It’s Time to Share Your COVID-19 Management Plan
April 20, 2020 
Illustration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began causing major issues and disruptions in the U.S. controlled environment, our team of editors at Greenhouse Grower magazine has worked hard to make sure we are providing you with not only the latest updates and information, but also the tools and resources to help you navigate through this crisis.
It was only about a month ago that plant breeders who had been gearing up for their new variety introductions at California Spring Trials began cancelling their in-person events and developing alternative plans. Since then, a great amount of credit should go to organizations such as AmericanHort and the United Fresh Produce Association, who immediately set up their own resource-based websites and began connecting with their members regularly through emails and webinars.
Now, it’s hard to go anywhere without reading about what’s happening with COVID-19, whether it’s stay-at-home orders in multiple states, garden retailers moving to online ordering and curbside sales, or the Small Business Administration taking fast action to offer loan programs to those companies that need them to maintain operations.
That’s the key word right now: maintain. It comes up in just about any conversation I have with growers, industry suppliers, researchers, and anyone else connected to the greenhouse industry. We’re in the middle of a crisis that seems to have surpassed any other event in recent years, including 9/11 and the financial collapse that wiped out much of the nursery industry in the late 2000s.
So how can you strengthen your business? That’s where there may be a glimmer of hope. It may take a great deal of creativity, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking, but it is certainly possible to keep your business moving forward through what has been a tough few months, and come out on the other side of the COVID-19 positioned for long-term viability.
That’s where you come in. We’ve heard of novel approaches businesses are taking to an unprecedented situation. It may start with a simple act of goodwill in your community. Take, for example, Milgro Nursery’s partnership with UPS on flower donations in Utah, or those vegetable growers who are supplying a local product to retailers who may be experiencing disruptions in their normal supply chain.
In many cases, it also starts with applying for Payment Protection Program funding (financial experts we talk to are saying that while the initial round of funding for this has maxed out, another round will likely be coming shortly). It’s a step some growers may be reluctant to take, but those who have applied say it’s necessary. From there, it means anything from expanding your potential customer base, to getting more connected to your local community, to sharing costs with affiliated organizations or asking your suppliers to defer billing.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- Have you applied for loans through the Payment Protection Program? If so, how has the process gone?
- Have you looked to expand your customer base so you can still make a profit for the product you are producing?
- What changes have you made to your business to set your company up for both short- and long-term success?
We’d love to hear your answers to any of these questions, whatever your role in the industry: grower, breeder, supplier, retailer,etc. Send an email to [email protected], or leave a comment below. It’s going to take cooperation and idea sharing throughout the industry to keep everyone moving forward, so let’s hear your best ideas!
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