COUNTY LIFE
Orchids blooming at new Nocona greenhouse
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Color has begun to peek through the glass of the new state-of-the-art Colorchids greenhouse recently completed in Nocona, as plants have arrived and are being shipped out.
The 63,000-square foot greenhouse is part of an expansion by Colorchids which was created 10 years ago by Ben Van Wingerden. It was no surprise he chose this type of farming. He grew up in the industry where his father built greenhouses for a living in Virginia. After college he began looking for a product where he could use his marketing skills. He recalls it looked like a lot could be done with orchids.
“I was attracted to this product, which is how I came to select the crop. Nowadays you build the greenhouse around the crop you want to grow. It’s really modern farming, but instead of corn we grow orchids indoors,” explains Van Wingerden.
The young entrepreneur says he started out with an idea for a national brand with local supply.
“It’s something we believe in because for us everything is so spread out. Our goal is serve local markets versus having one giant greenhouse shipping them all over. Freight will always be a problem and a big cost getting yourself to market,” explains Van Wingerden.
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
The 22nd annual July Jam returns on July 27 to the Bowie Community Center West Hall, 413 Pelham Street in Bowie.
There will be a “chickin’ pickin’ fiddling fun time” as guests will be entertained by amazing fiddling tunes and enjoying a chicken meal with delicious homemade jams because it wouldn’t be July Jam without it.
Tickets are just $15 with the event starting at 6 p.m. The funds raised help provide awards for the Championship Fiddler Competition during Chicken and Bread Days Heritage Festival on Oct. 5.
This attracts talented musicians from all over to visit downtown Bowie to test their fiddling skills on stage in the Bowie Fire Hall on Oct. 5.
Along with the live fiddling entertainment, come hungry and be ready to outbid your neighbors at the silent auction or just stop by for a great meal, fellowship and soak in the air conditioning.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The Nocona City Council met this past week making plans for budget and tax rate hearings.
Councilors received a brief update on the 2024-25 budget preparations. City Secretary Revell Hardison said the final proposal is almost complete and they now await the arrival of the no-new revenue tax rate that will be reviewed by the council after it is calculated by the tax collector.
The proposal includes a tax rate increase of about 3% similar to last year and there will be a small increase in water and sewer rates, but Hardison said the final crunch on those will come after the tax rate projections arrive.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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