Jesse O’Brien
Down East Turf Farm, Inc.
Kennebunk, Maine
Type of Business:
Turfgrass Producer & Distributor of Landscape Supplies
Years in Business:
Started with Down East Turf in 1996, but I’ve been in the industry since 1976.
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job in the industry was in high school. It was supposed to be just a “part-time” job, potting bare root shrubs at Skillin’s Greenhouse in Falmouth, Maine.
Who was your mentor when you were first starting out, and why?
I have been fortunate that I have had many mentors. One of the first was the well-known arborist Tommy Nee who liked to say, “There is not much sense in working unless you can have a few laughs while you’re doing it.”
What advice would you share with people just starting out in your industry?
I think it is very beneficial to network with your peers and others in the industry in general. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Finally, as time in your business permits, join and participate in trade organizations such as NENA. It is well worth the effort you put into it.
From your perspective, what is the biggest change you see for the industry on the horizon?
It is both an exciting and challenging time to be in horticulture. Exciting in that goods and services of our industry have never been in so much demand. Well-thought-out ‘Environmental Horticulture’ is a solution to many issues that are faced in today’s world. However, we are challenged in many areas, but what I would like to speak to is regulation. I will go out on a limb here, but I believe that everyone who chooses this industry as their vocation is an environmentalist. We care about the environment and want to make the environment better. We have a good story to tell. Regulation, be it federal, state, or local is not necessarily a bad thing. Where regulation can turn to be problematic is when we let ‘others’ tell our story. It is important that we participate and tell our story to decision makers considering regulation that may affect us.
What is your favorite plant? Why?
Besides “The Plant That Sells,” my favorites are Ginkos, Japanese Maples, and blueberries. There is a Ginko grown by seed in our backyard and when that one day or so in the fall comes and it sheds its leaves, it almost feels magical.
What’s your favorite/most useful equipment, product or technology?
Automation has come to our industry in a large way. Auto stacking of Turfgrass sod has been revolutionary.
MEMBER
SPOTLIGHT
In this new feature, we ask a NENA member to share his or her perspectives. Our February spotlight shines on Jesse O’Brien, a longtime member, a past president of the New England Nursery Association (2002), and past president of New England GROWS (2004).