Meet Bill and Sam Tall of City Farmers Nursery in City Heights

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill and Sam Tall.

Bill, Sam, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
City Farmers Nursery was established by Bill Tall. A student at Madison High School in Clairemont and a plant lover from childhood, Bill started his entrepreneurial ways by selling home-grown plant cuttings, door-to-door in his neighborhood. With encouragement from his parents, Nate and Bunny–and few teachers–Bill began his dream of owning his own nursery in 1972, at the age of 16. Bill’s first sale was steer manure he hand-bagged from a San Yisidro dairy for $1.1.0. He still has that first sale in a frame in the front office today. Amid opening a business as a junior in high school, Bill squeezed in time for homework and community volunteering.

Bill completed community college with a degree in horticulture and grew his business, raising his three children, Rebecca, Sam, and Sara at the nursery City Farmers while becoming a community champion. For nearly three decades Bill served on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers. Bill speaks at various Career Days, Community Meetings and Hobby Clubs inspiring others to pursue their passions in gardening.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
While it hasn’t been smooth, it sure has been fun! Some of the bumps along the way included learning the business aspect of the nursery industry. Today, our suppliers are starting to close, so for the first time in decades, we’re bringing a good deal of propagation (starting plants from seed) back in house. We wish we had tons of acres in which to fit out hot houses!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the City Farmers Nursery story. Tell us more about the business.
Family owned and operated since 1972, City Farmers specializes in organic gardening products, American-made items for the home and yard and free advice. Among San Diego’s garden centers, City Farmers is the largest organically maintained nursery offering a full line of organic seeds by Seeds of Change along with an exceptional line of vegetables, rare fruit trees, water-conserving plants and alternative growing media such as hydroponics (growing plants without soil), vermiculture (using worms for growing plants), aquaculture (growing plants in water) and pond growing.

Owner Bill Tall and his staff offer a combined 150 years of experience in growing plants, lawn and garden care, organically treating diseases and pests. More than just a nursery, City Farmers is a wonderful day-trip location with its fun, child-friendly farm animal menagerie–a horse, goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, turtles, fish, a puppy and a parrot–play area, beautiful rose area and bonsai and bamboo sitting area.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Bill’s kids say he’s been extremely lucky – but that it’s not just a result of his natural luck, it’s also a result of what a phenomenal person he is and how hard he’s worked. Bill’s industriousness has survived years of drought, recession, and big box stores opening their garden departments.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3110 Euclid Ave.
• Website: CityFarmersNursery.com
• Phone: 619-284-6358
• Email: admin@cityfarmersnursery.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/cityfarmersnsy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityFarmers/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cityfarmersnsy
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-farmers-nursery-san-diego

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.