The Grower & The Economist: Recent Episodes
Peter Konjoian & Michelle Klieger
Peter Konjoian (Grower) & Michelle Klieger (Economist) share expert insights to help small and medium-sized growers adjust to the rapidly changing farm and food landscape as well as increase the productivity and profitability of their operation.
Michelle Klieger and Dr. Peter Konjoian dive into the newly released USDA ERS Vegetable and Pulse Outlook report and examine trends. These trends are something small growers should consider when investigating new and upcoming and coming crops to grow. How can they do that? Learn during this podcast!
Is it possible to change the nutrient profile of our vegetables to make them more nutrient dense? Michelle Klieger and Dr. Peter Konjoian delve into Peter's research this week and how children are the driver of parent's consumer decisions. Will kids eat more carrots in 2525? Tune in to find out!
Brian D. Sparks, Editor of Greenhouse Grower, a part of Meister Media Worldwide, discusses starting a podcast with Peter and Michelle, as his organization recently launched and how it offers growers another tool in their toolbox. But don't worry - this podcast wouldn't replace the print magazine. This is just another tool for growers to access information critical to improving their businesses. Greenhouse Grower is ready to serve all generations, with the media source they must want.
Tune in to learn more insights. Or listen on your favorite podcast player!
Rene is back by popular demand, for his fourth episodes of The Grower & The Economist. We are reminded that growers range from hobby gardeners, homesteaders, small businesses, and commercial operations. This week we discuss starting spring plants. Our discussion applies to all growers looking to maximize their growing season.
How do you tackle crop scheduling? Let us know.
Since last summer, Dr. Peter Konjoian and Michelle Klieger have been talking about metrics to evaluate business decisions. Peter likes ROI. Today, they work through a real-life ROI case study with a subscription tool that Michelle is considering for her research project. This situation can be applied on small and medium sized operations as well. Have a situation? Please let us know!
There's been a lot of talk about peat as regulations in Europe impacts its availability and the definition of sustainability. Peat grows, very slowly, in bogs in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Raising some questions about using this renewable resource and how to maintain healthy bogs. Peat is an important growth medium in greenhouses throughout North American and Europe. However, with the new restrictions there is demand for alternatives.
USDA Research Lead James Altland talks with Peter Konjoian and Michelle Klieger. We discuss why North American peat is sustainable, how substitutes compare to peat, and what impact regulations and climate change will have on the price and availability of peat.
Learn more about Jim Owen at USDA-ARS and Jeb Fields at LSU research.
Michelle and Peter sit down with Andrew Brooks from Priva to discuss global trends that are impacting the small and medium sized grower. Larger growers can manage temperatures to the 1/10 degree but you can only get to 1 degree. What does that mean as you compete in the global market space?
Food systems are complicated. On The Grower & The Economist, we talk to and about small producers and local food systems. However, as many of you know, Michelle has a background in international trade. Today, Michelle and Peter discuss Michelle's research and how global trade allows for cheap food, year-round. Learn how trade keeps people fed while the northeast is snowed in.
Check out Michelle's Book: The Demise of Free Trade
Have you started planning your seed order for the spring? Peter and Michelle are too! We love talking about crop scheduling. This episode starts with some new thoughts about ordering seeds and planning your crop schedule 2024 and also goes back to one of our first episodes on crop scheduling back in 2020.
Here at The Grower & The Economist we are experiencing our first snowstorm in two years. Winter is usually considered the slow season for small to medium vegetable growers but there is still work to be done. Greenhouses allow us to extend our season but they require maintance and planning. Listen to Michelle and Peter discuss the "off season."
We all know there are so many apps and software out there that could help grow our business but are they right for the small and medium size grower? This week's episode interviews Aaron Allison, co-founder of SBI software, to see what his company's software can tell our growers and how they can incorporate into their business. Will you make the transition from pen and paper to digital?
Happy New Year! We think marketing your business is a really important topic for small growers. Last week we aired an episode with Myrna Greenfield of Good Egg Marketing. We think it was a great episode.
Here's a clip. If you missed it, go back to last week and catch the whole episode.
Here's the link to Myrna's book.
Are you struggling with your marketing? Are you focusing on tactics but don't have a strategy? Hear from Good Egg Marketing's Myrna Greenfield about ways to focus your marketing efforts and grow your business. Peter and Michelle delve into why this area is a challenge and how farmers can work with consultants to break down the roadblocks!
Get your copy of Marketing Your Farm by Myrna Greenfield.
As land grant extension agents have become further and further stretched, private consultants with company affiliations have been on the rise. Andy Peterson was recently interviewed to discuss his role as a consultant that also educates farmers. His career path has put him in contact with many small and medium sized growers that had questions that he answered and/or tried to assist with!
The Grower & The Economist is officially kicking off Season 2 of our podcast! As we closed in on 100 episodes, we've realized that the show has grown and evolved since 2020. This episode gives a preview of the amazing material we have schedule for 2024!
Thanks for listening and Happy New Years.
