Top 100 Ornamental Grower Got Creative During COVID-19
February 3, 2021 
Even the nation’s largest ornamental growers are not immune to market disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the shift has been dramatic.
One example is California Pajarosa Floral, #82 on Greenhouse Grower’s 2020 Top Growers list and one of Watsonville, CA’s last remaining large flower growers, which has altered its marketing approach drastically since the outbreak of COVID-19.
A recent story in Good Times, a weekly newspaper in Santa Cruz County, outlines how activity at California Pajaraso, which was already dealing with an evolving industry before the pandemic due to growth in offshore production, came to a sudden halt. For the first six weeks, all transportation of flowers ceased and the business could not get its product to wholesale customers. Then demand began to plummet.
California Pajarosa normally grows flowers for parties and weddings, and lost a large amount of business due to such events being canceled and discouraged. This led to a shift in focus, concentrating on internet sales and customers who have more of an online retail presence.
Thankfully, according to California Pajarosa’s Paul Furman, there is still a demand for flowers.
“Many people still find the benefit of enjoying flowers in their homes,” he says. “It has been scientifically proven that flowers reduce stress, boost your mood and memory, increase productivity, and are shown not only as a benefit to the recipient, but also to the person giving the flowers.”
Read more here.
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