19th
AOC Conference & Show
Perth, Western Australia
11th to 16th September 2012
"Wild About Orchids"
Glen Barfield
The OrchidWorks, Hawaii
“Glen Barfield with his buddy Gloria”
In 1995, Glen Barfield, now an accredited American Orchid Society judge,
and his wife Gay, a psychotherapist, moved to the Big Island to pursue
Glen's dream of living the orchid life in the tropics. Glen's predilection
for Hawaii was evident well before his migration: the name of the small
orchid nursery he operated in California during the 1980's was Okika Limited
(Okika is the name in Hawaii for Orchid). Coupled with a love for orchids
and always in hot pursuit of waves (a surfer since age 16) it was only
a matter of time until he permanently washed up on the shores of Hawaii.
He has retained the name, Okika, research and development nursery in Mountain View which is part of The OrchidWorks, Glen is a partner and the General Manager. The OrchidWorks is Hawaii's number one producer of orchid plugs for the pot plant trade.
Glen's first orchid passion is breeding. Growing a good orchid is the baseline, or foundation of everything one does in orchids and is a pursuit enjoyed by all growers. Breeding, after the first five years of waiting for flowers, is an ongoing Christmas morning, with every day bringing a new gift of never before seen and much anticipated flowers.
Glen breeds primarily in Oncidiinae intergenerics and Miltoniopsis with an occasional Zygo. or Masdevallias that just can't be refused. Almost all of Glen's breeding efforts are directed toward the pot plant market.
For six years during the 1980's Glen displayed his orchids and was an annual vendor in a half dozen or more shows from Phoenix Arizona to San Francisco and San Diego. More often than not Okika has had a display in the Hilo Orchid Society's annual show. Glen has also judged orchids and orchid show internationally.