-Peter & Michelle
Dr. Peter Konjoian questions Michelle Klieger on what is ROI (Return on Investment) and why she thinks there are limitations on this model of decision making. Michelle shared her concerns with ROI during prep calls for their #Cultivate2023 workshop. Looking for more tools to enhance your decision making process... this episode has them!
Dr. Peter Konjoian & Michelle Klieger each share two tips for growers this summer. These tips highlight how differently growers and economists think & how different each part of your business is. We hope you find these four midsummer tips helpful!
June 2023 Greenhouse Management Magazine's cover feature Dr. Melinda Knuth joins Economist Michelle Klieger and Grower Dr. Peter Konjoian on this episode to dive into research that Dr. Knuth is doing at NC State's Cognitive Behavioral Laboratory. The three of them met at the Greenhouse Grower's Executive Summitt last December where they were all speakers.
Dr. Knuth shares her path. Like most of our guests it's a winding. Today, Dr. Knuth conducts research and trains PhD students those interests both our resident economist and horticulturist- like, What is the biophilic hypothesis and how does it? and Will consumers pay more for plants that are treated with beneficial insects instead of pesticides?
Michelle Klieger and Dr. Peter Konjoian interview Eileen Mullet, a recent graduate from University of Wisconsin River Falls, on her research involving soils and her time working in a greenhouse. We learn how her experience in a university greenhouse was similar and different to a production operation. This researcher is able to apply her classroom knowledge to her real life experience that is invaluable to our small growers, who listen to this podcast.
After being in business 30 years, Dr. Peter Konjoian has gone digital and launched a website for his company. This discussion between Peter and Michelle Klieger delves into the complexity of being a small business owner who wants to do it all. Is it possible to tackle every task on your own as technology evolves? And at what point should you consider contracting out the work? Listen today for their in-depth discussion and analysis!
Value added processors have a unique job and perspective in the small- and medium- sized supply chain. Listen to this week’s episode with guest speaker Brian Ruhlmann, founder of Craic Hot Sauce's, to learn about their story, communication strategy, and how they source from 18 farmers last year. That is 100% of peppers and tomatoes sourced locally! We discuss opportunities of vertical integration as well as profitable examples of coordination in your value chain. Brian convinced us that it is all about having a good Craic!Support Craic: Projects | Expanding local authentic made hot sauce | Patronicity
Most technology comes with a steep up-front cost, which will be amortized over a few years. Is this investment worth it for your small farm? Dr. Peter Konjoian and Michelle Klieger discuss the economics of trying to decide if new technology is cost effective.
Your polyethylene cover on your greenhouse has become more important than ever as technology expands to include anti-condensate and improve the growing environment. Learn from Yannis LaPadocus of Sunmaster Greenhouse Films and Dr. Peter Konjoian how your next polyethylene cover purchase can create a better and healthier environment for your plants for 5 years!
Dr. Peter Konjoian and Michelle Klieger discuss how crop scheduling can benefit local New England farms as early and late season crops usually command the highest value but not the largest volume. The discussion also delves into value-added food products as a potential source of diversified income for the small Northeast grower.
Dr. Peter Konjoian and Michelle Klieger give a sneak preview of their workshop at Cultivate 2023. Their 90-minute episode is titled: Back2Basics: Small Greenhouse and Farm Technology and will feature previous podcast guest experts: Molly Dishman of Bartlett Instrument Company & Keith Bemerer of Prospiant.
Listen to the sneak peek, then register for #cultivate2023 . If you have questions, you want answered during the live session, email us.
This week, we talk with Charles Smith and Dr. Victoria Holden, co-founders of Imio, to learn about their regenerative ag biotech company. Imio develops microbial inoculants that replace chemical inputs in agriculture. They noticed the amount of organic matter left at the end of a season that didn’t have an economic benefit to the farm and set out on a journey to transform the organic “waste” into a product that has positive economic benefits for farmers and the environment. One season’s “waste” becomes a source of nutrients for the next season, and presents a variety of benefits relative to landfilling, composting, or burning residuals as fuel. In this episode we explore the scientific process and research Imio has done. The types of growers that can benefit from the technology, how the product works, and the difference between compost and their product Re-Gen.
Check out Imio.co FAQs and if you purchase Imio products, use discount code THEGATE for 10% off.
Animal integration is especially fun when we are talking about goats! Learn how John Bennett of Goats of Dover went from a marketing background to goatscaping in this week’s episode. We discuss goat diet preferences, predator and pesticide concerns, timing of a job and life expectancy. There is a lot to understand about the changing environment from poison ivy to deerworm. John hits home by embedding an integrated approach to eradicating invasive species into his business model. Enjoy!
Dr. Konjoian and Michelle discuss climate change impact on greenhouses and small to medium sized farms with examples ranging from maple trees to impatiens. They challenge the perspective of crop schedules by asking questions, such as does a grower maintain their current schedule or adjust to the warmer temperatures and get ahead of the market. Another big decision discussed in this week’s episode is experimenting with nighttime temperature in greenhouses as it relates the product quality and price premiums. Listen to learn how this can diversify and de-risk your portfolio.
