Jonathan enlisted in the Army Reserves while he was in college at the University of Tennessee in 1993. He graduated basic training as Soldier Leader of the Cycle from Ft. Jackson later that year. After a couple of years in the 844th Combat HVY ENG Battalion he became an Air Force Officer cadet at ROTC Det 800 at UT. He graduated in 1997 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and went on active duty. His first assignment (and coincidentally his last assignment) was at Warner Robins AFB, GA. He went on to serve 21 years in the USAF about half on active duty and half in the Reserves. He retired from the reserves in 2018 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In the meantime, he came off active duty in 2006 and began working in a family business his father started in 1983 called Botanico, Inc. It is a plant production nursery. In 2018, he started his own plant production nursery called 3F - Flanders Family Farms. He grows shade, ornamental and evergreen trees for commercial, residential and governmental landscaping. He is still the President of Botanico, Inc.
Jonathan recently joined the Farmer Veteran Coalition and has applied for the Homegrown By Heroes label. He is looking forward to attending future events and even speaking at a few.
Flanders Family Farm is a wholesale only plant production nursery. They grow a line of evergreens, shade, and ornamental trees that are used in landscaping, city-scaping, green spaces, and reforestation. Typical varieties include arborvitae, dogwoods, maples, oaks, birch, ginkgo, serviceberry, cypress, etc. They only sell to other businesses, non-profits, or government agencies.
"It has been the family business for multiple generations. Warren County, TN is described as the"Nursery Capitol of the World". One of the nation's first production nurseries started here in the late 1800s and still exists, Forest Nursery. It is due to our unique micro-climate and soil conditions. It is generational, historical, and cultural to be in the nursery business in my area. It's what people do around here."
"It keeps me grounded, literally connected to the land. Our trees contribute to the beauty in the landscape, clean the air, control erosion, make privacy green screens, provide shade, and so much more. I think it is a noble pursuit as is the profession of arms. I imagine myself to be a modern-day (much less important) Cincinnatus. Called by his nation to serve and returning to work the land once his service concluded. Perhaps overly romanticized, but it's the narrative that plays in my head!"
