Our Story
The same red dirt.
Since 1891.
Five generations of one family farming the same piece of Utah. Each generation inherited soil, animals, and strong opinions about weather.
The lineage
A farming family in five generations
1891
Henry & Sarah Smith
Homesteaded this property with nothing but a plow, determination, and opinions about weather. The opinions were justified.
1925
Harold Smith
Second generation. Expanded the orchards, brought in draft horses, started experimenting with vegetables. Built the original barn (still here, still standing, still housing opinions).
1960
Ron Smith
Third generation. Saw agriculture getting louder with chemicals and big equipment. Decided to stay quiet instead. Kept soil health as the north star.
1985
Michael & LaRene Smith
Fourth generation. Built the greenhouses, formalized the nursery, started LaRene Nursery (named after Michael's wife). Did the hard work of keeping it profitable without compromising.
2015
The Fifth Generation
Now. Three grown children, each running different parts of the operation. Still learning. Still making mistakes. Still making it work.
Working today
The people who keep it running
LaRene Smith
Nursery Foundation & Vision
Fourth generation. The backbone of what the nursery became. Built relationships with customers that turned into a business. Now mentoring the fifth generation in the fine art of “don't yell at plants, they sense it.”
Tom Smith
Head of Nursery Operations
Fifth generation. Runs day-to-day nursery operations. Knows every plant variety, every customer complaint, every way to propagate things quickly. Has opinions about dirt. Strong opinions.
Sarah Smith
Animal Systems & Pasture
Fifth generation. Manages the sheep and goat herd, rotation grazing, and animal welfare protocols. Has strong opinions about goats. They have strong opinions about her. It's mutual respect.
Ethan Smith
Greenhouse & Propagation
Fifth generation (newest). Takes over the propagation greenhouse and is experimenting with expanded varieties. Wants to try weird heirloom things. We let him. Chaos builds character.
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We're not farming because it's trendy. We're farming because we've always farmed. And because the plants know the difference between doing it right and cutting corners.
Third generation wisdom
How we think
Generational farming wisdom
Inheritance, not just assets
When your kid inherits the farm, you don’t hand them a business plan. You hand them dirt that’s either healthier or worse than when your parents gave it to you. That accountability runs deep. Every decision gets run through the filter: "Will this be better in 30 years?"
Chaos is a feature
Every generation adds something weird. Harold added orchards. Ron added stubborn philosophy. Michael added infrastructure. Sarah added strong opinions about goats. The farm gets weirder and better each time. Rigidity kills farms. Flexibility kills boredom.
Through time
Five generations in the red dirt
First generation
The old barn
Building for the future
The next chapter
Still here
Why we’re still here
We’re not the biggest farm in Utah. We don’t have the fanciest equipment or the most acreage. But we have continuity. Five generations of people who decided that this land, and this way of farming, was worth doing right.
That’s not something you can buy or build in a decade. And it’s not something that happens unless you trust the next generation to figure it out themselves.
Want the full story?
Meet the farm
The family history is interesting. The current operation is even more so. Come see what five generations of learning looks like on the ground.
Keep in touch
Plant updates, weather rants, and the occasional goat photo.
We send one newsletter per month. No spam. Honestly, we barely remember to do it.