Rene returns as a three-time guest on The Grower and The Economist podcast. His reason for gardening may be different than a small and medium sized grower, but he faces the same challenges and successes! We discuss some of the decisions behind ordering seeds, the importance of logging and taking pictures, fertilizer decisions, and some experiences to look forward to in the upcoming season. One point that hits home for many gardeners is the added benefit of teaching others a responsibility and respect for growing one’s own food.
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 absence of indicators as we saw in the unprecedented pandemic are key in the gamble of agriculture.
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 guests and kudos was given to the agriculture industry as a whole for finding new ways to get information from diverse voices to growers. We also hear an inside perspective on how and why the conference was built and what to expect for next year.
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 four factors of temperature, moisture, lighting and ventilation. Michelle brings the key point on knowing when to choose to take control versus outsource. This discussion echoes the resourceful mindset and ingenuity of a small and medium sized grower.
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 propagation with one main goal - don't lose the heat.
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 extensive experience with controlled environment agriculture (CEA). We uncover recent trends from horticulture to vegetable market, securing a mix of energy sources, and an example of energy curtains to reduce heat loss in a greenhouse.
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 farms and bring it to those who need it.
Peter and I talk about the economics of farms donating excess. We cover the tax implications as well as the emotional value we get when we contribute to our communities. We touch on when it makes sense and when it might not make sense for a farm. As well as best practices.
This episode is re-aired. It was produced before Thanksgiving 2020.
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 pandemics. We can predict challenges in export commodities with the rising value of the dollar and competition in import commodities. Learn from two small farmers Michelle visited this week who are still using this economic shift to experiment with crops and management practices. “It’s our game to lose” is referenced from a previous podcast guest, Dr. Bridget Behe.
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 make listeners, homeowners, and clients feel like kids touring Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
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 profitable in a local structure and for a farm to be sustainable in an unstable economy? Input is welcomed from all listeners to share knowledge on threats and risk-mitigation strategies on the farm.
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 is normally a benefit for the largest growers, but walking through Jon's process, we learn that Peter is already executing most of this process.
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 diversification and some of the common barriers that small- and medium-sized growers face in the beginning, specifically in New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole. However, he is bringing an innovative shift to farmer training by incorporating marketing and leadership development. We learn a lot in this conversation about tools to help farmers take the lead, examples of farmers scaling up and one positive outcome of the pandemic.
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 has come to the surface: what's the role of profit when it comes to groceries and food? Our current system is completely built around the idea that farmers and other producers are in the business of producing food for profit. But what if our system being based on profit means it is harder for people to eat fresh healthy foods? Can we improve freshness and availability in our food system without it pricing consumers out? Michelle and Peter try to figure it out in this episode where we review everything we've learned so far about the food system this year.
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 where people can meet, mingle, and purchase her products. And demand is growing as people come from nearby towns. Alice is convinced that rural America can start feeding itself again and she is excited to share everything she has learned. She even invented the topless greenhouse to extend the Plain States growing season. Check out her book for all the details.
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 quantity at a botanical conservancy, to growing tropical orchids in the harsh Minnesota winters, to finally specializing in commercial herb production, his findings and lessons apply to traditional and specialty producers alike. As Dr. Konjoian likes to say, a plant is a plant is a plant. Sometimes we need a different angle to understand the hard lessons and Dr. Currey provides it.
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 without sacrificing profitability. And the new products to expect based on current fertilizer sustainability research.
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 helps growers understand the total amount of light their plants need and build units that are affordable and effective. His current research aims to improve plant lighting through technology that is accessible for small growers. These are simple for growers to adopt, but take hours of agronomic, lighting, and engineering expertise to create. Here's your chance to peak behind the curtain.
Here's the link to Cornell's Hydroponic Lettuce Handbook
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 sells their own maple syrup along with pancake mixes from the farm, all made in their commercial kitchen. These family businesses are vertically and horizontal integrated and highlight how diversification and product exploration can continue to help the businesses evolve and grow. Jeff reports that even with increasing prices and input shortages the Funk family enterprises are well positioned to manage the current challenges, invest in the community, and support local food access.
Don't miss the blog post referenced in the podcast. One thousand small chains
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 and why. In Part 2, we offer small and medium-sized growers solutions and opportunities that help their businesses thrive.
"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 replacement that used to be easy to secure is not quite challenging. Inventory is out-of-stock and shipments are delayed. It could take days, weeks, or even months to get the inputs needed to run the business. That means, the grower needs to have the plastic on-hand or face much steeper consequences.
We finish with some places where small businesses can use this change to their advantage.
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 on the Ferrari of greenhouses? No conversation is complete without talking about the high price of energy and ways that growers can manage those costs without losing efficiency.
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 state programs to purchase farm products and distribute them through paid and food aid channels. Even with all the challenges that small and medium-sized growers face, it was refreshing to hear Dr. Dorfman say that he would consider being a vegetable farmer that sells to independent restaurants. It left us with hope for local production and local value chains.
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 not popular among many growers, Thomas felt it was time to sound the alarm. Some growers are seeing cost of production increase by 60% over last year, and still, they resist raising their prices.
