Richters Herbs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richters Herbs is a Canadian nursery and seed company based in Goodwood, Ontario. Richters is one of the top suppliers of herbs in Canada.[1]
Richters was founded as a flower and garden center in 1967 by Waltraut and Otto Richter.[2] Waltraut and Otto moved from Austria to Canada in the 1950s. After they began growing their own herbs, a 1969 feature article in the Toronto Star brought them wide attention.[3] They sent out their first catalogue in 1970.[2] In early years, they did business as Otto Richter and Sons.[4]
Otto is a trained horticulturist. Waltraut ran the business,[5] assisted by their son, Conrad, who has a master's degree in botany[2]
Originally located in Locust Hill, Ontario, Waltraut and Otto moved the herb operation to Goodwood in 1975[6] after their farm was expropriated for the planned development of Seaton. The financial impact forced them to reduce their 29,000 square feet (2,700 m2) of greenhouses to 6,000 square feet (560 m2), devastating their bedding plant business.[3]
The company pivoted to focus on herbs in the mid-1980s and began adding commercial growers to their client list.[2]