People of Fall Creek - The Townleys

Almost everyone at the Home Place or Henry Research Farm locations work with one of the Townleys.

Tom Townley is the Shipping and Receiving Manager, and can often be found discussing an upcoming shipment around the front counter in the main office building. He’s been at Fall Creek for three years and enjoys the good mix of humor and “getter done” mentality.

Three of Tom’s daughters work in different departments at the nursery as well:

Sarah, the oldest and the Oregon State fan, is responsible for data management and assists the propagation department. Her favorite part about working at Fall Creek is the people.

“The friendly atmosphere encourages collaboration and teamwork,” she said. “I personally attribute my success at Fall Creek to the people who have taken the time to mentor me.”

UO fan Megan is a Team Leader for the tissue culture lab which means she has several job responsibilities, but mainly focuses on organizing the team members and answering any questions they may have.

“I’ve learned more about how the company operates because my family works in different departments,” Megan said. “If I have questions about what happens with my plants after they leave the lab, I can ask Sarah. Or if something from the lab has to ship to Chile, for example, I can ask my dad.”

The youngest, Molly, works part-time in variety development where she picks fruit, extracts seeds, sorts photos, and plants root cuttings. She enjoys working part-time because makes it possible for her to attend school for her bachelor’s degree.

“I really enjoy working with my family,” said Molly. “We get along really well so it’s just like when we were younger and helping my grandparents with their garden for the farmer’s market.”

In their free time, the Townleys enjoy spending time together on the weekends and coaching soccer for local public schools.

“Our family is really close and having a job that allows us to work together is a blessing,” Sarah said.