Lancaster Farms CEO Art Parkerson learned firsthand from his father what is important in business and in life. Working hard, staying true to yourself, having faith, and embracing family.

Art explains, “My dad (Charlie Parkerson) grew up in Portsmouth and was the first in his family to go to college. He enrolled in Virginia Tech’s co-op program and needed to find a job in his chosen field of horticulture. He got a job at Coleman’s Nursery and then quickly needed a place to live when his parents moved to Edenton, NC.”

Coleman’s Nursery owner Mr. Arthur “Junie” Lancaster offered for Charlie to move in with him and his wife, Millie, who are local legends in Portsmouth. Mr. Lancaster died in 1996 and Mille died in 2019 at age 100. The nursery’s much-loved Winter Wonderland collection is now owned by the City of Portsmouth and put on display every year at the Courthouse Gallery, and their model train collection is on display in the Portsmouth Children’s Museum. Art shares, “They did not have any children of their own so they kind of adopted my dad, and he became part of their family.

When it came time to graduate, Mr. Lancaster invited Charlie to join the business. Art explains, “My dad said, ‘No, sir, I am going to start my own business. I don’t want to do retail. I just want to grow plants.’ Mr. Lancaster, his feelings hurt at first, said, ‘You know what? That’s a good idea. I will sell you the land.’”

Charlie partnered with another Coleman’s employee and purchased five acres in north Suffolk in 1969, and Lancaster Farms was born. They named the business in Mr. Lancaster’s honor because he meant so much to them.  “My dad also named me after Mr. Lancaster,” Art explains. “My full name is Arthur Lancaster Parkerson.”

Art also graduated from Virginia Tech, where he studied business at his dad’s urging. He then returned to the farm, married his high school sweetheart and together they have six children ranging in age from 10 to 25. His children have grown up helping on the farm like he did. Art took over in 2012 when his dad retired. His parents continue to live on the property and are Lancaster Farm’s biggest cheerleaders.   

Today, true to his dad’s vision, Lancaster Farms is a wholesale nursery spanning 250 acres at three distinct farms in Suffolk. They specialize in growing the highest quality plant material – premium flowers, shrubs, and trees – and selling to landscapers, nurseries, and independent garden centers in nine states in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Seventy percent of the plants they grow support the work of landscapers, which helps them extend their growing season and keep business steady year-round. Art says they don’t sell to big box stores because he doesn’t want to get too big. He likes knowing each of his 120 employees by name.

The same holds true when it comes to banking. “What we love about TowneBank is they are a hometown bank,” says Art, who moved to Towne in 2016. “Dawn Provost, our private banker, understands our business. TowneBank is in our community and they care about the same things we do. I want to know the branch manager. I want my employees to feel comfortable going to deposit checks or arranging for a money order. We want to know who they are, that it’s not just a website or a revolving door of people who are changing all the time.”

Art realizes the importance of the position he holds. “I’d like to stress that Mr. Lancaster did not start Lancaster Farms, but it absolutely exists because of him and the faith he had in my dad. It’s an incredible legacy and I would say my goal and my entire organization’s goal is to honor my dad and Mr. Lancaster and all the people who have helped build Lancaster Farms.”

To learn more, visit LancasterFarms.com.