The pandemic forced growers to pivot quickly. Now, after two years of good returns, these continued disruptions are forcing major changes in the industry. Who would have thought the most valuable person on the farm or in the greenhouse was the sourcing specialist?
Contact Thomas Ford: tgf2@psu.edu
We continue our conversation with Greta Zarro and Ben Tyler of Unadilla Community Farm. In this bonus episode we dive a little bit deeper into permaculture practices, how agroforestry helps environmental and economic sustainability, and what steps farmers can take to create closed-loop systems in their region. This quick conversation is informative, it touches on agronomic and economic factors, and it gives small and medium-sized growers actionable advice. That is everything we try to cover on The Grower & The Economist in 13 minutes!
Peter describes the work of Greta Zarro and Ben Tyler of Unadilla Community Farm as “noble work”. In addition to having a beginning farming program, distributing a veggie box and growing over 230 different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms, Unadilla is also conducting cutting edge research on dynamic accumulators. We learn that dynamic accumulators are plants that have higher uptake of certain nutrients than standard plants. To date, there is very little peer reviewed research on these plants, to support the anecdotal evidence that farmers have been relying on for years and the possibility of closed-loop nutrient management systems. Greta and Ben share their experience getting a SARE grant, the research they have conducted, and their next steps.
Full Report Here
Decades ago, a professor told Peter to eat less meat and more plants. It might have taken 30 years, but now this message is coming from all different directions. On a recent trip to KFC, Peter tried their plant-based alternative-chicken products and mostly enjoyed it. There are more options today, but there are also more ways to grow crops today. Michelle and Peter explore opportunities for animal feed production in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Can indoor, commercial-scale feed production reduce the land required by agriculture, reduce the water needed, and have a positive environmental impact? Michelle shares her research on alfalfa production in the American Southwest and the opportunity for animal agriculture to drive new CEA innovation that would help all growers.
This week, Johann Buck is the Director of Technical Services & Innovation at BioAg joins The Grower and The Economist as our guest expert. BioAg offers biologicals that include soil amendments, biostimulants, and biologicals. Dr. Buck explains that we've gained a lot of knowledge about what soil is and how it is important to for the plants. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) can be soilless, and these operations tend to focus on the sterile parts of the operations like the lights. However, he is bringing biostimulants to CEA and has found that many of the growers he works with are eager to try new things when they understand the research and development trials. Trials help farmers test new things and find combinations that reduce inputs and/or improve the plants nutrient efficiency. Early in this conversation, it is clear that it is the first of many that the three of us will have.
Today, we finish our discussion with guest expert Zachary Grant on his work as a Cook County Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator. We explore the difference between low-capital and high-capital urban agriculture and how to convert the new farmers that take Zachary's classes into long-term producers. We dig into different ownership models, scalability, and aggregation. And we end the conversation with a reflection on how new, urban farmers and traditional farmers are not very different. We start to consider opportunities to bring these two communities together as we all work to increase local and regional food systems.
If you would like to see more great content from Zachary, check out his Urban Ag Connect Vlog Series which he curates on the state Local Food System and Small Farm YouTube channel.
Guest expert, Zachary Grant join's The Grower and The Economist for this special two-part, 50th episode special on local food systems and small farms. Peter is always looking to increase the amount of local food communities eat. Zachary makes Peter's day when he shares that with urban agriculture cities like Detroit and Chicago could meet 75% of their produce needs by farming in the vacant lot inventory! As a University of Illinois Extension Educator and with the help of his partner Kathryn Pereira, he is teaching, mostly new farmers, how to farm in the urban setting. Zachary works with Herban Produce (a 2-acre diversified vegetable farm), non-profit urban farms that provide training for workers and process to underserved communities, and well-funded controlled environment agriculture.
Have you just recently found this podcast? This is a great episode to start with. Peter and Michelle talk about what they learned in 2021 and give a recap of the dozen or so amazing guests that joined the show. They also share the things they are looking forward to next year.
- If you hear about an episode you like, please go back and have a listen.
- If you like the podcast, please rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.
- If you would like to be a guest, please email Michelle at michelle@stratagerm.com.
Happy 2022!
This week, guest expert Chris Laughton joins The Grower and The Economist. Chris got is undergraduate degree in horticulture and his graduate degree in applied and resource economics, making him the perfect guest for our two-sided episode. Chris is the Director of Knowledge Exchange at Farm Credit East, where he writes and speaks on topics relating to the intersection of agriculture, economics and management. Through these topics Chris provides industry with the strong business foundation they need to be successful.
This information is not only for Farm Credit East clients. Many of his reports are available on their website for anyone to read and learn from. Chris is an excellent resource for growers and business owners throughout the region and maybe even outside of it.
To join the Farm Credit East newsletter email Chris (Chris.Laughton@farmcrediteast.com).
