Emerging and surging

As I type this out the day before we send this April issue off to the printer, I can’t help but be a bit reflective and nostalgic.

Two years ago, to the exact week, the world as we knew it completely shut down because of a novel flu virus. It was during that now-infamous week, the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebration was mere days away, and it’s always such a fun time in our local community here in Cleveland. Would there be a parade, and would we get to celebrate with our friends and family as we always do?

Society, however, had other plans for us: Yeah, that’s cancelled. You’ll have to take your corned beef sandwich and your Guinness pint to-go, sadly.

At the time, it all became too real, like a staggering, well-placed punch to the gut. And yet, unbeknownst to most of us at the time, those gut punches were just going to keep on coming and keep getting worse.

Now, it finally feels like we’re putting some real road miles between us and the pandemic. Sure, TSA recently announced that the agency had decided to extend the travel mask mandate a bit longer (tough luck, spring travelers!) and we’re starting to hear murmurs about a fourth booster shot, but things are finally starting to get back to normal across the country.

It’s a great feeling, and I predict it will have an uplifting, energizing effect on your customers, your employees, and everyone who interacts with your greenhouse business. If I had to guess, I'd say that all of that positive momentum will be a big catalyst for the green industries this spring.