Today, Monday 5/8 at around 9:30am, we arrived at our first destination of the day, Jet Fresh Flower Growers. This was an awesome experience, my favorite of the trip so far. They had beautiful selections of roses, and showcased some of their competition winners at the entrance. We got to walk through the main offices and the greenhouses, then took a ride in the owner’s awesome hippie-style blue Volkswagen van. The managers and staff were all extremely nice and welcoming, and they had a variety of animals that they kept around, including 3 affectionate dogs, some cats, geese, roosters and chicks, peacocks, and a family of llamas. The dogs were so playful and followed us around everywhere we went, just seeking attention. The swans on the other hand were not so friendly, and tried to attack us on numerous occasions. The staff had to lock one of them in a barrel with a small opening so he couldn’t bother us.
We got to tour the production facilities, where they would cut, disinfect, groom, and paint the roses, then to be chilled in a cold room and packaged to be shipped. It was amazing to see how smooth and efficient the operation was, and how much planning and effort goes into the production process. The workers must have had intense quotas because they were so focused on their work that they barely even looked up to acknowledge us. We got to see the water reservoir and irrigation systems. We also saw one station where they were able to print ink images onto the flowers, and they even made us custom yellow roses that had the Pitt logo printed on them! After the tour, they prepared us a table of a variety of Ecuadorian food, mostly different fruits that I had never heard of, as well as a homemade cheese wrapped in leaves paired with a biscuit that was absolutely fantastic (I had 3 of them). I tried everything that was put out, and not a single one left me disappointed.
Prior to this experience, I was never a big fan of flowers and roses, and always thought they were way too expensive of a gift just to wilt away in a week or two. I was definitely looking forward to the chocolate aspect of our studies over the roses. Yet, touring these facilities and seeing the magnificent colors of the flowers, the sweet and natural aurora of the greenhouses, and the passion that the producers have for the industry has definitely swayed my opinions. My phone’s photo album is now filled with pictures of flowers, as each variety we saw was more vibrant and beautiful than the last.
