People, Events & News

Missouri eyes new greenhouse crop

David Brune, a professor of agricultural systems management in the Missouri University College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, is developing a seafood production system that is sustainable, scalable and environmentally friendly.

At MU’s Bradford Research Center near Columbia, Brune is raising saltwater shrimp in a greenhouse. The facility holds about one-twentieth an acre of water and is fully stocked with Pacific white shrimp.

Why shrimp? Brune says shrimp is a valuable product that can be produced in a short period.

“I can grow a crop of shrimp here every 120 days,” he says. “If I raise the equivalent of 25,000 pounds per acre of water and I can get $4 a pound, that is a $100,000 cash flow per acre of water every 120 days. That’s not soybeans.”

For more: http://bit.ly/greenhouseshrimp.
 

U.S. greenhouse produce market to flourish

The U.S. Greenhouse produce industry has been steadily growing over the past decade. This growth, driven in part by the need for more intensive production due to limited land, water and labor, has pushed sales to more than $3 billion and is estimated to reach more than $4 billion by 2020. This is according to Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group. The report titled

“The Growing U.S. Greenhouse Produce Niche — Capitalizing on High Tech Quality and Consistency,” goes on to point out that reducing the cost of high-tech greenhouse installations and differentiating from lower cost Mexican shadehouse and low-tech greenhouse competition will be the key to future growth.
 

Rimol Greenhouses donates Rolling Thunder greenhouse to UNH Extension

Those attending the Summer Twilight Meeting at University of New Hampshire’s Woodman Horticultural Farm enjoyed a firsthand look at the recently-donated Rolling Thunder greenhouse, compliments of Rimol Greenhouse Systems. Local growers took part in informational tours and learned about sustainable food practices.

Many expect the high tunnel, erected in June of this year, to give students (graduate and undergraduate), professors, and local farmers a chance to research intensive cropping methods. With cultivation available for up to three 30’ x 48’ plots, those involved now have the chance to experience sustainable growing practices that were previously unavailable.
 

Growers Supply opens Tech Center East

Growers supply has expanded its South Windsor, Conn. location to include Tech Center East, an innovative facility designed to offer a first-hand look at some of the latest techniques in controlled environment agriculture.

In addition to serving as a showcase for its latest products, Tech Center East will host a series of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Schools. These three-day workshops will cover topics including hydroponic growing, hydroponic fodder and aquaponics. Tech Center East will host its first CEA School Nov. 6 to Nov. 8.

For more: http://www.growerssupply.com/TechCenter

 

Ace Begonias selects LumiGrow LEDs

Ace Begonias (www.acebegonias.com), one of New England’s premier growers of Rieger begonias and other flowering plants, selected LumiGrow LED greenhouse lights to boost crop productivity and reduce electrical costs. By replacing inefficient, aging high pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures with LumiGrow Pro 325 LED lights, Ace Begonias is projected to reduce light-related electrical consumption by 25 percent while it more than doubles light in its Woodbridge, Conn. facility.

Ace Begonias is financing the purchase with a no-interest loan from a regional power utility. Additional financial support for Ace Begonias’ LumiGrow implementation is being provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
 

ANLA and OFA to become AmericanHort

After two years of planning, the national trade organization to be formed through the consolidation of OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals and the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) is official. And it finally has a name: AmericanHort.

Members of OFA and ANLA voted in overwhelming support of the consolidation of the two organizations into a new, national trade association to serve the entire horticulture industry. The announcement followed a 30-day open ballot and Saturday’s in-person vote for OFA’s members, held in Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s what our members want,” said Mark Foertmeyer, who was announced as the chairman of the board for the new organization. The owner of Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse in Delaware, Ohio, and current president of OFA continued, “We have surveyed our members, spoken with them, and finally asked them to cast a ballot. Each time they told us they wanted a national association that unifies and serves the entire horticulture industry.”

The new trade association, named the American Horticulture Association, will be known as AmericanHort, and will begin operations by Jan. 1. The mission of AmericanHort is to unite, promote, and advance our industry through advocacy, collaboration, connectivity, education, market development, and research.

