An American Nursery Built from the Ground Up — Ready to Grow Patriot Pines Plant Nursery, LLC — Fort Myers, Florida
Campaign Story
My name is Michael Johnson. I am the founder, owner, and operator of Patriot Pines Plant Nursery, LLC — a small, American-owned nursery I built from scratch in my backyard in Fort Myers, Florida.
I spent 15 years growing plants as a hobby. In January 2025, I made it official. Since then, I have been working full-time in construction during the day and coming home every night to water plants, build products, and write software.
Patriot Pines is already built. We are already legal. And we are ready to sell.
What We Have Built
In just over a year — with no investors, no loans, and no outside help — Patriot Pines Plant Nursery LLC has:
🌿 702+ plants across 124 species of native and Florida-friendly trees, shrubs, and flowering plants — all growing in the ground right now in Fort Myers
🎨 A full handcrafted product line — hand-painted concrete garden décor, resin and epoxy art, collectible figurines, and Patriot Pines merchandise — all made right here in Fort Myers
🤖 Dr. Green Thumb — an AI-powered plant care assistant built specifically for Florida growing conditions, available now at patriotpinesnursery.org and live on Discord
💻 Nursery X — a fully custom AI-powered nursery management platform we built in-house, handling inventory tracking, propagation management, point-of-sale, and operations reporting. What started as our internal tool is now working towards being a commercial product we can license to other nurseries across Florida and beyond. nurseryx.org
🌐 A live website at patriotpinesnursery.org with a full shop, plant care resources, and a Founding Member program
We did not build a dream. We built a business.
We Are Already Legal and Ready to Sell
In May 2026, Lee County confirmed in writing that a Business Tax Receipt is not required to sell at farmers markets or flea markets. Our FDACS nursery certification (No. 484041445) is active and in good standing. Our immediate sales channel is farmers' markets and flea markets across Southwest Florida — 3 weekends per month.
This campaign is not about funding a dream. It is about giving a real, operating, legally ready business the fuel it needs to grow.
Where We Are Headed
Farmers markets are the launch pad — not the destination.
The vision for Patriot Pines is a dedicated retail nursery location in Southwest Florida — a place where customers walk through the greenhouse, pick their own plants, and go home with something beautiful. A place that gives back to the community it serves.
At the same time, Nursery X — the AI management platform we built to run our own operation — is being packaged as a commercial SaaS product for other nurseries. Small nurseries across America struggle with the same problems we solved: inventory chaos, propagation tracking, sales reporting, and customer management. Nursery X fixes all of it. What we built for ourselves could change how hundreds of small nurseries operate.
Patriot Pines is not just a nursery. It is a platform.
How the Funds Will Be Used
Every dollar raised goes directly into the business. Nothing goes to personal expenses.
| Use of Funds Purpose |
| Market booth equipment | Canopy, tables, signage, display materials |
| Initial plant stock orders | Wholesale plant orders from Florida Foliage |
| Nursery supplies | Pots, soil, rooting hormone, propagation materials |
| Insurance | Business liability coverage |
| Website & POS setup | Square POS integration, packaging, launch materials |
| Marketing | Social media advertising, farmers market promotions |
| Working capital | Ongoing operations through the first sales season |
| Future: retail space | Temporary then permanent nursery retail location |
Campaign Goal: $50,000
Any funds raised beyond immediate launch costs go directly into the Patriot Pines business account as operating capital — supporting market operations, nursery expansion, and the path toward a permanent retail location.
Founding Supporter Recognition
Everyone who contributes becomes a Founding Supporter of Patriot Pines. Your recognition tier is based on your total contribution.
| Tier Amount Recognition |
| 🌱 Founding Member | $50–$250 | Name on the Founders Wall at our future retail location + 10% lifetime discount on all purchases |
| 🪨 Founding Patron | $300–$500 | Personalized brick paver installed at retail location + 10% lifetime discount |
| 🌳 Garden Supporter | $550–$950 | Name featured in on-site Garden Display + 10% lifetime discount |
| 🏛️ Founding Partner | $1,000+ | Named greenhouse + interior retail plaque with contribution amount + Grand Opening invitation + 10% lifetime discount |
**Physical recognition will be installed upon the retail location opening. **Discount perks are active from the moment Patriot Pines opens for sales.
A Note From Michael
I built Patriot Pines the American way — with my own hands, on my own time, without asking anyone for anything. Every plant in the ground, every product on the shelf, every line of software code — I did it myself, after long days working construction.
I am not asking you to fund a dream. I am asking you to help a real business — already built, already legal, already ready — reach the people who need what we grow, and be open full-time for consumers.
If you believe in small business, local growers, American craftsmanship, and building something real from the ground up, I would be honored to have your support. Every contribution, every share, and every word of encouragement helps Patriot Pines grow.
God Bless you, and thank you for standing with us.
— Michael Johnson Founder, Owner & Operator Patriot Pines Plant Nursery, LLC Fort Myers, Florida
**Patriot Pines Plant Nursery, LLC holds an active FDACS Certificate of Nursery Registration No. 484041445. All sales are conducted in compliance with applicable Florida state and local regulations.
