The Grower & The Economist

Decades ago, cabbage demand was off the charts and Dr. Konjoian listened to his father not to grow cabbage the following season. Dive into the technical terms and more examples of leading indicators in the agriculture business. We have talked about fuel prices and labor, but how can farmers adapt to local consumer behaviors and national fashion trends? Qualitative observations as well as the absen...

Guest: Janeen Wright and Brian Sparks, Meister Media publishers Dr. Peter Konjoian and Michelle discuss takeaways from GROW Executive Summit with Janeen Wright and Brian Sparks, two editors for Meister Media Worldwide. This year, the conference brought an interactive schedule on labor, profitability and the supply chain. Positive feedback was received on the topics, size, and participation of gues...

The past two episodes we talked with Guest Expert Keith Bemerer from Prospiant about keeping greenhouse heating costs down. This we discuss specific strategies for starting and maintaining propagation in a greenhouse. We review the main benefits, such as giving ownership over your supply, managing quality of your main cultivators and diversifying income. Dr. Peter Konjoian recommends solutions for...

In the second of a three-part series with Keith, we go back to the history of roofing materials to dive into the intricacies that make up an efficient greenhouse operation. There are four technology advancements to watch out for in the greenhouse system with relatable examples. Keith gives insight into low cost solutions from using repurposed materials to environmental controllers, thermostats and...

We continue our conversation with Keith Bemerer of Prospiant, Inc . on energy conservation and cutting costs with a focus on greenhouses. We discuss some of the difficult questions a greenhouse operation has to face, such as locking in fuel prices, raising consumer price or shifting production, and technology interventions for long term solutions. Bemerer reveals trends and guidance through extens...

Donated food is a major part of our food system. Even with low levels of unemployment, many families have not recovered from the pandemic. High prices are pushing families in every American community to see out more food from local services. Some of the need is met by local farmers, some from national food programs, and others from dozens of diverse programs that aim to collect excess produce from...

This week’s podcast episode dives deep into inflation, rising input costs, and the economic relationships we can use to prepare for challenges in the upcoming growing season. One of the major drivers we are seeing in this cycle is that there are fewer goods available across industries. Take a look back with us at the patterns of the Great Depression to Great Recession to the financial crisis and p...

Kroger and Albertson's grocery stores are looking to merge in a $26 billion deal. The resulting company will have 5,000 locations. Peter and Michelle discuss the impact on local farmers, local brands, and consumers. This bonus episode acts a quick take. For additional information, check out Michelle's weekly newsletter or Twitter feed. 

Nathan Fouriner of Home Harvest Central Massachusetts is this episode's guest expert.  With his engineering background and his love of systems, he has built a business that gives homeowners beautiful and functional outdoor space. This includes everything from raised beds, to fruiting trees, to underground water reservoirs. The passion and excitement that he brings to edible landscaping will m...

This week’s episode is a continued discussion on the threats to agriculture, such as recent global droughts and input price inflation, as well as strategies to mitigate unforeseen risks. Michelle and Peter explore the advantages for nimble growers while applying cross-industry examples from a business perspective. They dive into two difficult questions: what does it take for a crop to be profitabl...

Guest expert, Jon LaPorte is the Farm Business Management Educator at Michigan State University. Michelle and Jon met as panelists on Greenhouse Grower's Grow Executive Series Webinar discussing how growers can manage today's high input costs and remain profitable. Jon has created a five-step plan to help all types and sizes of growers make better input purchasing decisions. Advantageous pricing i...

Food security is normally described in terms of affordability and accessibility. Dr. Marcus Coleman explains why acceptability and accommodations are important as well. Understanding what the community actually wants and helping support a system that meets those needs. 

This week we take a look into what it means to develop a comprehensive curriculum for new farmers on a small and medium scale with guest expert, Dr. Marcus Coleman . He is currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Tulane University and previously served as Program Director for Grow Louisiana Beginning Farmer Training Program at LSU AgCenter . Dr. Coleman explains the importance of div...

Can you imagine that roses and other ornamental flowers without any fragrance? Dr. Konjoian tells us how it nearly happened. Plant breeding is power but single tracked improves sometimes have unintended consequences. 

So far this year, Michelle and Dr. Peter Konjoian have talked to experts at every spot on our food supply chains. From Alice Hill, who runs a non-profit grocery store, to Dr. Cari Peters, who works to help producers at all levels understand the importance of fertilizer, the GATE has taken a full tour of how food gets from the farm to the table. With all this input from experts, one big question ha...

Guest expert, Alice Hill, shares her perspective on how small, agricultural production can feed rural America's small towns. Earlier in her career, she grew wheat and raised cattle in Kansas. Then, she switched to organic wheat. Now, instead of selling to large, unknown markets, she produces food for her small, agricultural, Kansas community. She spends two days a week running a grocery store wher...

This week’s guest expert is Dr. Christopher Currey , Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. Dr. Currey’s desire to get his hands dirty and see the results of his work took him out of the lab and into the field. His non-traditional jobs bring a unique perspective to the horticulture industry, to his students, and to our listeners. From choosing quality over...

Dr. Cari Peters , Master Crafter of Jack's Formulas at J.R. Peters , joins The Grower & The Economist to share her journey, her focus on quality assurance, and where fertilizer innovation is heading. Listeners will appreciate her dedication to managing supply chain distributions while still ensuring high quality products to customers. Her advice on rising input costs and how to manage them wit...

Guest expert Alex Bodell joins us today to talk about lighting designs, his journey to improve greenhouse plant lighting, and the lessons learned. Peter and Alex researched how specialized LED lights could elicit better plant responses. They were surprised to find that in most cases, the amount of light that plants get is more important than the type of light. From these lessons learned, Alex help...

Guest expert, Jeff Hake joins The Grower and The Economist to share his experience working in a multi-generational, multi-business, family farming and food production business.  Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains is a specialty fruits and grains farm on historic Route 66 in central Illinois, using organic practices. Funks Grove Pure Maple Syrup s ells their own maple syrup along with pa...

This is the second part of a two-part series on the end of Just-in-Time production. Businesses are used to operating lean, with little inventory. They could purchase the inputs they needed on short notice. After months of higher prices and supply chain disruptions businesses are not only facing higher prices but also lack of availability of critical inputs. In Part 1, we explain what's going on an...

"The pandemic might be winding down, but the disruptions are here to stay." To be successful in business many companies are lean. They don't hold excess inventory or supplies. This has worked for decades. For example, if the plastic on the greenhouse rips the grower goes to the hardware store and replaces it easily. Today, almost every industry is facing supply chains disruptions. And a replacemen...

This week, guest expert Keith Bemerer an Inside Sales Representative from Prospiant, Inc . joins The Grower and The Economist to talk about greenhouses and more specifically why all greenhouses are not the same. Bemerer not only provides a brief history of greenhouse designs, but he explains which greenhouses are ideal for which farmers. When should growers purchases the Chevy and when to go all o...

The pandemic laid bare the two parallel food and agricultural supply chains that operate below the radar in the United States. Dr. Jeffery Dorfman’s research highlighted that most of the produce Americans eat goes through a restaurant or institutional supply chain, not through grocery stores. Adding further insights into why lockdown was so difficult for the produce industry. His research explored...

Peter Konjoian and Thomas Ford met at the University of Maryland many years ago. They reconnected over Thomas’ recent article in E-Gro, titled Emerging Threat to Greenhouse Profitability and it is Not a Pest or Disease . He was referring to higher costs of production and supply chain disruptions that have left growers with the basic supplies they need for their operation. While business topics are...