How V&P Nurseries Cultivates Growth by Putting People First

At V&P Nurseries, a 240-acre operation in Arizona, putting the team first isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s the foundation of everything they do. For nearly five decades, this family-run nursery has combined horticultural excellence with a deep commitment to people, building a thriving, loyal workforce that defies industry norms.

Run by a father and son duo, V&P is known for introducing the Red Bird of Paradise plant to the Arizona market. But perhaps more impressive is how they've cultivated a 200-person operation with remarkably low turnover. That success, says Director of Program Operations Katie Ann Franklin, comes down to a simple principle: "When you invest in people, you’ll receive 10x back." 

Over the years, V&P has developed a culture where workers stay and grow. Every manager on the team has been with the company for more than a decade, and the average tenure across field teams—those doing the physically demanding work outdoors—hovers around five to six years. That’s especially rare in an industry known for high seasonal turnover.

Since 2020, the nursery has brought in about 45 to 50 H-2A employees during its busiest growing and selling seasons. Many of these workers return year after year, not because they have to, but because they want to. And the reason they come back is clear: V&P treats them like family.

An Innovative Approach

When launching their H-2A program, V&P chose a different path from many agricultural employers. Instead of traditional dormitory-style housing, they created a homestay-style model where local families rent rooms to V&P for worker housing. The homes are inspected and approved by the SWA, and more importantly, they offer seasonal workers a real sense of community. As V&P notes, “[the homestay program] has really been at the forefront of what we do… it allows for our workers to actually have a life here and create more opportunities for themselves.” The same 30 host families from 2020 are still involved today.

This approach has had a ripple effect. Workers not only feel more connected, but also more empowered. The homestay-style housing allows for workers to bring their children or families with them on H-4 visas, a practice supported by V&P. It also gives V&P the flexibility to hire as many or more women H-2A workers as men.  

For Katie Ann, supporting team members goes beyond housing. Every year, she meets one-on-one with workers to help them identify their personal and professional goals. From there, she builds what she calls “individual action plans,” which have helped workers earn Commercial Driver’s Licenses, enroll in continuing education courses, and even take on mentorship roles within the nursery. V&P also hosts an annual resource fair, in partnership with Arizona@Work, to connect workers with healthcare, classes, and community services. 

It’s All About Family 

Perhaps the most powerful example of V&P’s people-first approach is the story of a seasonal worker, Camila*, who was once a lawyer in Sinaloa. During Camila’s first interview, Katie Ann and the leadership team immediately knew she’d be a strong addition. The only challenge? She was a single mother who needed to bring her son with her. V&P had never navigated the H-4 visa process before—but they committed to figuring it out. Eight weeks and countless hours of paperwork later, both mother and son arrived in Arizona.

Three years later, Camila has risen to become a Production Manager overseeing herbaceous crops. Her son, now eight, has grown up attending school in Arizona and speaks fluent English. He’s also learned to play the ukulele, often strumming tunes around the nursery while visiting with friends he’s made among the families of other workers.

The story is heartwarming—but it’s also strategic. By building trust, community, and opportunity, V&P has created a workforce that is not only stable but deeply engaged. That’s also why V&P began working with our team: V&P saw that Seso is equally invested in workers’ wellbeing and could take care of program details so that V&P could “focus on the macro level” of the program.

One Piece of Advice

Katie Ann’s advice to other agricultural employers is simple but powerful: “Make it known that you take people’s experiences seriously.” Many agricultural workers, she notes, are afraid to speak up out of fear they’ll lose their jobs. V&P’s culture flips that narrative. By listening first, they’ve built a successful business built on community. 

At a time when agricultural labor is one of the industry’s most pressing challenges, V&P Nurseries offers a model worth learning from—and one that proves care and innovation can go hand in hand.

Photos courtesy of Diego Lozano and Katie Ann Franklin, V&P Nurseries

* Name has been changed to protect privacy.