This week's guest expert is Dr. Maria Marshall. She is a professor at Purdue University and the James and Lois Ackerman Endowed Chair in Agricultural Economics. Dr. Marshall brings her expertise on rural business development to The Grower and The Economist. Many small businesses are family businesses, including the two businesses that your hosts grew up in. We all know that when things are going well everything is easy and when the challenges arise things get hard and dark quickly. This dynamic can be more complicated during the holidays, when families and co-workers/owners are together in a personal setting. Dr. Marshall shares advice and tips for avoiding these dark places and provides thought-provoking questions for families to start asking themselves.
Find more of Dr. Marshall's tools and services:
- Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD.org)
- Director, Purdue Institute for Family Business (purdue.ag/fambiz)
- Editor, Choices Magazine (AAEA)
Peter and I talk about the economics of farms donating excess. We cover the tax implications as well as the emotional value we get when we contribute to our communities. We touch on when it makes sense and when it might not make sense for a farm. As well as best practices.
This episode is re-aired. It was produced before Thanksgiving 2020.
Michelle and Peter continue their discussion about a Washington Post article about food inflation. Today, they explore how small and medium size growers can adapt to a high inflation environment. Small businesses are agile and able to adopt quickly, giving them an advantage over bigger players that take longer to adjust. We focus specifically on growers can adjust to higher energy prices and supply shortages are disrupting businesses. Can you turn this challenge into an opportunity?
The Washington Post recently had an article titled: Here’s why your food prices keep going up, that impacts all growers and consumers. Peter and Michelle take the next two episodes to breakdown this article paragraph by paragraph and tell you what it means to you and your business. Learn the basics about inflation and what's driving up food prices.
Andrew Ogden is this week's guest expert. He is a plant breeder and a horticulturalist by training, but didn't grow up on a farm. For over a decade he has owned and operated a farm in Costa Rica. He went back to school because he wanted to empirically test many of the organic methods, which would ultimately help growers. This summer he completed his dissertation at University of New Hampshire. In addition to earning a PhD, he also got to name a new gene responsible for powdery mildew resistance. Andrew shares his research, his farming experience, and gives us a crash course in grafted plants.
This week guest expert, Daniel J Jacques Grower Service Manager from Sun Gro Horticulture. Dan provides an overview of how growers can use superior quality peat moss, peat-based and bark-based horticultural growing products. First, we dig into the differences between these products. Then we talk about industry trends including use in sustainable agriculture, organic production, and the impact of sky-rocketing freight costs on new products that Sun Gro Horticulture has available. While there is a lot to understand, Dan reminds us to keep our mixes simple.
Not every flower or vegetable that comes from the farm has equal value. The time of year, size of the fruit, and its grade factor into the value. With each item farmers calculate the crop's value and then decide what to do. Sometimes the best end up in the farmer's house. Other times, they choose to sell it for the highest profit. Other times, tomatoes make great ammo farm kids. We explore how farmers optimize their happiness and profits at different stages throughout the summer.
Michelle and Peter dig into resources that growers can depend on for up-to-date, verified information to grow and manage their businesses. We cover Land Grant Universities, Cooperative Extension, and Grower Associations. These tools and resources provide ongoing learning, cutting edge research, tools to improve your business, and networking opportunities.
Guest Expert Michelle Jones of The Ohio State University explains biologicals and their role in improving plant quality during production and after harvest. The benefits for growers and consumers are large. We discuss the possibilities of lower fertilizer and water use as the federal government limits water withdrawals from the Colorado River Basin for the first time. Learn about this growing field and how growers can maximize their benefits.
This week guest expert Dr. Bridget Behe joins The Grower and The Economist. Dr. Behe is a horticultural market researcher, a speaker, and the host of Podcast Marketing Munchies. She shares her research on why consumers buy horticultural products and why demand increased during the pandemic. Dr. Behe also shares valuable insights on how garden centers can market high and low price items, the benefits of social media, and why our industry is so special. But most importantly, she reminds us that plants provide emotional, health, and environmental benefits and the industry does not tell consumers about these benefits nearly enough!
Farm and agricultural business constantly struggle to find unskilled labor. That's why over 250,000 visas are issued annually for farm work. While unskilled labor is a commonly discussed challenge within agriculture there might be a bigger issue that is not being discussed - the lack of skilled labor. This week, Peter and Michelle examine where skilled labor is needed on a farm, why it's hard to find, and where some solutions might come from. This episode is the result of conversations we've had with guest experts including: Bartlett Instruments, Dosatron International, Steward Investments, the Boulder County Farmers' Market, and Purdue University.
This week's guest expert is Dan Miller, founder of Steward a is a private lending partner, financing the growth of regenerative farms and sustainable producers through simple, flexible business loans. Dan walks us through his connection to farming, how Steward works, and some recent success the company has experience. These loans help regenerative and sustainable producers unlock new potential and scale their businesses.
Guest expert Ariana Torres, Assistant Professor in the Departments Horticulture & Landscape Architecture and Agricultural Economics from Purdue University joins us to discuss diversification, marketplaces changes she's seen during COVID and non-traditional markets that producers can sell into. Ariana's expertise draws on her experience working on her family's farm, an internship in entomology, a master's project in lighting and her current research as an agricultural economist. This week we talk about everything from market segmentation to community resilience to the future of farming.
