Top 100 Greenhouse Grower Survey Takeaway: Anything Is Possible
May 16, 2021 You never know what tomorrow will bring. This statement, made by a Top 100 grower in Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 Growers survey, has never rung truer after the past year we experienced and moving forward into 2021. Greenhouse Grower asked Top 100 Growers on the survey what important lesson they learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. I expected most answers to echo along the lines of “We are essential.” Instead, answers ranged from frustration with the government and obtain a crystal ball for the future to disease control lessons and gardening is still the No. 1 hobby. And there were a few gems I pulled from the answers that I want to share.
Take care of your biggest asset — your employees. You need to do all you can to keep your employees safe and healthy, so they can be a help to their team. Top 100 growers said they gained a new appreciation for their teams, and they were happy to be a source of stability for their employees when things seemed out of control everywhere else. Over-communication was also important to help ease the stress caused by uncertainty.
Growers also realized how important a leadership team is to the success of the business. Along with that, one grower mentioned he found his operation needed to do more cross-training as a backup for when key employees are out.
Don’t underestimate your team. One survey respondent said his team learned an incredible amount of resiliency and adaptability beyond what they had previously imagined. Another said he learned employees will adapt to change much quicker than management realizes. He now knows his team can make changes faster than he ever thought possible.
Find ways to be more effective when challenges come your way. In general, growers have been focused on finding efficiencies in their operations for some time now. The pandemic, however, forced many to re-examine processes and look for even more ways to improve and save time and costs. Several Top 100 respondents said they are automating more and looking to machinery to help them be more efficient with fewer people.
Be prepared to act quickly in an ever-changing marketplace. The pandemic won’t be the last disruptor that causes operations to change course rapidly to adapt. The pace of change in our marketplace has never been faster. As one Top 100 grower said, working ahead and planning are the best ways to prepare for unforeseen challenges.
Be flexible. Whether it was using online tools for sales, curbside pickups, deliveries, or altered production schedules, Top 100 growers who were flexible in their approach during the pandemic found it easier to pivot quickly to keep business and take advantage of new opportunities.
Finally, two answers intrigued me enough to include here, mainly to get your opinion on them. I would love to hear what you think about these viewpoints.
- We learned that consumers staying home more is a big win for the business, and we should encourage more of this in work-from-home options (better employees, more productivity, etc.)
- We cut production in March when we were uncertain if the supply chain would be open. Like most growers, we ended up selling everything we had. We had less planned product but sell-through was what helped us be profitable. Profit lies in sell-through and turning space.
Thank you to all the growers who participated in the Top 100 Growers Survey. Your feedback is invaluable to the industry and the staff here at Greenhouse Grower.
In closing, I want to leave you with this thought. It’s for certain none of us know what tomorrow will bring. But, as one Top 100 Grower said, anything is possible. That is one thing I know is a certainty with the quality of operations we have in our industry. Happy growing!
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