Surry Business

The Winston-Salem Journal today reports the total 2006 wholesale value of all floriculture crops for North Carolina producers with $10,000 or more in annual sales is estimated at $202.5 million, up about 9.5 percent from 2005.

North Carolina sales rank 6th in the country behind California, Florida, Michigan, Texas and New York. A total of 328 growers reported 21.8 million square feet of covered area and 685 acres of outdoor production.

The wholesale value of the chosen floriculture crops surveyed with $100,000 or more sales was $190.3 million in 2006, up 10 percent from 2005. You can see the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s floriculture report here.

In or close to Surry County, within a 20-mile radius centered on Dobson, are at least 30 greenhouse, nursery and greenery operations.

As one example from many, L&H Enterprises in Lowgap ships boxwoods, nursery trees and premium Christmas greenery products across the nation from its 30,000-square-foot facility. L&H Enterprises maintains more than 100,000 boxwoods and thousands of nursery trees on 200 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains’ foothills.