Judy Vaughn, greenhouse manager
Judy says:
I have a passion for flowers. When I was growing up on a dairy farm, if my dad didn’t need me in the barn or hayfield, I helped my grandmother in our two big vegetable gardens and we always left room for three or four rows of flowers in the front. Unlike my sisters who saved their money for clothes, I bought tulip and daffodil bulbs to plant in the long picket fence perennial beds.
While at the University of Vermont, I studied animal and dairy science, and summers always found me back in the gardens, pastures, and meadows. As an adult, I have always had flowers, moving plants from house to house, and every vacation has included trips to nurseries, botanical gardens, and farms.
Chrysanthemums and cows dominated our summers when my three sons were teenagers. Along with showing cattle at the fairs, we grew and marketed 2,000 plants annually, a project that taught valuable business and entrepreneurship skills.
At Cedar Circle Farm, my job is growing the annuals. With others, this involves ordering, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, constant deadheading, and pest and disease control. The program includes both purchased rooted plugs and plants that we seed ourselves. We begin in February and end the season in early August.
I really enjoy talking to customers and helping them to make good choices for their own garden spaces. In turn, I like getting fresh ideas from them. It is always fun to try new plants and combinations as is seen in the containers and displays around the farmstand. Creating beautiful hanging baskets is another one of my favorite things to do.
This will be our third year of experimenting with organic fertilizers for the plants; as pioneers in this area, we are getting closer to a method that works. We also strive to keep the greenhouses neat and clean in order for our customers to have a pleasant plant-shopping experience.
I was drawn to Cedar Circle Farm twelve years ago when the Stones owned the farm. Marilyn and I had been friends and 4-H leaders together for years, plus I lived nearby at Vaughan Farms, so it was an easy commute. I worked for part-time for her at first; after retiring from the postal service I was able to take more responsibility at the greenhouses.
There is always so much more to learn and each year is a new adventure at Cedar Circle Farm. More people are returning to gardening or trying gardening for the first time. It is very exciting to be able to play a part in this trend. There is an old saying, “Vegetables feed the body; flowers feed the soul!” How true it is.
Judy’s community activities include: former Trustee of Thetford Academy, current Chairman of the River Bend Career and Technical Center Advisory Board, and organist at West Newbury Congregational Church.