Daily Inspiration: Meet Rodney Griffin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodney Griffin.

Hi Rodney, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Alvin and later moved and graduated from Friendswood. My wife Angela grew up in Crosby and was on the pom squad for SFA. In college I played football for the University of Houston and later became their Sports Field and Grounds Manager. After working for UH I worked briefly for the Houston Astros and later moved to NRG stadium to become the Grounds Manager for the Houston Texans and also worked on the field for Superbowls 38,39,40,41. Following the Texans I managed the turf for the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.

In 2013, I moved Angela and my four girls (two sets of twins) to manage a turf Farm for Thomas Turfgrass in Paige and later joined King Ranch Turfgrass and worked in their turf division. Four years ago at our home in Lexington my wife and I had a large Spring garden where she would plant various flowers to bring in pollinators and make small arrangements for the house. We were sitting on the porch one day and she was holding a handful flower stems. With virtually no knowledge of flowers I asked her if there was such a thing as a flower farm.

After a brief google search the next day I stopped by a local florist and asked if she would be interested in buying local flowers, she said yes. 6G Heritage Farm was born. We started very small with just a few rows while I learned this whole flower thing and developed the necessary passion. We slowly began selling to the public at a local gas station and then bumped up to the Lexington Farmers Market. As our presentation improved and inventory went up the Memorial Villages Farmers Market in Houston contacted us asking if we could join their market. Several months later we had enough flowers to join and after that day the decision was made for me to become a full time flower farmer. We now sell to florist, have a weekly drive thru at the farm, attend the Waco Farmers Market, Memorial Villages Farmers Market, and the Bay Area Farmers Market. In the rare event if the weeds are under control we have private farm tours. We are currently making plans to move into Austin and Fort Worth.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not even close! A common comment we get is that I must have an incredible “Green Thumb.” My reply is if we have 1000 flowers for sale it means I killed 3000, though I have never enjoyed failure this much in my life. Flowers are extremely delicate and the Texas climate is anything but. An odd thing we deal with is our farm is in a rural part of Lee County and in a bit of a valley. So we are subject to much colder temperatures than forecasted as a result we have lost countless blooms from a random unforecasted frost, and that is costly. Other challenges are what any farmer deals with but I believe we are a breeding ground for an unknown species of grasshopper that multiplies rapidly and is Huge! Not to mention the occasional blizzard.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At a young age I was interested in landscape and general yard work. This later developed into a passion for turfgrass which led to my career in sports. Though often overlooked a football, baseball or a soccer pitch is an artist’s (groundskeeper) canvas. All of the sports fields I prepared became a personal expression. By using different painting and mowing techniques I could put my own personal spin on the field and through that I found satisfaction. It wasn’t until a few years ago I realized what I really love is making things beautiful. Whether that be a midfield logo or a bundle of flowers I nurtured for months. If there is anything that may possibly set me apart from others is I love what I do and I am completely committed. Every bouquet we sell goes through my hands first and sometimes receives an unfair judgement. If I don’t love it we don’t sell it, which leads to a large colorful compost pile. My motto is “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.”

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Work hard. Keep working, regardless of the circumstance. Work leads to opportunities. Don’t wait for your shot, go get it. 25 years ago when I hung up my cleats to work on the UH baseball field I had no idea those all-nighters and blistered hands were the ground work for what will become the greatest flower farm ever.

Contact Info:

• Email: 6gheritagefarm@gmail.com
• Instagram: 6gheritagefarm
• Facebook: 6gheritagefarm

Image Credits
Meagan Joy Orsag Angela Griffin