Search for fresh herbs inspires greenhouse business By Cyndee Fontana-Ott
who introduced Pete’s Living Greens. Suzette and Leo first met on the job at Hollandia Flowers. As the daughter of a dentist and dental hygienist, Suzette Overgaag didn’t know much about green- houses or farming. “Coming from that kind of area and then going into this business was extremely dif- ferent and really cool,” she said. “The tradi- tions and culture the Dutch have—I feel so blessed to know and be a part of it.” The couple struck out on their own in the late 1980s with dreams of developing a family farm. They built a greenhouse and originally planned to plant roses—until they discovered it would cost six figures to buy the plants. The Overgaags switched to hothouse cu- cumbers until they could save enough cash for roses. Cucumbers, however, proved to be a strong crop while a flood of imports softened the market for roses. The couple grew cucumbers until im- ports began to eat into that market. Around the mid-1990s, they decided to search for another crop—and that’s when Suzette Overgaag had an epiphany about herbs. “What the stores need is herbs that stay fresher longer,” she told Leo. “Then the consumer has time to use them.” He embraced the idea and cleared
Nearly 30 years ago, Suzette Overgaag stared at fast-fading herbs from the gro- cery store and decided there should be a better option. She and her husband, Leo Overgaag, created North Shore Greenhouses, more familiarly known as North Shore Living, a business in the Coachella Valley that grows and sells living herbs and greens. Cultivated largely in two big, automated greenhouses, the 19 different varieties are sold with attached roots in pots and/or clamshell packaging. “It smells fresher, it tastes fresher and it looks fresher,” Suzette Overgaag said. “When you look at the difference between cut and bunched and living, it’s a different product completely.” From humble exploratory beginnings in a small greenhouse, North Shore has evolved into more than 10 acres of hydro- ponically grown greenhouse space and more than 130 employees. North Shore’s primary business is young, tender herbs such as basil, thyme, mint, sage and chives—all of which are showcased in recipes on its website. The Overgaags’ middle daughter, Brittney Bubb, is the creative director, a recipe de- veloper and website photographer. This greenhouse operation is located in Riverside County in Thermal. The company
North Shore Greenhouses span more than 10 acres and employ more than 130 people. The Coachella Valley facilities, founded by Suzette and Leo Overgaag, produce 19 different herbs.
uses sustainable practices ranging from so- lar power to reused water to geothermal en- ergy; it is recognized as a sustainable grower for its earth- and employee-friendly prac- tices, such as awarding scholarships to the children and grandchildren of employees. Much of the unique greenhouse technology draws on Leo Overgaag’s
expertise and family background. Both of his grandfathers owned greenhouse oper- ations in Holland; his father brought that knowledge to the United States when the family immigrated in the 1960s. The com- pany founded by Leo’s father, Hollandia Flowers, became Hollandia Produce and was later taken over by his brother, Pete,
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4 Ag Alert March 13, 2024
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