After a short break, The Grower and The Economist is back! This week, we welcome guest expert Lee Wonders, the National Sales Manager for Dosatron International. Lee shares his 20+ years of horticulture experience with our listeners. Before working at Dosatron he was a nursery grower, owner, and manager. Lee explains what water powered dosing technology is, how it works, and how to maximize the benefits on your farm. This episode is not only a crash course in automation, but also reminds growers to consider their own on-farm time investment.
This episode of features guest expert Professor Alicia L. Rihn of the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture and her research into what consumers want and what they are willing to pay for. Consumer demographics as well as regional influences impact what consumers are looking for from producers and what they will pay for it. Alicia's background in horticulture as well as business has helped her discover insight into the complex equation that leads to producer profitably. We discuss her research into adaptability and how small growers are able to adapt quickly, in part because they are better able to communicate these features and changes to their customers. And how these growers evolved during the pandemic to take advantage of shifting conditions and consumer preferences.
Peter and Michelle check back in with Brian Coppom, Executive Director of the Boulder County Farmers' Market. Nearly a year ago, the pandemic forced the market to reinvent itself. Farmers' markets are often a social outing where friends and families hangout outside, eat, and purchase local offerings. With COVID restrictions in place, Brian and his term transformed parts of the market into a distribution center and later a food hub. While sharing the market's journey, Brian also shares a lot of insight on consumer education and how food hubs can help small and medium-sized producers expand their offering and be profitable.
It's a long episode, but a good one!
Growing crops is a journey that requires continuous learning, flexibility, and a roadmap. Growers can be beginners or experts, hobbyist or business owners. Regardless of where you are, there is always a next level. To find that next level, you have to know what your next goal is. Rene shares his goal of getting the most out of his garden. To achieve that goal, Peter introduced him to "succession planning". With this framework, Rene is able to plan out his seasons on post-its in his basement. He can model his season and move the post-it notes around to ensure he has the right rotation of crops around his garden that maximizes output, soil health, and still meets the demands of his hungry family!
The Grower & The Economist welcomes Rene Rawhouser back for a two-part conversation about preparing for the 2021 season. Rene covers topics everything from crop scheduling, excitement around the newest seed catalogue, to his basement germination room. You will see that from home gardeners to commercial growers the tools are the same (a schedule is a schedule is a schedule), the excitement is the same, and challenges are the same but the scale or the number of zeros at the end of the numbers vary.
Growing and selling crops is a complex equation. Horticulture and business must combine to make a profitable business. Crop marketing means different things to different people, but in the industry all the terms are often combined. Michelle breaks down the different meanings of crop marketing and then dives into how growers can drive success by applying the principle of cost-business analysis everyday.
In the last episode, Peter talks about the importance of having a greenhouse to add some control and predictability to your operation. The level of control that controlled environment agriculture may not be fully recognized by most people. With more than a foot of snow outside, Peter is growing cocoa trees in his Massachusetts greenhouse. This is incredible. Chocolate, bananas, and coffee don't grow in the United States. They are the crops people point to when promoting international trade, yet with the right technology and understanding of plant physiology Peter is trying to change that.
This conversation started as a look back at the last eight months of The Grower and The Economist. Peter and Michelle each highlighting some of the lessons learned from 2020. The conversation quickly evolves into thinking about 2021. We start the year off with a huge lesson from Peter. To be successful, farmers and greenhouse operators need to have some control over their operations ... this means having greenhouse. While asset can be a challenge, Michelle breaks down the economics and shows how this experience can improve the cash flow, not just piece of mind.
Michael Cardenas and Jason Green from Heilux, Creators of LumaFilm® and GrowFilm® Brands of Products are this week's guest experts on The GATE. They share how a jewelry story light found it's way into agriculture and is now used by greenhouses, vertical farms, and even by home growers. It's used by growers of food and cannabis alike, because according to Peter, "a plant, is a plant, is a plant".
The lighting industry continues to evolve and grow. In this discussion we cover many of the different factors influencing the industry, from new government regulations requiring all horticulture be lit with LEDs to new technology raising questions about adjustable spectrum vs full spectrum lights. If you are new to lighting (like Michelle) or friends with all the lighting professors (like Peter) you will gain a better understanding of lighting and how it can impact your farm, greenhouse, or business.
This week, Peter and Michelle are joined by the owners of Bartlett Instruments Company, Dave Bartlett and Molly Dishman. This family owned company has been a manufacturer of instrumentation equipment and controls for over 70 years. We discuss how a family owned business compete and thrive in this space. Plus, Peter and Dave reminisce about where technology was 30 years ago and the cutting edge sensor and cloud computing innovations that Bartlett is rolling out for this customers today.
Beth Scheckelhoff is an Extension Educator with OSU's extension service and this week's guest expert. Beth explains the ins and outs of food safety. She works with farmers that sell everything from food to ornamentals. She gives them the tools, training, and advice they need to help keep employees and customers safe. COVID has increased our collective awareness of hygiene and best practices to stay healthy. Building on this knowledge, we discuss how basic steps like good communication and guides are the basis of a strong agricultural food safety program.
