Herbs On The Wall
August 5, 2010 
As consumer interest in herbs grows, growers are looking for new or unique ways to present herbs to consumers. One particularly unique concept is the Herb Xchange, a program Scott Hutcheon came up with that involves proprietary living wall panels of herbs.
Hutcheon is planning to work with growers throughout the United States to pre-grow the living walls.
“We will be working with them to pre-grow herbs panels to garden centers and through our e-commerce site,” he says. “We will be shipping pre-grown living wall panels, replacement plants and other products surrounding herbs and edibles throughout the U.S.”
The Herb Xchange concept is to have consumers buy pre-grown panels of herbs, use them and return a month or so later for new herbs.
“If customers go to the garden center, they’ll buy pre-grown panels of herbs for $50 or $60,” Hutcheon says. “When their herbs are all gone, they’ll bring it back to the garden center and buy their herbs–just the herbs because they already have the panel.”
First, though, herb panels will be available online at TheHerbXchange.com.
“If a consumer goes online and wants to buy an empty panel, it gets drop shipped from distribution through Commerce,” Hutcheon says. “If someone wants a pre-grown panel or a shuttle tray of 3-inch pots, we’ll source it from one of our local growers.”
One greenhouse operation Hutcheon has approached is Armstrong Growers.
“They’re just starting to grow panels of herbs and put them in the garden centers,” Hutcheon says.
Panels measure 10 x 20 inches, and they’re 4 inches deep. A second panel, one that measures 8.5 x 18 inches, will be available later this year.
Learn more about the program at TheHerbXchange.com.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
