The Peace Tree Farm Team on Crop Trends, Lessons Learned, and More
February 19, 2023 
Note: My conversation with Peace Tree Farm’s Lloyd Traven and his son Alex was so extensive that we were unable to include everything we discussed in our February cover story. Here are a few of the other topics we covered.
On Online Retail
Lloyd: We’ve looked at developing our own site for online retail, but we have a culture clash within the company. I feel like if we’re not doing it, we’re going to be left behind at some point.”
Alex: “I’m kind of right in the middle, where I simultaneously dread fulfillment and individual customer service and having to have a team who can do that. But I am also realistic that if I don’t do this now, I will probably have to do it at some point.”
On Lavender
Lloyd: “Lavender has been just incredible for us. We still have the only patented lavender intermedia in the world, so every patented intermedia worldwide that is sold comes from our genetics. We have become the lavender people, and we’ve got the largest propagators propagating it for us. It’s been an interesting evolution (learn more about Peace Tree’s lavender program here).
On Keeping Up With Crop Trends
Alex: “It seems like the popularity boom/bust cycle on plants has really accelerated the last couple years. In 2020, it was every vegetable plant you could possibly grow, but by 2021, so many other people were growing vegetables, that we had to be cautious again. The same thing is now happening with house plants. In 2021, you could sell a variegated monstera for $800. Now you can find them anywhere, and at a much lower price. We’re really trying to pace ourselves as we move through these waves of popularity.”
On the Potential of Cannabis
Lloyd: “We are not currently looking at growing cannabis, but you never know. We have Senator John Fetterman just getting started in Pennsylvania, and he has always been a big proponent of recreational cannabis, so perhaps Pennsylvania will become a recreational legal state. If that happens, I would think we would become a very desirable location. We have a first-rate facility and a highly trained staff, we have organic certification already, and we have the land to build. Whatever happens, I have zero concern whether Alex would excel.”
On the Most Important Lessons You’ve Learned
Lloyd: “One thing I’ve definitely learned the last couple of years is that it’s not about your product; it’s about your people. But beyond that, to keep this industry’s momentum going, we need to be where the consumer wants us. For too many years, the consumer was looking for us, and we were not where they wanted us to be. We need to meet the consumer where they are and engage with them.”
Alex: “The pandemic gave me a chance to reevaluate my role, and know my limitations. For the sustainability of our business, I need to empower other people on our team to do more things, so I can take a step back when necessary.”
On the Best Part of Your Job
Lloyd: “I like listening to the noise in the greenhouse, and I’m not talking about machine noise. When I hear people laughing and enjoying each other, I understand what keeps them going. I enjoy the amazing diversity within our team. Every person is different from everybody else. I love that even though we have the biggest crew we’ve ever had, we’ve got enough business that people continue to come.”
Alex: One of our customers recently told me there’s a lot of money in agriculture. It’s just hard to get any of it out. I realized just how right he was. It’s almost like you’re betting on the future every day, and always planning for decades into the future. That’s why I’m always striving to take care of things properly.”
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