Randy Shur, a 66-year-old semi-retired farmer from Mount Airy, North Carolina, isn’t new to growing, but he is embracing new ways of doing it. After decades of working the land, he now manages a small home greenhouse using Plantlogic’s Hi-Grow system, producing strawberries comfortably and on his own terms.

 

For more than 25 years, Randy has run Miss Angel’s Farm, where he and his family have grown peaches, apples, and berries across 65 acres using traditional outdoor methods. But like many experienced growers, Randy saw an opportunity to evolve. Drawing on his years of hands-on knowledge, he recently stepped into hydroponic strawberry production, this time above the ground.

 

 

With the Hi-Grow system, Randy isn’t just growing strawberries differently, he’s redefining what farming looks like at this stage of his life. It’s simpler, more efficient, and still rooted in the daily rhythm he’s always loved.

 

“I enjoy checking on the system every day,” Randy says. It’s a routine that keeps him connected, not just to the crop, but to the process itself. He often calls his son, Brandan, to share updates, small wins, and observations from the greenhouse.

 

Thanks to the system’s intuitive design and practical features, what once required more effort now feels natural and manageable. Randy runs the operation on his own, comfortably and confidently, proving that experience, paired with the right tools, can open the door to a new way of growing.

 

Why Hi-Grow System Works

For Randy, the shift to an elevated system wasn’t just about trying something new. It was about finding a way to keep growing without the physical strain that had become part of the job. With ongoing back issues, tasks that once felt routine like harvesting, weeding, or spraying had started to take a toll.

The Hi-Grow system changed that.

 

By bringing the crop up to a comfortable working height, Randy no longer must bend or strain throughout the day. What used to be physically demanding is now manageable, allowing him to stay active in the greenhouse and maintain his independence.

What stands out most to Randy is how naturally the system fits into his daily routine. It doesn’t require complex adjustments or constant attention. It simply works.

From his experience, a few things make all the difference:

  • The elevated design reduces physical strain and makes every task more comfortable
  • The system is intuitive and easy to operate, even without advanced technical knowledge
  • Daily maintenance is minimal, keeping the focus on growing, not managing complexity

For Randy, it’s not just about efficiency, it’s about being able to keep doing what he loves, in a way that works for him today.

 

Practical Results

From his small home greenhouse, Randy is now harvesting strawberries with a sense of ease that feels different from before. The work is still there, but the strain isn’t. What used to require more effort has become part of a smoother, more enjoyable daily routine.

More importantly, he’s not just producing efficiently, he’s enjoying the process again.

 

Randy’s experience is a reminder that innovation in agriculture doesn’t have to be complicated or out of reach. With the right tools, even growers who have spent decades in traditional systems can transition into controlled environment agriculture and make it their own.

 

 

 

The Hi-Grow system supports that transition by keeping things simple. It combines thoughtful design with practical functionality, allowing growers like Randy to focus on the crop, not the complexity, achieving consistent results without overcomplicating their operation.

 

 

And perhaps most importantly, it shows that moving to elevated production isn’t a leap, it’s a step. One that’s both achievable and worthwhile.

If you’d like to learn more about Plantlogic’s elevated growing systems for strawberry production and how they can be tailored to your operation, get in touch with us today.