Growing Systems’ Traveling Irrigator

Growing Systems’ Traveling Irrigator has been on the market for 40 years. The irrigator is custom made using high-quality components to fit any greenhouse up to 42 feet wide and 350 feet long. Its low-pressure nozzle provides even coverage from 15 to 60 psi. Its rails work efficiently with Growing Systems’ Monorail Trolley Cart. The Traveling Irrigator also has a Programmable Logic Controller (P.L.C.), and 110-volt, 60-cycle single phase nozzles deliver from 0.1 to 0.8 gpm.

For more: growingsystemsinc.com

MycoApply Ultrafine

MycoApply Ultrafine Endo is a mycorrhizal soil inoculant consisting of a scientifically formulated consortium of four endomycorrhizal fungi species. Approximately 80 percent of the world’s vascular plant species form symbiotic relationships with these beneficial endomycorrhizal fungi, and rely on these symbiotic partners to thrive. Once applied, the propagules in MycoApply Ultrafine Endo colonize plant roots and act as an extension of the plant’s root system, which greatly increases the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. The use of mycorrhizal fungi improves plant health, transplant success, soil structure and ultimately increases fruiting, flowering and yield.

For more: mycorrhizae.com

Keeping ahead of consumer trends can seem like an insurmountable task sometimes. Personally, I feel the approach to creating trends is a more successful endeavor, but nonetheless we all must pay attention to organic movements in the marketplace. The goal is to catch on to such movements fast enough to capitalize on them and differentiate your business. Consumer attention spans can be brutally short, so you must be quick.

Some food trends, however, turn into long-term eating habits — or at least signal the beginning of a shift in how people consume certain types of foods. Sustainable food and healthier diets are on the minds of many these days and both are core concerns that thread together some interesting market shifts for 2017.

Veggies as the main course, instead of meat, is an ongoing trend that’s been on the rise for a couple of years. Produce is more often taking the place of prime cuts of meat, poultry and seafood on the entrée menu. I recently went to one of the most expensive and “fancy” restaurants in Dallas for my birthday. I won’t name names, but I must say the only parts of the seasonal tasting menu I was impressed with were the elements of produce presented with each course of traditional meat selection. My husband (an avid meat devotee) felt the same.

It was like we were getting a secret message from the chef that they’d rather spend more time focusing on the veggies. They’d clearly spent much more thought and time on creating interesting flavors from the produce than the obligatory scallop or puny, quartered quail. Unusual fungi, carrot ketchup, vegetable chowder, pickled okra, and pickled cherries — these were the stars of the meal. I’d go back to that restaurant, but only for the vegetarian menu.

This was a big shift in the fine dining experience for me. Typically, the fancier the restaurant, the blander the produce. As a nonmeat-eater, I’d end up paying out the wazoo for a bad iceberg lettuce salad or the standard flavorless pasta dish the chef would “throw together” for me. Being a vegetarian at a pricey restaurant always made me feel like the kitchen staff was actively punishing me. Now that veggies are trendy and chefs are putting some energy into crafting better dishes with them, fine dining may finally start to green up in a meaningful way.

My strict vegetarianism lasted about 24 years, so I’m pretty much an expert on faux meat. I was never a big fan of the many soy-based versions of them, though. Shiver. Most are kind of rubbery, slimy and simultaneously bland. It took a good while before there were what I considered decent veggie-based meat alternatives to choose from. The meatless and soy-free food producer Quorn finally hit on something good when they started selling fungi-based meat alternatives.

Most faux-meat products still don’t really replicate the flavors and textures of real meat, and that’s perfectly fine for many vegetarians and vegans. But for real meat lovers who want or need to reduce meat intake, they still don’t satisfy. As reducing meat intake can be both good for the body and the planet, many health experts and environmentalists are pushing for a change in such eating habits. New technology is being used to create produce-based faux “meats” that have both the texture and flavor of the real thing. While this phenomenon kind of creeps me out, it may be just what the doctor ordered for healthier eating.

Juicing has been an unavoidable phenomenon for the past few years as well. I have even gone a few rounds with one or two of the trendy new juice companies that popped up in my area. And while the trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere right now, some consumers, myself included, are feeling a bit unsatisfied by juice alone, and are looking for substance (and fiber) from our drinkable food. That’s where soup comes in. Soup is the new juice. A big bonus of getting your slurp on is a smaller waistline. Research shows that people who make healthy soups a regular part of their diet weight less and have better overall eating habits. I suspect more soups may be showing up as another main course alternative to meat.

Another up-and-coming trend I love is ugly produce. Reducing waste is a growing concern for many consumers, especially those who shop specialty produce. A lot of produce goes to waste simply because it’s not “perfect” or pretty. Rejecting such perfectly edible produce currently simply isn’t a sustainable practice. Product manufacturers and grocery stores are looking for ways to market and sell the less-than-perfect produce. Reducing waste is another reason some consumers are starting to pass on the fancy juice. You know what less-than-perfect produce is perfect for? Soup! Marry these two trends together and you’ve got a winning message.

Leslie (CPH) owns Halleck Horticultural, LLC, through which she provides horticultural consulting, business and marketing strategy, product development and branding, and content creation for green industry companies. lesliehalleck.com

In the August 1982 issue of sister publication Greenhouse Manager (now Greenhouse Management), Dr. P.A. Schippers, a former Senior Research Associate at Cornell University, speculated on the future of the greenhouse vegetable industry. Its headline was “U.S. greenhouse vegetable market: Feast or famine?” and examined the effects of elevated gas prices in the 1970s on greenhouse businesses. “During the early ‘70s, some experts predicted that the increase in fuel prices … would put the greenhouse grower out of business in a hurry,” the author states.

