Sen. Joni Ernst Gets Inside Look at the Greenhouse Industry

Plantpeddler recently hosted U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) for a tour of its Cresco, IA-based greenhouse facility and gathering with the staff. With the nursery operation’s Trial Gardens as a backdrop, the Senator (and Iowa native) spent time getting to know the business of Plantpeddler Inc. and — more importantly — the greenhouse industry.

Ernst was joined by three Iowa House members: Senator Waylon Brown, Representative Jane Bloomingdale, and Representative Michael Bergen.

During her visit, Mike Gooder of Plantpeddler discussed with her the parallels of the greenhouse industry to the confinement livestock industry, which she knows intimately with her background rooted in Iowa agriculture. According to company officials, Ernst left Plantpeddler with a deeper understanding of the important role horticulture plays in the greater community of agriculture.

In November 2014, Ernst was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In Washington, Ernst serves on five Senate committees of major importance to Iowans: Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Environment and Public Works; Judiciary; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.