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Eileen Nelson
UW-Madison Department of Horticulture
608-265-5283 |
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No matter which area of Horticulture you are in, there are a number of issues to be faced: marketing, cost of doing business, competition, attracting new customers, etc. Usually we get caught up in our own segment of the world and we don't always pay attention to what is happening in other segments. Maybe we need to!
Here is a link to an article from the Milwaukee State Journal on March 20, 2011, entitled "Christmas tree growers feel the pinch." While the article is very interesting, I found some of the comments made after the article more interesting and somewhat disturbing. Of the 20 or so comments there were several positive, but only one that was pro-agriculture. Put your business in the title: "Greenhouses feel the pinch", "Bedding Plant Growers feel the pinch", "Garden Centers feel the pinch" "Perennial Growers feel the pinch". You can write your article -- what comments would follow the article? What should be our response?
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| Get Ready For Spring Webinar | | |
Ball Publishing is presenting a webinar, "Are You Really Ready for Spring? A Checklist of Things You Can Still Do to Be Ready." It'll be presented by garden center consultant and Green Profit columnist Judy Sharpton of Growing Places Marketing.
Judy will present checklists and strategies to guide you not only through the hectic warm-up to "opening day," but also through your operation's more troublesome areas once the season kicks off. This is a can't miss!
When: Wednesday, April 6, 1 p.m. EDT
Register: Go to www.ballpublishing.com/webinars |
| Charlies Angle |
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While the economy is keeping you up at night today, economics can look ahead to what will keep you up (or provide a sound night's sleep) in the future. Dr. Charlie Hall has built a national reputation providing a down to earth understanding of today's problems and tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.
For a series of short videos that can be quite informative, link here in ANLA's Knowledge Center. |
| WNA Summer Field Days | | |
This year's summer field days will be held in conjunction with the CFGW Summer Field Day, August, 11, 2011, at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station. The Bruce Company will be co-hosting the WNA program. Mark Your Calendar.
For additional summer events link here to this document provided by WNA .WNA Calendar of Events. |
| People's Garden | | |
WASHINGTON - March 11, 2011 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today urged people across the Nation to start People's Gardens in their communities and to register their gardens in the new People's Garden database, a tool for USDA partners to showcase their People's Gardens on an interactive map. This past year, thousands of USDA employees and partners heeded Secretary Vilsack's call to give back to their communities by volunteering their time to participate in the department-wide People's Garden initiative.
"Real and effective change starts small and it starts in our own communities, and through the People's Garden initiative, people can be engaged in their own towns and neighborhoods to promote access to fresh, healthy food, as well as sustainable practices," said Vilsack.
With the opportunity for the people to enter their People's Gardens into the database, they will be able to describe each garden, identify who is involved¸ where it is located as well as attach photos and add the contact information for their partners. For those who start a People's Garden, they can ask to have a People's Garden sign shipped to them. To view the interactive People's Garden map and access the database, go to www.pubinfo.usda.gov/garden
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| Gen X and Gen Y | | |
In a surprising trend, the younger generations are gardening in numbers similar to other age groups, according to survey commissioned by Garden Writers Association (GWA), conducted in December 2010 and January 2011.
A sneak peek from GWA's recent report...
From earlier surveys, it was found that 66 percent of the entire U.S. population has some form of lawn or garden. In the most recent survey, when the under-40s were asked if they grow or take care of plants, 64 percent indicated "yes." Those in the 25-40 age bracket had the same response as the average of the entire population (66 percent). No longer should we assume that Generation Y and Z are bypassing gardening until they reach middle age or older. The survey shows that those in the 25-40 age group is just as engaged in gardening as older folks.
Rest of the stoy. . . . . |
| Free Promotional Materials | | |
National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization promoting. gardening on behalf of the horticultur e industry, has a new feature on the NGB website, for use by garden centers, extension agents, master gardeners, garden writers, growers, public gardens and anyone else interested in free brochures and signage.
As announced late last year, National Garden Bureau has proclaimed 2011 as the "Year of the Tomato" and the "Year of the Zinnia." NGB has created an informational brochure and signage for each crop. These useful tools are available to download and print at no charge from the NGB website. Simply click on the tab labeled "Downloads."
For each "Year of the" crop there is a multi-page brochure with images and useful growing information, as well as a history and description of that flower or edible. There is a downloadable PDF for both an 8 x 10-inch sign and a 5 x 7-inch sign/bench card. In addition, the two NGB "Year of the" logos are available for downloading for use when promoting these two "Year of the" crops.
This is a completely new service offered by National Garden Bureau. The organization is requesting feedback on how these products were used. Send your updates to ngb@aas-ngb.org.
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