Today, these two very informative ladies came and spoke to us about the green industry in agriculture. I was very interested in this presentation because they taught us about sodding which is something I may like to do in the future for a golf course or sports stadium. They also told us about all the different types of plants such as perennials and yearly plants. I was surprised to hear that there were so many sales in this industry in the past couple years. Horticulture sales were over 21 million dollars in 2014. There are also so many different fields in this area such as sales, marketing, nursing crops, growing Christmas trees, and lots of plant science. I am thankful for this presentation because it gave me an idea of what I would like to do in the future.
Category Archives: Horticulture Industry
Guest Speakers Tracy Wootten & Valaan Budishack: “Delawares Green Industry”
“Delaware’s Green industry is a big industry, but it’s not just plants” (Valaan Budishack). Tracy Wooten a horticulture specialist at the Delaware Technical Community College and Valaan Budishack, acting director of the botanical gardens of the University of Delaware, discussed with the University of Delaware’s students about the horticulture industry, how the plants are grown, careers within it, and what each of those careers entail. The horticulture industry, unlike many major plant production industries, is the cultivation, processing, and sale of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and ornamental plants as well as many additional services where plants are grown in nurseries and later sold to the customer or retail businesses for public purchase. Retail businesses, like many other consumer goods businesses, provide small quantities of plants or other goods in the desire of the customer through their development of advertising techniques, specialty plant lines, and other methods. Additionally, with the aspect of sales of plants, the creation of many other careers is associated with it.
Within this industry, there are producers which are the growers of the plants, landscapers, one that designs and cultivates properties for those who want to improve the look of their property or need help in sustaining and maintaining it, land managers, which “prevent environmental damage and harm to wildlife through careful management of the development and use of a region’s land resources” (Wikipedia), golf courses, and lastly suppliers, who provide the essential equipment such as fertilizer and other resources to help contribute to the success of the industry as well as those growing plants on their own. Essentially, with the many careers and growth of plants, the horticulture industry is able to continue to grow and sell plants as well as keep jobs within it which allows the industry to further continue to contribute to the sustainability of the economy and agricultural industry and in the sustainment of the beauty of the environment locally and worldwide.
Additionally, from this presentation, many things about the horticulture industry can be learned which can help myself and the other students develop a better understanding of the industry itself; and learn something that grabbed my interest which is that there is a lot of technical thinking and processes to grow plants, get them to the market, and sell the plants in a way that will attract the consumer to buy so the industry can continue to grow, market, and sell plants today and within future time.
Delaware’s Green Industry – Tracy Wooten & Valann Budischak
On October 17th 2018, me and my class were lucky enough to receive a guest lecture presented by Tracy Wooten and Valann Budischak on the greens industry in Delaware. Being a landscape architecture major I was very interested in all the information that they had to share with us. Before this lecture I was unaware of how extensive the greens industry is and all that it encompasses. The greens industry had a total product sale of $21,774,000 in 2014, which is a pretty substantial source of income for those in the field. I was also unaware of the differences in crop groups, those two crop groups being floriculture crops and nursery crops. The greens industry is also expanding as a whole after going from $16,615,000 to the total product sale in 2014.
One of the largest sections of the greens industry is landscape design and maintenance. Many people are unaware of all the tasks that landscapers perform on a daily basis, which include mowing, invasive control, fertilization, hardscaping, stormwater management, lighting, irrigation, water features, and tree health to name a few.
Some of the important greens industry associations are The Delaware Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as the Delaware Livable Lawns, which are two companies that lookout for the well-being those involved professionally in the greens industry as well as the consumers that are directly affected by changes to the green industry.
After this guest lecture our class is now much more informed on how integral the greens industry is to the economy and the well-bent of those that live in Delaware.
