Greenhouse Grower is Growing in a New Direction! Here’s Why
January 12, 2020 I’m excited that, after months of planning, it’s finally official — Greenhouse Grower now welcomes and serves all controlled-environment growers, irrespective of the crop you’re growing. This move makes so much sense because growing is as much about community as it is about individual operations. Yes, growers are competitors, and yes, each growing operation fights for its share of the market. But, that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.
I believe there are many opportunities for growers to help each other succeed and make the controlled-environment industry stronger in the process. In fact, I know this, because I’ve seen it in action.
Getting an ornamental grower, a vegetable grower, and a cannabis grower together for our cover story this month is just one example. Before the conversation formally started, they were asking each other questions like “What do you do about this problem?” and “What types of equipment do you like best for growing your crops?” It was as natural as breathing for them to share that information, and they did it without hesitation.
Casey Houweling of Houweling’s Tomatoes commented during the discussion that with all the demands on growers’ time, it is harder for them to leave the greenhouse. He’d recently spoken at an event with more than 500 growers present, and he said he could sense that there was a real hunger for the interactions that result from growers getting together.
As I mentioned in my editorial last month, the addition of cannabis and vegetable growers enriched the grower roundtable discussion we held at our GreenhouseConnect event. And, growers attending that event didn’t just mingle with their own tribe; they mixed it up. Why? Because the commonality they shared wasn’t the crop they grew. It was a desire to produce quality crops as efficiently as possible.
During our annual GROW Summit, which is a gathering of those interested in moving the greenhouse industry forward, one of the presentations was a panel discussion with growers from three different crop segments, a supplier who works across these crop segments, and a university researcher. We threw out questions covering labor and supply issues, industry challenges and successes, opportunities for bridging the gaps between growers, and more. Everyone on the panel shared meaningful insights and everyone benefited.
Last month, I attended MJBizCon for the first time. One of the presenters there commented that the cannabis industry needs to market itself better to improve its image and make people aware of the good it does for others. It caught my attention because I’ve heard these same sentiments expressed in the floriculture industry. To me, it was one more way that controlled-environment growers can help each other.
I guess where I’m heading with all this is to echo the growers’ sentiments in the cover story. We don’t always need to reinvent the wheel, and when we stop learning from each other we cease to grow, individually and as an industry. So, to all controlled-environment growers, welcome to a new Greenhouse Grower. We’re dedicating our brand and all of our efforts to encourage you to learn as much from each other as possible and help you achieve the excellence you strive for with the crops you grow.
Sound-Off: What do you think of the new direction for Greenhouse Grower? Submit a comment below. I would also like to know what information you would like us to cover in the magazine that would serve you best as a grower. Please email me at [email protected].
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