If you are looking for additional resources, please check out these links:
- Produce Safety Alliance at Cornell University: https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/
- Ohio State University Extension’s Produce Safety Site: https://producesafety.osu.edu/
Many small farms donate extra produce to local food banks and other charities. Can this be a good business decision? Or do some growers use it to hide losses? Michelle & Peter dig into some of the benefits and discuss how to record the donates so you know how profitable your operation is.
Happy Thanksgiving from The Grower & The Economist
J. Paul Brentlinger is the CEO of CropKing Inc and our guest expert this week. He shares how CropKing works to educate growers as well as the 2020 trends he has seen this year. Some of the growers he works with had to pivot in March and April but were able to adapt and grow their businesses throughout the summer and fall. We also talk about automation and how it's more affordable than ever farms that are 2-5 acres to start adopting these technologies.
Good bookkeeping is critical to running a profitable business. In the last episode, we covered fixed costs. Now it's time to understand variable costs. What are variables cost? When should you stock up on inputs that are on sale? When should you keep your money and cash and deploy it later? Michelle and Peter provide practical examples to keep this topic interesting and a strong tool for growers.
This is the first of a two-part discussion about cost accounting. We start with fixed costs. What are they? How do growers think about them? How can growers use better understanding of fixed costs to improve their profitability and make better business decisions? We include on-farm and off-farm examples to help better explain these concepts. Next time we cover variable costs.
Peter provides listens tips on what notes to take during the growing season. Now that the season is wrapping up, Peter & Michelle discuss ways to leverage your notes from all season to make improvements next year. Good recordkeeping is critical, learn why and how to make it easier to implement.
This week's guest expert is Brian Krug, Greenhouse Technology Leader at Corteva Agrisciences. When Brian & Peter met, Brian made the rookie mistake of taking Peter's advice without ever testing the new technique on a small portion of his greenhouse. Years later, they've presented together many times on why trailing is important for growers and best practices. This is the first time Michelle joined the conversation adding more context from the economic and profitability prospective.
Labor Day weekend is the end beginning of the end of the summer season. Peter and Michelle look back at the last 6 months and discuss how the COVID pandemic changed the food system and created new opportunities for small and medium sized farms. It's been a difficult year, with a lot of transitions. Peter and Michelle learned a lot from recent Guest Experts. In this episode, they synthesize the lessons that all growers can take into the fall and winter as they start to think about next year.
Guest Expert Mario Ortez is a PhD Student at Purdue University in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Mario joins Michelle and Peter to talk about his family coffee farm in Nicaragua and his decision to start producing and selling specialty beans. He grew up on a farm that grew commodity beans. After studying agribusiness and becoming the owner of a small plantation, Mario wanted to become a coffee connoisseur and explore specialty coffee. Differentiated specialty coffee production opens the door to differentiated sophisticated consumers in markets with high purchasing power. These customers want the story behind each cup of coffee and Mario and his brother want to tell their story.
Read Mario's article from Purdue University's Center for Food and Agricultural Business blog here.
Connect with Mario on Twitter or @MarioAmadoOrtez
Natalie Olofsson interviews her friend Sophie Gregoretti who is president of their high school bee club, a position she never expected to have before her freshman year. Sophie does not come from a farming or conservation background and she stumbled into the club. Now she teaches students about bees and their importance in our food system. Michelle & Peter learned a lot this week and we hope you do too!
Sophie works with Alix Bartsch of the Lexington Bee Company.
Where do we learn about food and nutrition? Who's responsibility is it to teach our children about food and nutrition? The fact that 7% of American adults think chocolate milk comes from brown cows according to the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy found, suggests that there are information gaps. Formal education is limited, schools teach less than 5 hours of nutrition education per year. Athletes have started sharing their routines, but that might not be the right diet for the average person. Many people look to farmers, but do they have the time, expertise, or training? This week we dig into ways to increase food and nutrition education.
In Part 1 with Rene Rawhouser, she shared why he gardens and how he got started. When gardening there is always something new to learn. Rene shares a few of his favorite grower resources and some of the changes he's made over the last ten years to help meet the demands of his consumers. In the beginning Peter helped Rene accelerate his growing confidence, but as a former teach Rene is very aware that we are never done learning. New challenges arise and new best practices are created. This year a new gardener in Rene's community is testing the limits of tomato production by planting with more than two times Rene's density. Will this be something Rene adopts next year?
According to Brent Preston of The New Farm, a gardener grows food and a farmers grows and sells food. This week's guest expert is Rene Rawhouser blurs the line. He is an avid gardener, who feeds 15 people on his 2,500 square feet of land. Like commercial growers he needs to think about crop schedules, extending his crop season, and rapidly changing consumer preferences. Unlike farmers, he doesn't get paid. Instead he is rewarded by knowing he is providing quality vegetables for his children and grandchildren. In part one, he shares why he gardeners, how he got started, and when he reached his capacity limits.
Like many people living under stay at home orders this spring, Natalie picked up gardening. From carrots to potatoes gardening has been interesting and surprising. On this episode, Michelle questions whether Natalie's at home vegetable production helps local farmers or is competition for them. If the people planting gardens were the people purchasing from local farms, then won't they lose sales. Peter thinks gardening helps and uses Natalie's amazing potato example as proof.
