Hog Barn Converted To Winter Plant Business

Hog Barn Converted To Winter Plant Business BUILDINGS Livestock 30-1-9 A personal need turned into an on-farm business for Anna and Ivan Zettle. When they decided to stop farrowing sows and buy feeder pigs instead, Anna had an idea for what to do with the old gestation building. In 2002 she and Ivan turned the barn into Anna's Plant Paradise. "My potted plant hobby had gotten out of hand," she recalls. "I had more than 100 potted tropical plants that I needed to put somewhere over the winter." Zettle decided that if she needed a place to winter plants, perhaps others did, too. Zettle and her husband decided to clear out the 30-ft. by 120-ft. building and replace the south facing roof section and south facing open front with double-walled, polycarbonate paneling. Most people she told about the project said it would never work. However, a couple in a neighboring town had been overwintering plants in their commercial greenhouse and encouraged her to make the investment. They planned to discontinue that part of their business and offered to refer customers to her. Including the poly walls, two heaters, ventilation fans, louvers, vents and spray-on insulation on the north roof and wall, the Zettles invested $15,000 to convert half the building. "With the exception of three days of roof panel installation, we did all the work," says Zettle. "Initially, my goal was to have enough clients to cover the fuel bill, so I could keep my plants for free. It has more than done that." The first year she charged $20 a plant for the season. The second season she charged $25 after propane prices climbed. This year she is charging $30 for keeping plants over the winter. Pickup and delivery is extra. "I figure, I have the plants longer than they do and for less than $5 a month," says Zettle. "We put the greenhouse into our farm enterprise record keeping system, and it isn't showing a profit yet, butà" In the meantime, she has a growing business she enjoys, especially on cold January days. She has also found plants and people to be fun to get to know. "I have a lemon tree that has fruit before, at all stages and two grapefruit trees a client's mother started from seed," relates Zettle. "Though they had never borne fruit, after the second winter in the greenhouse, both bloomed and set fruit." Building the business has been a learning experience. "I did $200 worth of advertising and got nothing out of it," says Zettle. Most new clients find her by word of mouth and most are from the nearby city of Madison, Wis. One greenhouse manager near Madison sends clients her way, and she has a website for the business. She has also expanded the business to include short-term plant sitting, short and long term plant rental, and garden maintenance. Zettle is considering expanding the space. "I could fill another 16-ft. section just with the clients I have," she says. "I had one client tell me this fall he was cutting back, and he would only have five big plants and 7 small to overwinter. When we picked them up, he had 20 small and 8 gut busters on his back patio." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Anna Zettle, W7542 County Rd. P, Monroe, Wis. 53566 (ph 608 325-4521; annaz @tds.net www.annasplantparadise.com).

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