Nestled in the backyard of Lathen and Jerry Walton in the Pleasant Valley community in Itawamba County are twenty fully-operational greenhouses, known collectively as Walton’s Greenhouse, packed to the gills with hundreds of plant varieties for flower and vegetable gardeners alike; anything from annuals to perennials, hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables.
The farm land surrounding the Walton family home was at one time used by Lathen to farm soybeans until a significant shift happened within the farming industry.
It was then that Lathen and, Marty decided they had best formulate a new plan in order to change with the times. Walton’s Greenhouse started out as a single greenhouse, known affectionately now as the “east to west house” as it is the only house that is still situated facing east and west. Initially, they only sold plants wholesale to local businesses, until a new opportunity presented itself.
The Amory store opened in 2016, New Albany in 2017, and just last year, mid-pandemic, they opened their most recent location in Columbus. “It was actually a blessing,” recalled Becky Walton. “We sold significantly more last year than we have in years past.”
It was all the family could do to keep up with demand in 2020. With widespread quarantines and more people than ever working from home, everyone wanted to try their hand at gardening.
“We couldn’t run this many operations without all of our great, loyal employees,” said Becky, who worked as a registered nurse before joining her husband full time at the farm.
Read the complete article at www.djournal.com.