This is part two of our discussion with summer intern Natalie Olofsson on local and regional food. We've discussed how much local food is sold to farmers' markets. Another major buyer is school lunch programs. We also look more broadly food and produce education. The younger generations are interested in learning more about where their food comes from. Yet, knowledge is still low and growers have a lot of room to educate their customers.
This week we welcome Natalie Olofsson to the show. Natalie is a student at Lexington High School, in Lexington MA and is interning for The Grower & The Economist. Natalie conducting some research on local food. How much food is sold locally, what is sold locally, and where are people buying it? During the next few episodes we look at local food from three perspectives, a grower, an economist, a consumer. We've learned that increasing demand for local food is a huge opportunity for our audience.
Peter and Michelle met talking about indoor agriculture. Michelle used her seed industry experience to talk to indoor growers about improving their variety selection. As an experienced grower and educator, Peter helped growers integrate new varieties and crops into their current rotation profitability. This week we dive into why to consider new varieties and then how to adopt them on your farm. Peter's three-year plan offers clear benchmarks for success.
Greenhouse Product News' June Edition is out. This month Peter's guest expert is Michelle. In this article, they dive into cultivar selection, plant breeding, and seed quality. Even though we are 10 episodes in, this was the first article we wrote together, hashing out the details in Peter's greenhouse last February.
Read the article here.
GPN's top 100 growers list raised a lot of questions for Michelle & Peter. We prize large operations but is it possible to be small and successful? This question is more pressing today because nearly 40% of greenhouse growers went out of business during the Great Recession. Is another round of consolidation coming or will a coronavirus induced recession be different? Here are some ways the small farmers can survive this time around.
Danielle Schwab is the founder of Illuminate Supply Chains and the host of the Illuminate Your Plate podcast. She has a background and global trade and supply changes and now she has built an online space to connect eaters with their food. When the supply chain disruptions started and restaurants shut down, Danielle started making calls. She wanted to help get food from farms to households looking for fresh products. There is an interest in fresh food and understanding our food supply chain right now and Danielle is a natural teacher. She helps farmers tell their stories and helps consumers understand where their food came from.
This week, Mike Novakowski is our guest expert on TheGate. He is the New York sales representative for Harris Seeds. Mike spends his weeks visiting produce auctions and talking to growers about their season and current events. While the news headlines paint a terrible picture of the state of agriculture. Mike shares stories of sold out hanging baskets, grocery stores buying from local auctions, and his own personal experience with a roadside stand. This year Mike has experienced a great sense of community and new buyers from near and far!
Visit The Cheshire Farmacy or on Facebook
Guest expert Kevin Jakiela is co-founder of Toronto-based Just Vertical. In this episode, Kyle shares how Just Vertical got started, what makes their product unique, and changes his company has seen since the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year. Kyle and Peter share a passion for pushing the boundaries for what can be grown indoors. Peter is working on growing root crops in greenhouses and Kevin has tackled quinoa in his beautiful system.
To watch Just Vertical's Toyota video: https://vimeo.com/379326825
Demand for high protein foods continues to climb. First, it was Aktin's and South Beach Diets, then gluten-free foods. Now, COVID-19 has forced meatpacking plants across the United States to close and meat processing was down over 25%. Consumers will likely look for protein-rich alternatives. Peter goes through crops that you can add to your rotation this summer that fill this demand.
Peter as worked as a researcher and a garden center operator. In both stages of his career crop scheduling has been critical. Understanding how to schedule successive crops to ensure consistent sales is important in remaining profitable. Now as a presenter, Peter takes what he has learned from years of hands-on work and teaches other growers about timing, adjustments, and dumping. By understanding your timing, adjusting it with Peter's rules farms can achieve better profitability and reduce shrinkage.
Farms are adjusting their product offers in light of COVID-19. Working with new crops means a new production schedule. This episode gives guides for growers trying to achieve maximum profitability as quickly as possible.
Every season growers decide what crops they are going to grow. Now, COVID-19 has closed restaurants and changed how consumers shop for their food. In light of these changes, it might be time for growers to rethink what they are planting. Peter dives into principles of selecting which crops to produce to help each grower decide if they want to have a mono-culture or a many culture farm and how to use the 80-20 rule to increase productivity.
Brian Coppom, Executive Director of Boulder County Farmers' Markets joins Michelle and Peter to talk about the changes he's seeing because the market cannot meet in it's traditional format. Brian and his team are coming up with creative solutions to help pair customers with growers and make sure that locals still have access to high-quality fresh foods.
Get to know the Grower - Peter Konjoian & the Economist - Michelle Klieger. Peter and Michelle have teamed up to bring small and medium-sized greenhouse growers information they need to transition their businesses during the coronavirus crisis of 2020. Peter draws on his experience as a grower, a garden center owner, and a research, while Michelle shares up-to-date economic analysis about the food and agriculture sector.
This week you will get to know the team - next week we dive right in.