Arborico Nursery

Our History

Richard "Rico" Ford grew up where the nursery is located.

In the early 1970's (at the tender age of 4), he helped his family plant “a handful" of the thousands of Black Walnut and White Pine seedlings that were purchased as part of a forestry program for the land. As he and the trees grew, maintaining the acreage by mowing and the Black Walnuts by proper pruning became common chores. Today, most of what was 40 acres of open agricultural fields is currently a stunning tract of woodlands.

Additional agricultural land was acquired during the late 80's and early 90's and at first, remained in that state and rented to local farmers. Small portions would later be planted into different varieties of evergreens and for several years became an annual early spring, family hobby.

Eventually, tree plantings stopped and the remaining agricultural land was transformed from row crops into fields of native prairie plants, grasses and tracts of native woodland trees through the support and guidance of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of the Farm Service Agency.

In 1991, Richard found his way to Colorado where he first experienced the horticultural industry working for the Fort Collins State Nursery. Opportunity then took him east to join his brother, owner of Ford Distributing, Inc. in Marysville, Ohio. There he spent 9 years with a great team in the industry of wholesale agricultural and industrial machinery distribution.

Strong ties to his Wisconsin roots, a passion for the outdoors, meeting the love of his life and receiving an opportunity to return to the family farm laid the path for the development of Arborico Nursery. With the inclusion of multiple pieces of equipment, the various “services” of Arborico evolved.

Arborico
"The Boss"

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