Mindy Robinson - Tega Hills Greenhouses

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Mindy and her husband Mark purchased Tega Hills Greenhouses in 1999, with the goal of turning what was then a part-time hydroponic hobby farm into a sustainable, year-round farm that would support them and their (then) two children. At the time, the 2-acre property had 3 greenhouses, 2 sheds, 2 grocery-store accounts, and 75 once-a-week “tomato customers,” but no house or bathroom. 

 

Now in her 24th year of farming, Mindy oversees the same 2-acre property that now has 5 greenhouses, an on-farm sales area, several dedicated packing/planting/cleaning/storage facilities, 50 wholesale accounts (including restaurants and grocery stores), an online sales platform, local home deliveries, and a weekly farmers’ market booth. With the addition of a house (and bathroom!) to the property in 2002, her (now) three children grew up working on the farm as part of their daily lives. 

 

Mindy and Mark diversified their product line from tomatoes-only in 1999 to its current production of year-round lettuces, tender greens, edible flowers, and microgreens along with seasonal tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, broccolini, and cut flowers. As their production grew, Tega Hills Farm began hiring employees, so it now supports 4 full-time and 2 part-time employees, in addition to Mindy. 

 

For many years, Mindy focused on managing the daily operations, customer service, employee workflow, and financial aspects of the business while Mark headed up maintenance, water chemistry, insect and disease management, and development of the farm’s hydroponic growing systems. Since Mark’s death in June 2022, Mindy, with the help of the farm’s amazing crew, is learning the “Mark side” of the farm’s operation so that she can continue to support herself, provide employment for the crew, and grow food for her local community.