Van Weldon, owner and grower

Van grew up in Savannah, GA. After receiving a BS in Agricultural Mechanization from the University of Georgia, Van worked as a sales representative for Sperry New Holland farm machinery in West Texas. After a brief stint in the oil industry, it was on to New York City in 1985 where employment in the financial industry included Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Tricon Commodity Trading. An opportunity with Kidder Peabody Energy Sales resulted in a move to Houston in 1993. In the midst of the Enron debacle, Van elected to follow his passion and become a fulltime grower with emphasis towards growing specialty produce for high-end restaurants in Houston and Dallas. Van was president of the Houston Farmers Market from 2003-2004. Van is a single parent and resides on the farm. His interests include cooking and entertaining.