Just about everyone in the floriculture industry has met or worked with either Dr. Bridget Behe of Michigan State University or Dr. Terril Nell of American Floral Endowment at some point. Their paths have crossed at many points, and now they’ve each made the decision to step away from their long careers. While it seems like no one ever really “retires” from this industry, it’s a great time to recognize them for their accomplishments.

Abby Lange is a facility manager at Texas-based greenhouse tomato operation Village Farms Fresh. She started with Village Farms Fresh as an intern more than eight years ago while pursuing a degree in Plant Science. She now manages 20 acres of tomatoes, and her wide range of responsibilities include managing the greenhouse climate, prioritizing maintenance activities, assisting in the training of personnel and much more. We recently caught up with Abby to learn more about how she grew into her current role, and the market forces shaping the future of Village Farms Fresh.

Read More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-abby-lange-of-village-farms/

Matt Foertmeyer of Foertmeyer and Sons in Ohio, and Denise Mullins of Smith Gardens in Washington were two of the 14 members of the inaugural HRI Leadership Academy. The academy was launched by AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research Institute in early 2022 and is designed to develop and foster the skills the green industry needs to perform better, grow faster, and prepare for the future. The academy consists of in-person training sessions and virtual online classes and meetings, with a strong focus on leadership development. We recently caught up with Matt and Denise to learn more about their experience in the academy, their biggest takeaways, and how it helped them prepare to become future industry leaders.

Read more: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-personal-insights-on-the-hri-leadership-academy/

During Greenhouse Grower’s Evening of Excellence event at Cultivate’23, we had the honor of presenting our Head Grower of the Year award to Drew Koschmann of Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan. You can learn more about Drew in the October issue of Greenhouse Grower, which should be hitting mailboxes around the beginning of the month. Please enjoy this conversation, and hopefully you’ll get a sense of why Drew was an easy choice for our Head Grower of the Year award this year.

Learn More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-drew-koschmann-of-walters-gardens/

Jonathan Cude is a third-generation owner of Kansas-based Sedan Floral, one of Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 growers. If there’s one thing you learn quickly when talking to Jonathan, it’s that when he’s confronted with a problem, he’s not one to sit around and wait for a solution to present itself. Whether it’s dealing with technology adoption or plant delivery challenges, he always looks for ways to drive the process forward, sometimes literally as you’ll soon learn. I caught up with Jonathan last month while he was attending the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association Expo in San Antonio. Keep listening for a candid discussion about the stories behind his self-admitted unconventional approach to running a business.

Read More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-jonathan-cude-of-sedan-floral/

Kristine Lonergan is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Garden State Growers, which grows annuals, perennial, and houseplants across three locations in New Jersey. I recently caught up with Kristine to talk about lessons the company learned from the 2023 growing season, how they are planning for 2024, and why it’s important to get out in the field to meet with and get to know your customers.

Read More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-how-garden-state-growers-is-planning-for-2024/

In the first episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, we talked with Art Van Wingerden, one of the owners of Metrolina Greenhouses. This week, we’re talking to Art’s brother, Abe Van Wingerden, about why 2023 was a success for Metrolina and its customers, the power of data, and why it’s important to stick to your plan during tumultuous times. Here’s our conversation.

Read More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-a-chat-with-abe-van-wingerden/

Art Van Wingerden is one of the owners of Metrolina Greenhouses, one of the nation’s largest greenhouse operations. Metrolina is a multi-generational family business that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Art works with almost 60 contract growers from across the country, and manages growing operations for Metrolina. We talked to Art about Metrolina’s commitment to sustainability, how the company invests in its technology and its team, and much more.

Read More: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/presenting-the-greenhouse-grower-to-grower-podcast-featuring-art-van-wingerden/