Farmside Landscape & Design, Inc., officially turns 30! The company’s beginnings started a few years before it actually was incorporated in 1989. Its headquarters are located on what was once the family dairy farm Miles Kuperus, owner of Farmside, grew up on and worked at. After graduating from high school, Miles decided to pursue a career in landscaping, so from 1985-1989, he attended Cook College, Rutgers, where he took classes in landscape architecture and continuing education courses in landscaping. In 1985, Farmside purchased its first truck (a gray, Ford F100) and used helpers on an as-needed basis to install basic plantings, walks and walls while Miles continued his education.
Farmside’s continued growth led to the company’s incorporation in 1989. Miles’ wife, Lisa, joined the staff in 1990 and became co-owner in 1999. During the summer of 1992, in response to a landscape customer’s needs, Farmside created its Maintenance Division to service that customer. At this time, the company also began its snow removal division, focusing on commercial properties. In 1998, the company broadened its services to include a Lawn Care/Turf Management Division, and in 1999, added its Tree and Shrub Plant Health Care Program. Farmside, now regarded as a Full Service Landscape Contractor, has currently expanded to serving over 300 accounts annually with a Maintenance Crew, Detail Crew, Turf Management Crew, Plant Health Care Crew, and Design/Build/Installation Crew. Environmental stewardship has always been core to Farmside’s values, so they have developed a process to recycle and compost their landscape debris, which they use to make their own topsoil.
What has changed over time and what has remained constant for Farmside’s business? “Our clients continue to be an extended part of our family,” says Lisa Kuperus. “Changes we’ve seen include a shift from requests for simple patios and walkways to creating outdoor rooms and spaces that are extension of our clients’ homes and businesses. Technology has played a vital role in our business growth as well, from scientific advances in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to hardscape design and materials and even staff scheduling. We’ve witnessed our clients display a growing appreciation and interest in learning about the plants in their landscapes. In our maintenance and lawn care services we’ve seen a movement toward clients looking for more than just a ‘mow and blow’ service. They want a team that cares for the landscape and is educated about horticulture. Our clients see us as true Landscape Professionals, as a result of their experience with us, the national awards we have won for landscape maintenance and design/build projects and the national recognition we received from the NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals) through our teams’ management and technician certifications and licenses.”
As with every business, cultivating a great staff is essential for continued success, and Farmside “walks the talk” by encouraging and investing in ongoing education for staff members and new entrants into the landscape profession. New hires and staff members are inspired to embrace landscaping contracting as a rewarding career, encouraged to partake in expanding and continuing their horticultural education and professional certification. Ensuring the staff’s safety is also essential to the company’s values of professionalism, and Farmside has been recognized by the NALP for their teams’ safety record for over a decade. Says Lisa, “Staffing can be one of the biggest challenges – finding team members who are passionate about horticulture, about working the land. It can also be a challenge to have the community recognize us as professionals and craftsmen in our trade. But since we live and work by our values of integrity and commitment to providing nothing less than the best to those whom we serve, we find the people and communities we want, seek us out as well. Excellence and a commitment to service are at the heart of everything we do – from assisting our clients, to working with our Farmside family staff, to our role in the community and to the promise of our faith. Our established expertise and experience combined with our forward vision ideally positions us to welcome new staff members to our team and service new clients in their needs. We are very excited to see where the next 30 years take us! ”
