Part of our industry’s connection to the environment is the food sources we provide for pollinators. With pollinator populations in decline, some colleagues and I wanted to understand what consumers were thinking about the use of neonicotonids. This week, I’ll discuss some findings from a recent consumer study where we investigated their knowledge of pest control terminology. The results show some accurate, and inaccurate, consumer perceptions about the industry’s use of neonicotonids.

Pollinator friendly insect management practices are a "hot topic" in the horticulture industry today. How do consumers feel about the promotion of pollinator friendly plants and do they pay any attention to the signs and displays? My guest this week is colleague and friend Dr. Hayk Khachatryan. Hayk and I will talk about our recent article on the topic published in the journal Sustainability. Are some consumers willing to pay more for pollinator friendly plants?

Dr. Ariana Torres is my guest this week to discuss social media for horticultural businesses. She will share some of her best practices for using social media, especially as firms gear up for spring sales.

In this week's podcast, Bridget will help you better understand features and benefits. People buy benefits, not features. Features are attributes about the product like what color the flower is, how tall the tree will grow, or how much nitrogen is in the fertilizer. Bridget will share a great strategy for helping you turn features into benefits and selling more products this spring.

Branding has been prevalent in many industries, but is only a few decades old in horticulture. Recent research showed that younger horticultural consumers had greater brand awareness and were more likely to buy branded products. In this podcast, Bridget will share some insight about branding herbs and vegetables for consumers of all ages.