October 2022 - 15

DUETS
cornerstone of family businesses
in agriculture.
Lela, you and I served together
on OFA (now AmericanHort)
committees and on the board of
directors. Did you experience any
of the bias described above in
that setting?
Lela: I never felt it during
my time on the OFA board.
But everyone knew I owned
the company, and that gave
me credibility. Aside from this
credibility, I strongly believe my
years of experience and how I
portray myself matter greatly.
One trait that I believe women
have is to come to the table
prepared. That means do your
homework. When you know your
stuff you garner respect, and being
prepared gives you the confidence
to speak up.
It also helps to be assertive.
Back to my mom, a strong Italian
woman - one of her favorite
sayings to me was " What's the
worst that can happen? " Most of
us are afraid of things that never
happen! I encourage women to
take more chances, don't let fear
hold you back ... ever.
Worry
PREFINISHED PROGRAM
With all industries struggling with supply issues, it's good to
know there are some things you can count on. The Prefinished
Program from Pleasant View Gardens is one of those things.
Sign up and everything you need is ready to go - containers,
plants, tags, soil, the whole works. So sourcing worries and
labor concerns are a thing of the past, and success is in your
future.
PWPVG.COM/PREFINISHED
Peter: Bridget, you experienced
bad behavior dating back to
before graduate school that
forced you to think a certain way.
How did those experiences shape
your outlook on today's topic?
Bridget: I guess my thought
is if we don't talk about some
of these things, people will just
keep on doing it; nothing will
change, and there is a risk that
the " bad behavior " continues.
I want women to read this
and be prepared for when it
happens to them (not if) and I
want men (especially) to read
it so they become aware that
we (women) don't like it at
all. We all benefit from more
inclusiveness on any basis,
and inclusiveness needs
to be more intentional
and deliberate
moving ahead.
I recall a big
grower that I
desperately wanted
to work for after my
undergrad degree
telling me,
" You're young and single; soon
you'll be married and pregnant,
why would anyone invest in you? "
It is hard/funny when others don't
see in you what you believe you
see in the mirror. A good friend/
mentor told me once, " What other
people think of you is none of
your business. "
Sexism isn't as bad as it was
30 years ago, but it's still strong
in our field. Just look at the
composition of most boards of
directors or keynote speaker lists;
most are older white men (and I
love them, I am married to one,
and have many friends/colleagues
who resemble that).
Peter: It interests me that both
of you referenced women mentors
in your lives, as I did about my
mom. If I listened ... I believe you
reported that progress toward
eliminating gender bias has been
made but much work remains.
Thank you both for discussing this
topic with me.
pwpvg.com * 603-435-8361
8/24/22 12:20 PM
GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 15
https://pwpvg.com/product-category/prefinished-list/
October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
