To mature 25 million coniferous tree seedling , CalForest Nurseries ( a Division of Growpro , Inc ) utilizes more than 600,00 straight feet of greenhouses manufactured by Agra Tech , California ’s leading producer of commercial-grade greenhouses . CalForest is the largest independent container re-afforestation nursery in the Pacific Northwest . Their customers include private timber company , non - industrial private landowners , and public government agency throughout the western United States .
The nursery was make back in 1978 in Covelo , CA , by Tom Jopson to develop conifer seedling for reforestation . Tom produce 200,000 seedlings in the first year , and the business grew exponentially . A decade later , the job was moved to its current location in Etna , CA , in Siskiyou County to better serve the reforestation action of its ever - expanding customer base .
Cal Forest seedlings are maturate under contract , with locally collected or improved orchard seed provide by the purchaser . Seedlings are grow for one season in Agra Tech nursery that are design and managed specifically to grow mellow - quality conifer seedlings in container for outplanting purposes .
According to the caller ’s internet site ( www.calforest.com ) , CalForest specializes in minimizing seed use , particularly with scarce and worthful seed sight . They have a highly undifferentiated irrigation arrangement , proper fertigation equipment , maximal photo to ambient atmospheric condition , day-after-day crop records , and production equipment that allow for for speedy and accurate sowing and packing . At the end of the season , seedlings are packed , put into dusty storage , and ultimately shipped by refrigerated truck to client .
CalForest has successfully grown a encompassing regalia of conifer mintage over the year , but their two good - sellers are Douglas Firs and Ponderosa Pines .
The party ’s Founder and Owner Tom Jopson name the genesis of CalForest . " I met a guy rope at a political party in UC Davis , the schoolhouse I begin a master ’s in Horticulture , " he said . " They want to embark on an turnout in Covelo , CA ( Mendocino County ) , where I had worked hauling hay for a twain of year . They bought a ranch there and wanted to start a tree greenhouse seedling nursery . At first , I told them no , but later on , I resolve to move there . It started modestly , and I believe we started that first year ( 1978 ) sell 200,000 seedlings but only sold about 20,000 of them . So , we were learning along the means . "
In 1988 , CalForest Nurseries moved to its present location in Etna , CA . " At that sentence , we were growing about a million tree a year , " Jopson enjoin . " Gradually , we did woodland servicing contracts and eventually convinced the timber industry that planting containerize seedling was a good estimation . They were planting bare ancestor seedlings primarily up until then , but gradually they actualize that container seedling performed better in the field , at least in California . And we also pose better at growing them over the age . So , the line of work just grew pretty steady , and then there were some vainglorious blast .
CalForest Nurseries mature promptly after one significant event took place in 1992 , " The Fountain Fire in Redding , CA was a watershed bit for us when 50,000 acres east of Redding were burnt to the dry land , " Jopson say . " We had to speedily grow two million additional seedling , which forced us to produce and build up some new techniques . That ’s where the greenhouses came in because we learned about photoperiod sweetening at that time . It ’s where we blackout the greenhouse to help with maturate Douglas Fir Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree particularly . Agra Tech helped us ramp up these Blackout Curtains into the greenhouses to shorten the days basically . It do the Douglas Firs , among others , to grow bud instead of just grow vegetatively . "
Over the year , the nursery has evolve numerous Insulators from Agra Tech . " We ’ve get good at building them , as you’re able to imagine , " Jopson say . " Now we get around 25 million seedling now , and they all start in glasshouse . "
For more entropy : Agra Tech2131 Piedmont WayPittsburg , CA 94565 T : ( 925 ) 432 - 3399F : ( 925 ) 432 - 3521[email protected]agratech.com
