TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

Audio Files: Headwinds Ahead?

HEADWINDS AHEAD?

FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY STAN VANDER WAAL

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT:

My father used to use the term, “Batten down the hatches,” which I feel is very applicable to today's business environment. The definition of my father’s term is, “To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.” With this thought in mind, I’d like to consider how we as operators and business owners can prudently plan and navigate the challenges ahead.

 

Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—September 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_09/index.aspx

Audio Files: The Labor Dilemma

THE LABOR DILEMMA

FROM THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY AMY MORRIS

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT:

Why does our industry face this dilemma? I believe it’s because prospective employees observe greenhouses and garden centers as offering the same compensation and career potential as the local McDonald’s. They see an entry-level temporary or transitional job when what we’d like them to see is a fun, challenging and rewarding opportunity. We all know the one thing holding us back from making greenhouses and garden centers the best place to work: compensation.

 

Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—June 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_06/index.aspx

Audio Files: Not Customer Service—Hospitality

ACRES & ACRES: NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE—HOSPITALITY

FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES

NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR, CHRIS BEYTES

 

EXCERPT: If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you’ll know I’m passionate about customer service. I’ve long felt it’s the one easiest (and hardest) place you can make your business stand out from the crowd. Easiest because so few businesses excel at it; hardest because it requires that your staff (and you) are at your absolute best at the hardest times possible: when face-to-face with a customer. And it requires having staff who are willing to learn and practice the fine art of service.

 

Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—September 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_09/index.aspx

Audio Files: Guide to High Tunnel Production

GUIDE TO HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION

FROM THE MAY 2022 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY PATRICK MAHONEY

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT:

Growers obviously want to minimize their expenses, but at the same time want to maximize crop growth and boost their profitability. This can be a tough balance to achieve, as newer growing practices can often come with a hefty price tag.

 

However, with a high tunnel, growers can start to obtain some of the benefits of greenhouse growing, without having to make a large investment or overcomplicating their grow. A high tunnel hoophouse offers a cost-effective solution that can significantly improve an operation’s efficiency, while providing a number of other benefits along the way.

 

A key advantage is the potential for a high tunnel grant, which is offered through a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program. This grant allows growers who qualify government funding that alleviates some of their production expenses.

 

For growers who want to stick to soil, a high tunnel is the perfect way to enhance in-ground crop production, solve general outdoor issues and increase profits.

 

Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—May 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/IG_22_05/index.aspx

Audio Files: Building a Vertical Farm Team

BUILDING A VERTICAL FARM TEAM

FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY ERIKA SUMMERS

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT:

In my experience, here’s what I’ve seen work as the core makeup of a successful vertical farming implementation team. This team in the initial planning phase includes a grower, a mechanical engineer (or engineering firm) and a finance/business person. Other members of the team need to be added as the project progresses, but aside from someone raising funds for the venture, these are the “three pillars,” as I refer to them.

 

Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/IG_23_08/index.aspx

MYSTERY SOLVED! Slime, Moss & Algae with Dr. Will Healy

For more than three decades, Dr. Will Healy was a technical services manager at Ball working with countless growers around the world to solve greenhouse challenges and grow amazing crops. Over that period of time, there was a phenomenon he saw over and over and made it part of his mission to figure out how and why it happened. Now retired but still constantly looking for ways to share knowledge with the horticulture industry, Will joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to reveal what he’s learned about this mystery. The topic is slime, moss and algae in greenhouse production.

 

This is not only a mysterious (and somewhat gross) topic, but also one that’s key to successful propagation and finishing of crops. Moss and algae growth supports fungus gnat and shorefly infestations and limits water movement leading to non-uniform growth—both situations you want to avoid at all costs. With these issues in mind, Will begins this discussion all the way back at the time of media selection. He then moves to how your flat filling equipment can positively or negatively impact media and the formation of an algae or moss “crust”.

 

How and when you apply irrigation often directly affects the formation of a crust on plugs and pots you want to avoid, as well as leading to hydrophilic or hydrophobic growing media. Answering the questions, “Where did slime, mold and algae come from?” And … “How do I avoid it?” Will explains that dry, fine fiber in media floats hydrophobic fibers to the surface, which in turn causes flooding of cells and compaction of the upper layer of media leading to smooth surfaces on each cell that encourages slime and algae growth. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this, and Will has the solution to this phenomenon.

 

Training Your Team to Water Properly Video: https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=_Tct1UkqGN3QnupW

Audio Files: Biofungicides—What to Consider

BIOFUNGICIDES: WHAT TO CONSIDER

FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY DR. ANN CHASE

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT:

You should be aware of some considerations before trying biopesticides in your operation. It might be simpler to convert completely to biopesticides, but it’s rarely practical due to limitations in controlling a wide array of diseases. There are some facts you need to know to make the most successful use of any pesticide—biological or conventional.

 

This article was originally published in the first edition of our Biosolutions Guide, which came out with the June issue of GrowerTalks. 

 

Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_08/index.aspx

Tissue Culture: The Next Frontier (Part 2) with Dr. Nathan Jahnke & Deanna Felton

Skip the intro and get right to the content—fast forward to 1:15.

