In 1949, James Stratton, a World War II Navy veteran, and his new wife opened a greenhouse a few miles south of Bluffton, Ohio where they grew and supplied tomatoes for area grocers. The following year their son Steve was born. Initially, Steve wasn't going to follow in his father's footsteps but when hard times came in the 1970s, Steve joined his dad to transform and grow the business. Since then Steve and his wife Susie have experienced good years and some very bad years coming very close to losing a flowering empire. Persistence and the support of their community did not let that happen. Here is their story.