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The Christmas season starts early at Down Home Ranch—in the middle of summer.

Over 15,000 cuttings arrive in mid-to-late August, and they have to be planted, watered down, and in the greenhouse within just a few days. How do we do that?

Well, without our volunteers there would be no way.

It's an awesome undertaking to transplant 15,000+ baby plants. Volunteers, working with our Ranchers and staff:

• Fill the pots with growing medium;
• Punch the hole in the soil where the plant will go;
• Remove the plant from its plug pack and plant it in the hole;
• Rack the plants and put them on the cart;
• Take the cart with the plants through the watering station;
• Take them to the greenhouse;
• Put them in the place that will be their home for the next several weeks.

click thumbnails to learn more...

When the plants are about six weeks long, they'll be cut back and moved into other greenhouses, hooked up to irrigation/feeder tubes, and given space to grow and bloom. Check this site in late September or, better yet, plan to join us for the next big stage of getting our points to market!

Income from poinsettia sales helps support the programs that make a difference in our Ranchers' lives. And Down Home Ranch isn't the only one that benefits. Many customers use poinsettia sales as an annual fund-raiser. Poinsettias can be purchased for as low as $6.50 (depending on quantity ordered) and sold from $12 to $20 apiece, helping clubs, bands, choirs, and youth groups fund their own activities, all while supporting the Ranch.

Place Your Order Today!

Now is the time to place your order. We've already heard from last year's customers, and new orders are coming in every day. Orders are processed in the order they come in, so reserve your Down Home Ranch poinsettias today. New customer or old friend, we look forward to hearing from you.

A Ranch Tradition

Poinsettias fill our greenhouses and our thoughts at the end of each year. Beginning in August with thousands of cuttings, we prune, water and care for the plants at the end of the summer and all through the autumn. But all the work pays off when we see an ocean of red blooms, and deliver these magnificent plants to our friends all over Central Texas.

It hasn't been an easy road. After erecting our first greenhouse in 1993, we began to see the potential for a cash crop that could create jobs and income. After the first greenhouse was damaged in a fire, Joe Matthews, an Abilene businessman, donated five Nexus greenhouses, creating a great opportunity. In 1999, we grew 2,000 poinsettias with the help of C.O. Smith, owner of the Hill Country Nursery in Austin. He guided us through every step of the process, and soon we were experts in poinsettia production.

Today, we are growing more than 15,000 cuttings from Darby Greenhouses in Jacksonville. With help from hundreds of volunteers, we have been able to grow, package and deliver these poinsettias to individuals and other organizations who sell them to raise funds of their own.

Our poinsettias are one way that Down Home Ranch continues on the path to independence. They support our programs financially, provide jobs for residents and staff, and enable us to contribute to our community.

Volunteers are vital to our poinsettia program. Last year, Dell Computer volunteers came out to help pinch the crop. In 2008, the Ranch was very proud to host 18 different Dell groups, with over 600 people donating close to 2,000 hours of work. Thanks, Dell!

To all of you who have purchased poinsettias in the past, or who have supported us with your time and labor, thank you. We wish you a terrific holiday season, and we look forward to seeing your poinsettia order soon. We couldn't do it without you.