 

In the second part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) continue the foundation built in the previous episode, this time covering preparation, inspection and grading, as well as best practices for acclimation and the importance of providing feedback to labs and suppliers. Nathan and Deanna wrap up with some of their tips for TC, based on a lot of experience with this product form. Be sure to listen to part one if you haven’t already!

 

 

In part one, Nathan and Deanna set the stage with an overview of commonly used terms, how exactly Tissue Culture material is produced and the most common product forms you can expect to receive from TC labs. Then they dial in on critical components for success before taking you crop by crop through common TC species—ranking them in terms of difficulty to produce.

 

Over the past 50 years, commercial greenhouse production has been revolutionized many times—from seed to plugs to vegetative material, just to name a few evolutions. The newest frontier for professional growers is Tissue Culture (TC): The growth of cells derived from living tissue in an artificial medium.

 

Producing from Tissue Culture is certainly cutting-edge, although it’s not brand new to the world of horticulture. As more and more crops are offered from TC and production teams gravitate to this type of young plant input for many advantageous reasons, there’s bound to be a steep learning curve. TC plantlets are not like unrooted cuttings, plugs or liners—they are quite different and require new skills.

 

There is significant research underway and new strategies for TC production being published and now is the time to begin learning ways to produce TC-raised crops efficiently and effectively. That is the basis of this video series.

 

Join Dr. Nathan Jahnke, Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company and Deanna Felton, longtime Production and Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses in Georgia for a 2-part podcast diving deep into Tissue Culture production—approaching the topics from both research and application angles.

 

DOCUMENT—Tissue Culture Language & Commonly Used Terms: https://ballseed.com/PDF/Tissue-Culture-Frequently-Used-Terms.pdf

 

WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS FROM THIS PODCAST—DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBliX4GfYRnSDWfcFa7WNU4i  

Tissue Culture: The Next Frontier (Part 1) with Dr. Nathan Jahnke & Deanna Felton

In the first part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) set the stage with an overview of commonly used terms, how exactly Tissue Culture material is produced and the most common product forms you can expect to receive from TC labs. Then they dial in on critical components for success before taking you crop by crop through common TC species—ranking them in terms of difficulty to produce.

 

Part two covers preparation, inspection and grading, as well as best practices for acclimation and the importance of providing feedback to labs and suppliers. Nathan and Deanna wrap up with some of their tips for TC, based on a lot of experience with this product form. Be sure to listen to part two when you’re done with this one!

 

Over the past 50 years, commercial greenhouse production has been revolutionized many times—from seed to plugs to vegetative material, just to name a few evolutions. The newest frontier for professional growers is Tissue Culture (TC): The growth of cells derived from living tissue in an artificial medium.

 

Producing from Tissue Culture is certainly cutting-edge, although it’s not brand new to the world of horticulture. As more and more crops are offered from TC and production teams gravitate to this type of young plant input for many advantageous reasons, there’s bound to be a steep learning curve. TC plantlets are not like unrooted cuttings, plugs or liners—they are quite different and require new skills.

 

There is significant research underway and new strategies for TC production being published and now is the time to begin learning ways to produce TC-raised crops efficiently and effectively. That is the basis of this video series.

 

Join Dr. Nathan Jahnke, Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company and Deanna Felton, longtime Production and Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses in Georgia for a 2-part podcast diving deep into Tissue Culture production—approaching the topics from both research and application angles.

 

DOCUMENT—Tissue Culture Language & Commonly Used Terms: https://ballseed.com/PDF/Tissue-Culture-Frequently-Used-Terms.pdf

 

WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS FROM THIS PODCAST—DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBliX4GfYRnSDWfcFa7WNU4i  

Ball Customer Day 2023 FRIDAY Panel Discussion: Planning for 2024—Your Business, Plants and People

For the past couple years at the annual Ball Customer Day event in West Chicago, panels have been assembled to share thoughts on a topic during lunch in the big tent. This year, the topic was how to plan for 2024—a big question and one that has everyone in the industry talking. Following three unique seasons, it can be challenging (if not impossible) for you and your team to set sights on a plan for your operation next year.

 

Because Ball Customer Day is now actually two days, the final Thursday and Friday in July, this episode only covers one panel. Be sure to check out the other panel discussion (also posted as a podcast) because the participants are different, and the ideas are unique.

 

On Friday, moderator Bill Calkins spoke to Kate Terrell, second generation owner of Wallace’s Garden Center, a grower-retailer located in Bettendorf, Iowa. Also on the panel was Tom Seery, also second generation as a Ball Seed sales rep and Midwest Regional Manager. The third panelist was Jim Kennedy, national sales manager at Ball, who shared how Ball Seed is planning as a supplier and ways Ball Seed can assist your team when strategizing for upcoming years.

 

Panelists shared thoughts on these questions:

 

• How did your team create a plan for 2023? What went into this planning and how did the season go?

• The big question heard around the industry is, “How do I plan for 2024?” How is your business thinking about your 2024 plan at the moment?

• With change and turnover constant in any organization, developing teams and team members is more critical than ever. Please share how your company goes about training and education of staff members. Why invest in this? Does it pay off?

• Because Customer Day is focused on innovative new plants, as well as tried and true varieties, please share some of the plants and concepts you feel will make an impact in 2024.

• Finally, please offer one key to success for 2024.