Growing a career

Matt McClellan: How did you get into the industry?

Becky Thomas: I grew up on a 5th-generation corn and soybean farm in the Midwest and didn’t intend to come back. I started college as a math major and quickly realized it didn’t suit me well. Thumbing through the course catalog, I found Landscape Architecture. I hadn’t heard of it before, and it was described as a blend of art, nature and science — all things I loved. I switched majors and never looked back. After graduation, my husband and I moved back to the family farm. I wanted to take a break from the hustle of design/build after our daughter Maggie was born, so I started helping my folks back at the farm. My dad was a pioneer in both no-till and precision farming, and I really enjoyed helping him and learning the farm business. My husband, Jamie, and I decided we did want to come back to the farm. My dad encouraged us to explore diversifying our farm into a different crop. Since we both had attachments to the green industry, we decided to start a nursery on 100 acres of ground that we rented from my parents. In 1999, Spring Grove Nursery took root when we planted our first crop of trees. I have enjoyed every minute of growing my career in the horticulture industry!

MM: What advice would you give women starting their careers in horticulture?

BT: Always be learning and networking with people in the industry. Most of us got into this industry because of a love of plants, but the people in horticulture can be equally inspiring. Make an effort to attend as many industry events as possible, and don’t be shy about asking questions and meeting new people. You never know when a conversation might spark a future idea.

MM: Who are some of the mentors you’ve had?

BT: One of my treasured friendships is with Nancy Krautmann (formerly Buley, recently retired) from J. Frank Schmidt Nursery. I first met Nancy when she gave a presentation at the ANLA Management Clinic on the benefits of trees and how to communicate their value to the consumer. We became fast friends, and she took me under her wing. Her passion for trees has been very inspirational to me, but even more so is her passion for connections. She has a gift for connecting people together around the benefits and beauty of trees, and I will be forever thankful for crossing paths with Nancy.

Outside of the industry, my parents have been the best mentors I could hope for. Growing up on a family farm and watching my mom and dad work together to raise kids and crops has been at the heart of what my husband and I have also strived to do. My dad was integral in helping us design our business plan and get the nursery growing. He worked alongside us in his retirement to continue helping us develop the nursery. We had so much fun farming together. He passed away five years ago, and I really miss his guidance and farming knowledge now. But I also am starting to see how much of that generational farming knowledge he passed on to me, and I know more than I think I do. I will be forever grateful for that.

MM: What moment or project are you most proud of?

BT: Starting a nursery from scratch isn’t easy. There are many things along the way to be proud of when starting a business, but one that stands out is our ability in recent years to pay off our nursery start-up loan. Shortly after, we also purchased part of the ground that our nursery is on from my parents. Both of those steps came after lots of years of sacrifice and hard work, so it really felt good to pay off that first big loan and set our sights on what’s next.

MM: Why should young women and girls pursue horticulture careers?

BT: I can’t imagine a better industry to work in if you are a woman. Plants hold the key to connection, balance, life and health. I think women are inherently in tune with this concept and have a natural ability to communicate and embrace these concepts. When your work is aligned with your core values, then you thrive! The horticulture industry has lots of flexibility for women to build a career and balance family life at the same time. Throughout your career, you can continually be evolving into different job roles or areas of interest as you enter different life stages.