Case Davis at a local farmers market selling his produce and flowers.
Davis Crops LLC, a business owned by Bourbon County FFA member Case Davis from Kentucky, shows how agriculture can be applied in an urban setting.
Davis is currently a senior at Bourbon County High School. He has served as his FFA chapter’s historian and currently serves as the chapter’s treasurer. He started his pursuit in agriculture at his best friend’s horse farm when he was 12 years old, where he did grounds maintenance and cared for the horses. As he has grown his knowledge of agriculture, he found a love for the horticulture. He’s currently working to expand Davis Crops LLC, where he grows crops and flowers in his backyard and then sells them at local farmers markets and small businesses in his county and surrounding areas.
Question: How many years have you had this Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)?
Answer: This will be my second year running my own business. It’s been difficult, to say the least, and I’ve learned that you have to spend money to make money. However, I’m now on track to make more than $1,000 in profit with my business. I currently grow several different types of corn, including glass gem, peaches and cream, and silver queen. I’ve also grown three different types of tomatoes, as well as some pickling cucumbers, which are always a big hit. As for flowers, I have grown sunflowers, snapdragons, zinnias and gomphrena.
Q: What inspired you to start a horticulture-based SAE?
A: I took a greenhouse class my sophomore year, but going into the class I wasn’t sure how well I was going to like it. I’ve always loved animal science due to my experience working on a horse farm. I still love animal science, but fell in love with the horticulture pathway. I enjoyed everything it had to offer and started my entire path through crop and flower production. I give a lot of credit to my horticulture teacher, Tara Poe, and my dad for helping me start my business.
Q: How did the Kentucky FFA SAE Launch Grant help expand your SAE?
A: It really launched my business. It gave me the funds that I didn’t already have to start up my business by paying Kentucky Proud fees, taxes and investing in my greenhouse, tools and seeds that I needed to get a foundation for my business.
Q: How have you grown as a crop and flower producer over these two years?
A: During these two years, I’ve been able to connect with several different farmers across the surrounding counties and even across Kentucky. I’ve learned different ways to grow produce, like soil blocks, cell packs and cell trays to start seeds in my greenhouse. When I first started out, I found it very difficult to start cut flower seeds straight out of the ground. I talked to Hollie Hatmaker at Hatmaker Homestead in Bourbon County, as well as my greenhouse teacher, Tara Poe. I decided that the best method for me to start with was cell trays. As these years have gone by, I’ve gotten better at growing plants, so now I start all of my seeds directly in the ground, which has come to work out even better.
Q: How do you market and sell your products?
A: The biggest thing has been making connections. Going to farmer’s markets, using social media, handing out business cards and using word of mouth throughout the community have been the biggest help for me. I’ve been able to wholesale to different farmers and have people reach out to me to make custom and wholesale orders.
Q: What are your goals for this SAE in the future?
A: Being a senior in high school means it’s time for me to start thinking about how I can carry this SAE over into college with me. The key to continuing this business is going to be using the connections that I made previously — the people that I have worked with are going to serve as the foundation for growth through a difficult time. My younger sister, Claire, has become quite passionate about horticulture as well. She wants to help take over my business while I am in school for the next four years. I’m currently showing her the ropes on how to start and grow seeds and making sure that she is able to care for them properly. I will still be going to markets on the weekends when I’m not in school and selling wholesale to farmers around Kentucky.
Q: What advice would you give someone looking to start a horticulture-focused SAE?
A: The best advice I can give is to go for it — don’t think about it too much, and just do it. When I started this business, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to start an LLC, and I barely even knew how to grow corn, but I jumped in headfirst and made so many new friends and mentors that helped me get to where I am today. My business would not exist if I didn’t just go for it.
