The Veggie Boom
July 7, 2008 Times are tough, on everyone. On businesses and consumers. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself changing my habits to counter the bad economy. I’m not going out to lunch or dinner as much as I was when business was booming. I’ve even started testing out the theory of hypermiling, which claims you can improve fuel efficiency by changing the way you drive your car. Coast up to stoplights and signs instead of braking at the last moment. Use cruise control. No speeding. In addition to fuel efficiency, another advantage is that I don’t have to scan the horizon for speed traps anymore.
Personally, the verdict is still out on this trend. Being in the car everyone on the freeway passes is not something I ever saw myself, the leadfoot, doing, but if it works, the money saved will be worth the lost rush of passing the Sunday driver on the freeway.
Back To Your Roots
Another trend resulting from high food prices is the home vegetable garden. More than just a hobby, consumers are tired of rising prices, and they’ve taken the reins on their vegetable and herb expenses by growing their own. Did you see this trend coming? It makes total sense: It saves money, and those that are looking for organic products will have peace of mind knowing exactly what’s been used on the food they eat. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if few in the greenhouse industry anticipated the veggie boom.
Many of your operations grew out of farm market businesses. Will you return to your roots and offer herbs and vegetables in higher numbers than before? Is it something you never saw your business expanding into? And the biggest question of all — Will food and fuel prices ever be reasonable again? Will the trend of farming at home continue?
This year, All-America Selections chose vegetables for three of their four winning varieties. Maybe they knew something we didn’t. If you want to expand into veggies, maybe they’re three good ones to try: eggplant ‘Gretel,’ ‘Honey Bear’ squash and ‘Lambkin’ melon.
I’m sure many people are now trying a vegetable garden who haven’t traditionally thought of themselves as gardeners. What a great opportunity to expand the ornamentals take of the discretionary dollar. The economy has turned a bunch of non-gardeners into people who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Get the advantages of ornamentals gardening into their minds now, and when the economy turns around you, will reap the rewards.
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