Leah Rodriguez & Sara Dulaney
Growth, Expansion, and a New Partnership at Dulaney’s Greenhouses
By Vickie Holt
In the first half of the twentieth century, Charles and Kate Spangler owned and operated a cattle farm in Floyd County. They also grew Rutgers and Marglobe tomatoes, which they sold to Huff Cannery. At the time, the cannery was a cornerstone of the Floyd County community. It closed its doors, however, in the 1950’s, and the shell of the once-bustling business can still be seen about four miles south of downtown Floyd on Highway 221, at the corner of, appropriately, Canning Factory Road. By 1982, the Spanglers’ granddaughter, Sara Dulaney, was continuing her family’s farming tradition. She had built a greenhouse on her grandparents’ land to grow tropical plants and flowers for the florist shop she’d opened. Sara’s husband, Glenn, had helped her while also working in technology manufacturing with working Hollinsworth & Vose. One misunderstanding, however, was all Fate needed to turn an out-building into what has become one of the most successful businesses in Floyd County. A local business had asked Sara to grow some vegetable plants for an upcoming need. When the tomatoes and peppers were ready, however, it was discovered that there had been a miscommunication. The buyer had actually opted to get their plants from another source. Sara and Glenn found themselves with a surplus of peppers and tomatoes, so they did a little advertising, set a jar out front at the florist shop, and sold the plants on the honor system. In 1982, Sara and Glenn made the growing of plants, vegetables, 14 www.Facebook.com/FloydVirginiaMagazine
and flowers the focus of their efforts, and Dulaney’s Greenhouses was born. They grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, and over fifty varieties of tomato plants, including the Rutgers an Marglobe Sara’s grandparents grew decades earlier. With its thirteen bustling greenhouses, Dulaney’s occupies the last five acres of the Spangler’s cattle farm. Located at 148 White Pine Lane, NE, Dulaney’s can be found just two miles north of downtown Floyd, off Highway 221. “We use a commonsense approach to growing what we sell,” says owner, Sara Dulaney, explaining that she uses no sprays or chemicals on her plants. Dulaney’s uses only non-GMO seeds, grown organically. Customers and visitors are welcome to browse the greenhouses at their leisure, shopping among the vegetables, the flowers, and over four thousand hanging baskets! Sara and her crew are always available and happy to answer questions. In addition to in-person shoppers, Dulaney’s also grows for commercial and contract customers. The City of Blacksburg comes to Dulaney’s for their hanging baskets. Christiansburg, Radford, and Salem also come for the hanging baskets, but contact Dulaney’s for their public bed plants, as well. The hanging baskets are also popular with individual shoppers, but another favorite are the striped tomatoes! The size makes them perfect for sandwiches and Sara tells us the striped varieties are sweet, with low acid. The biggest seller from this variety is called
Spring/Summer 2021
