Blooming a Business: How Drew Groezinger Turned FFA Lessons Into Clara Joyce Flowers
Drew Groezinger poses with a flower grown at Clara Joyce Flowers.
In the small community of Stockton, Ill., Drew Groezinger’s story begins long before his flower fields ever bloomed. His roots run deep, back to a family legacy in Jo Daviess County. Agriculture was always part of the background, but it wasn’t handed to him in the form of a ready farm. Instead, Groezinger had to build something of his own.
As a student at Stockton High School, Groezinger found his path in two programs that would shape nearly everything that came next: FFA and 4-H. Through 4-H, he developed an early connection to agriculture and responsibility. But it was FFA where those interests sharpened into real-world skills.
He didn’t just participate, he threw himself into the opportunities. Groezinger competed in public speaking, and dove into judging competitions like dairy, livestock and agronomy. Those competitions weren’t just about winning banners; they taught him how to think critically, compare details and make confident decisions. At the same time, Groezinger was keeping detailed records of his own growing operation — skills that would later prove just as valuable as anything learned in a classroom.
That operation started simply: vegetables. What began as a small project for farmers markets quickly expanded into wholesale accounts and a community-supported agriculture program. Summers filled up fast with planting, harvesting and selling. By the time he graduated, Groezinger had already built a functioning business.
After high school, he enrolled at Highland Community College, with plans to transfer and study nursery management. But life had other ideas. While working part-time at local flower shops during the off-season, Groezinger noticed something. There was a gap between the flowers being imported and what could be grown locally, so he experimented.
Using the same knowledge he’d gained growing vegetables, he began cultivating flowers. The shift was immediate and eye-opening. Flowers weren’t just another crop; they carried an emotional value. Where vegetables were practical, flowers were personal. People were willing to spend more, and that changed everything.
By 2016, Groezinger’s business — Clara Joyce Flowers — had taken root. What started as a side experiment quickly became his full-time pursuit. He made the decision not to transfer colleges, and instead bet on himself. Today, Clara Joyce Flowers has grown into a thriving operation that includes 20 acres of cut flowers, 20,000 square feet of greenhouse space and a national reach, shipping specialty plants to nearly every state. The business spans wholesale flowers, propagation and large-scale wedding and event design.
But at its core, the foundation hasn’t changed. The same skills Groezinger developed in FFA and 4-H still guide every decision. Whether he’s evaluating a crop, managing a team or planning the future of his business, those early skills remain. From a kid experimenting with vegetables, to a business owner shipping thousands of plants across the country, Groezinger’s path wasn’t always clear; it was built through curiosity, risk-taking and a willingness to see opportunity.
To learn more about Groezinger’s story, read here: Our Story – Clara Joyce Flowers