The dues structure for the new organization has not yet been finalized. Members of OFA and ANLA as of December 31, 2013 will automatically become members of the new association in January 2014. Membership will continue through June 30, 2014. The dues renewal process for the new association will begin in the spring for the membership year beginning on July 1, 2014. The new dues structure will allow members to choose from an a la carte menu, said Michael Geary, CEO of OFA and vice president of ANLA. Dues will no longer be based on business size or revenues.

“We will have the largest national nursery, greenhouse, and garden retail membership of any horticulture association in the United States,” said the organization’s inaugural vice chairman, Dale Deppe, owner of Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven, Mich., and current vice president of ANLA. “Those communities will join together with breeders, distributors, interior and exterior landscape professionals, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all who are part of the supply chain to represent our industry with one, strong voice and a greater base of volunteer, staff, and financial resources,” Deppe added.

Michael Geary, CAE, who will continue as the chief staff executive, said the new association will maintain all of the current staff in both the Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C. offices.

“By including research, industry promotion, regulatory and legislative efforts, education, and countless opportunities for buyers and sellers to interact, we will deliver a broad range of business-based services to our industry and be the quintessential resource for the horticulture industry as a whole,” Geary said.

The new organization will represent the whole of the plant industry, including breeders, greenhouse and nursery growers, garden center retailers, distributors, interior and exterior landscape professionals, florists, students, educators, researchers, manufacturers, and all of those who are part of the industry supply chain. The association will have its primary office in Columbus, Ohio and an office in Washington, D.C. to facilitate government relations and research activities.

The organization will have a new committee structure in place by the end of the year.

“We want the governance structure of the committees to be simple,” Geary said. “We’re creating a new system in terms of how we interact with members.”

That includes an “enhanced strategy” to connect members with state and regional associations. ANLA’s Lighthouse program will continue, which includes some 13,000 people throughout those “partner” organizations, Geary said.

For more: www.americanhort.org

Anna Ball honored by SAF

Anna Ball, chief executive officer and owner of the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Ill., was inducted into the Society of American Florists (SAF) Floriculture Hall of Fame. The announcement came during the Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner held in Phoenix at the close of SAF’s 129th Annual Convention.

Ball led her company through an aggressive and energetic breeding program to provide better performing impatiens, petunias and dozens of other garden stalwarts, as well as new lines of novelty annuals.

She is a vocal advocate for sustainable business practices and is in the forefront of promoting the value of flowers not just for their beauty but also for the many ways they can help improve overall quality of life.

For more: www.ballhort.com
 

New study provides purchasing insight

The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) has released results from a study that provides new data about the barriers to and motivations for purchasing flowers.

The results were released at the American Floral Endowment’s (AFE) annual fundraising dinner on Sept. 19, held in conjunction with the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) annual convention in Phoenix.

“This study presents useful information about purchasing barriers that industry members have not seen before,” Gabriel Becerra, FMRF committee member and president of Golden Flowers, said. “The results are easily understandable and contain compelling and practical ideas to implement and get business from non-flower buyers.”

Highlights of the study include:

• More than 8 in 10 adults surveyed do not plan on buying flowers in the next 12 months. How could your business change this? Price incentives, coupons, discounts; lower shipping or delivery charge offers; guarantees for vase life and delivery times.
• Are flowers the perfect gift for all occasions? Marketing efforts to position flowers as the go-to gift may win over undecided customers, who will likely also thank you for making their lives easier.

To access the full study, which contains more information, create a free account at www.floralmarketingresearchfund.org.
 

Pantone releases spring 2014 color report

Designers take a modern twist on the traditional for spring 2014 by pairing soft pastels with vivid brights.

“This season, consumers are looking for a state of thoughtful, emotional and artistic equilibrium,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “While this need for stability is reflected in the composition of the palette, the inherent versatility of the individual colors allows for experimentation with new looks and color combinations.”

Three very adaptable pastels sit on one end of the palette, and, because we are so accustomed to seeing them as nature’s background, they can be creatively combined with any other color in the spectrum. Placid Blue, like a picture-perfect, tranquil and reassuring sky, induces a sense of peaceful calmness, while Violet Tulip, a romantic, vintage purple, evokes wistful nostalgia. Similar to the verdant shade of springtime foliage, Hemlock, a summery, ornamental green, provides a decorative touch that’s very different from the greens of recent seasons.

To read the full report, go to this link: bit.ly/GMpantone