A conservative farming family embraces California’s “green rush”

The Van Wingerden family has a robust farming legacy of growing cut flowers and avocados in Carpinteria with their Ever-Bloom brand. The family’s flower and fruit farming roots trace back 15 generations to 1699 in the Netherlands.

The late John Van Wingerden moved his family to Carpinteria in the 1960s after feeling that his home country had too high of a tax rate. He brought his four kids and several others from his family to the area and used his advanced farming skills and business acumen to build a thriving cut flower business.

John Van Wingerden’s son, Ed Van Wingerden, continued with the family business but also branched out into organic avocados. Ed still travels back to the Netherlands every year in hopes of keeping his farming practices world-class.

Ed Van Wingerden’s son, Ivan Van Wingerden, is now taking the family business in a new direction: cultivating cannabis. He’s tackling robotic technology, odor control issues and dealing with public scrutiny.