However, Schippers says that the growers who were most affected were those with “old, leaky glasshouses which needed large amounts of fuel to keep them properly heated.” It was then that we saw a decline in areas that relied on older greenhouses, like Ohio. Interestingly, Schippers mentions a shift from vegetables (mainly tomatoes) back to bedding plants. In Schippers’ words, bedding plants are “season-bound” crops, or plants that are only grown during a specific time of year. Instead of producing vegetables during the coldest winter months, growers were focusing their energy on growing bedding plants during a warmer time period, therefore reducing greenhouse heating costs substantially.

Another shift that Schippers mentions is one that has continued into the present day: relocating production sites closer to cities. “The interest in establishing greenhouses closer to population centers is growing and, once this interest has taken concrete form, it seems likely that a greenhouse industry near metropolitan centers will become a significant source of fresh produce of high quality for these centers,” he says. Later, Schippers makes the case for hydroponic growing methods, as “good quality horticultural soil” may not be found in urban areas.

One factor that’s remained constant is the need to continually innovate to feed populations during the entire year. This month, we’re looking at some of the women entrepreneurs that are doing just that in the world of controlled environment agriculture. We feature four trailblazers whose businesses are advancing the industry and availability of fresh produce in urban areas. One is enabling indoor farmers to better utilize their greenhouse system data to improve operations, while others have cultivated fresh produce and relationships with the community at the same time. Click here to meet these female innovators.

kvarga@gie.net | (216) 393-0290

Twitter: @Karen_GIE

This year’s PMA Fresh Summit conference was held in Orlando, Fla., where more than 20,000 attendees from 65 different countries gathered for education sessions, networking opportunities both on and off the trade show floor and of course, new marketing perspectives. Here are a few of the overarching themes observed throughout the event:

1. Food safety is No. 1.

As the industry nears the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) October 2017 compliance dates, safety proved utmost importance during the summit. Dr. Bob Whitaker, PMA’s Chief Science Officer, presented a session on Day 1 about the importance of food safety in an ever-growing population.

By 2050, there will be an estimated 9 billion people on the planet, according to the World Health Organization. “We want them to consume fruits and vegetables,” Whitaker reported via his presentation. “We can’t grow consumption if people are concerned about safety.”

Dr. Whitaker took a challenge-versus-opportunities approach as he outlined 10 major trends in food safety. These trends included pathogens, technology convergence, the need for talent, data, the legal and financial climate and more. While some of the challenges included costs, the need for more testing and data analysis, opportunities for producers include the integration of food safety as part of a business plan, leveraging technology and developing communications plans that meet consumers’ needs.

2. You can brand yourself on a small budget.

PMA presented speakers with genuinely inspiring branding advice, two of whom included New York Times Bestselling Author of “Salt Sugar Fat,” Michael Moss, and serial entrepreneur (and classic prankster) Johnny Cupcakes.

Moss, who presented during the first day of educational sessions, had a full and attentive audience as he spoke about ways small growers can self-identify by borrowing ideas from food giants. He outlined the potential to collaborate with retail outlets and grocery stores, partnering with local universities to attract a younger demographic, taking advantage of notable spokespersons or characters (i.e. PMA’s eat brighter! campaign), and selling the idea of fun, rather than touting the benefits of being healthy. As an example, Moss referenced a mock broccoli campaign that he helped facilitate, which took this approach to inspire consumption of the healthy green veggie.

Johnny Cupcakes’ name is a moniker the entrepreneur designated himself when he started his namesake company, which, ironically, is not a bakery that sells cupcakes. Instead, his business venture is a T-shirt shop — themed with vintage ovens and refrigerators that display the clothing products, vanilla-scented air fresheners to build on that theme, as well as pastry-box packaging that every customer receives at the purchase. The idea began as an underground phenomenon, one that was a joke to tease customers into craving the frosting-topped treats, but it evolved into a retail success with a cult-like following after building momentum via social media.

Johnny Earle (the owner’s real name) has found his own success, but the company built on that success via collaborations with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Hello Kitty which has created even more influence with consumers. Earle also believes in the power of packaging, noting that, “Good packaging doesn’t get thrown away.” Instead, it continues to work for you to help consumers remember your marketing message.

3. Innovate before adversity strikes.

The final day of Fresh Summit began with a keynote presentation about the “5 Obsessions of Innovators” from another New York Times bestselling author, Josh Linkner.

Linkner, who founded and sold ePrize, which is touted as the largest interactive promotion agency in the world, said that business owners must innovate their businesses before they are forced to react to change. While it may be tough if you’ve utilized the same business model for decades, Linkner swears by the art of humoring our own curiosity, and releasing the “old” to make way for the “new.” Linkner says the ability to do so can “fuel our continued sense of wonder.”

And to do so, it’s not about having the biggest balance sheet, but instead possessing a “tenacity and resilience” to move forward.

One of our favorite examples he provided also came from a broccoli campaign, this one by a brand called Tenderstem broccolini — serving up the tagline “Get Tender Tonight.”

4. The packaging is as important as the product.

We learned this earlier from Johnny Cupcakes — but that message has already been implemented by many of the growers we saw on the trade show floor. Packaging choices are beginning to evolve past the classic bag and clam-shell into more sustainable solutions — like top-cover films that reduce plastic waste — to even compostable containers that can help keep produce fresher longer.