“I have a good understanding and appreciation for Growers – I grew up on a farm and was a Grower for several years at Nature Fresh Farms. Now, I’ve found my true passion for growing people.”

John Ketler, Vice President at Nature Fresh Farms, grew up in the greenhouse industry. His dad bought a Cucumber farm when John was eight years old, so John had lots of odd jobs on the family farm and learned a lot about the operation. John’s father sold the farm in 1999, and in 2001, John approached Peter Quiring with hopes to become a Grower for him. Instead, he started working for Peter as an Assistant Grower, working his way through various jobs to eventually become a Grower. Now, 18 years later, John has developed into an important member of our leadership team.

Although John started his journey at Nature Fresh Farms as an Assistant Grower, it was always his dream to become a Grower. Hard work and passion helped him get there, but before long, John became interested in growing people as well as plants: “I have a good understanding and appreciation for Growers – I grew up on a farm and was a Grower for several years. Now, I help grow people within our organization. I have a true passion for working with people as a team.”

For John, being a leader at Nature Fresh Farms is just as important as being a leader within our community: “It’s important to get involved in and give back to where we live and grow. It’s important that our local agriculture industry and the community support one another so we can all benefit from our industry’s successes.”

Spending time with his family, relaxing at home, and reflecting on everything from work to home life is how John likes to spend his free time. It’s not uncommon to find John and his daughter going for a stroll through the greenhouses on a Sunday afternoon, much like him and his father would do back on the Ketler family farm.

As our Vice President, John is responsible for overseeing internal operations, helping to build strong customer relationships, maximizing the company’s operating performance, and helping to achieve the our ambitious goals. John is one of our #GrowToPeople!