Delaware Green Industry
On October 17, Our AGRI-130 class has two very nice ladies Mrs Wooten and Mrs Budischak came in and give a lecture on the green Industry and the diffrent types of jobs you can acquire from working in that field. Also they mentioned that you never know what you are going to be getting into when you are looking for jobs. You may want to be one thing and later on down the road you find out that you want to be something completely different. Also what surprised me the most was how much revenue was in the mark of green agriculture. And that it bring in so much money in the state. From there lecture it help broaden my knowledge on the green Industry and how everything you do can involve the green Industry in one way or another.
Delawares Green Industry
I have never clearly thought about the Green Industry till Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak opened my eyes about it. They told us about how many different people make up the green industry which included; producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, golf courses and suppliers. The green industry in 2014 composed of $21,774,000. Thats a lot, I would have never thought the green industry could bring in so much. Floriculture crops include bedding and gardening plants while the others being nursery include broadleaf evergreens and deciduous shrubbery. This industry involves many different job opportunities. The economic impact in this industry is unreal, from small walk through greenhouses to Lowes the impact this industry has in general is insane. I would like to thank these wonderful ladies for the important, eye opening information.
Delaware’s Green Industry
What is the Green Industry?
The green industry 2014 Horticulture Product sales were $21,774,000 alone in DE cash receipts of greenhouse/nurseries. Sales are very dependent on consumers wants and needs. Although that isn’t a major difference from other industries the difference lies in the time needed to grow and produce plants that can take years. This is important for the horticulture industry to stay on top of current and future trends. The people that make up the industry are producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, golf courses, and other suppliers. Retailers help bridge the gap between people and horticulture plants with the displays of plants and shrubs placed together at stores. Consumers then have a visual of how to place the plants within their own homes and are more intrigued to purchase the plants. Landscapers have deep knowledge of plants and their needs and of land maintenance and design.
Nursery production is categorized into six main production types, which include containerized, B&B, bare root, field grow bag, balled and potted, and in-ground containers. The nurseries are producing two types of crop groups. One of the crop groups is Floriculture crops. These are your bedding and garden plants. The other is Nursery crops, such as broadleaf evergreens and deciduous shrubs.
To be able to contribute to the green industry our land has to be healthy. To ensure that, Delaware Livable Lawns, is a voluntary certification program, that certifies homeowners and lawn care companies that follow environmentally friendly fertilizer application practices and teach homeowners on the best practices to use.
Greens Industry Guest Lecture
I enjoyed this guest lecture by Tracy and Valann introducing us to the greens industry. First off, I don’t have much background knowledge of this industry at all, aside from my personal experience tagging along on trips to nurseries or flower shops with my parents. I thought that Tracy and Valann both were super charismatic, and I loved how they both emphasized that you never know where your life and career will take you. I also thought it was a great perspective to have someone who’s background was in the business world, who just sort of fell into an Ag industry. An introduction to many facets of the industry was provided by these two women, so I learned a little bit about everything. I never realized how vast of an industry it is. I also thought that there’s so much business involved in this sector of the Ag industry. This lecture made me think about the food industry, and how the business side of the industry always desperately wants scientists who also understand the business side. It highlights to me the importance of business knowledge, no matter what field you go into.
Delaware’s Green Industry
On October 17th 2018 the AGRI130 class had the pleasure of guest speakers Tracy Wooten and Valaan Budischak. These women first spoke about what exactly the “Green Industry of Delaware” was. The Green Industry of Delaware includes horticulture among other types of agriculture. Horticulture is the art or practice of garden cultivation and management. This entails a large variety of planting methods from greenhouses, farming, and even growing plants in your home garden. At first I was not aware of how big the green Industry was in the state of Delaware. However, I learned quickly that this is a very important part of Delaware’s Economy. For example, in 2014 Delaware’s Green Industry from $21,744,000 from sales. The shear amount of money was mind-boggling to me. This was a very interesting and thought provoking guest lecture discussion. Before this guest lecture I thought that this was a very basic and not that interesting of a topic. However, now that I have heard exactly what the Green Industry of Delaware is I am really interested in this topic.
Delaware’s Green Industry
I’m really interested when our guest speakers decide to tell us about their experience through college and what has led them to where they are today. Valann Budischak’s past experiences have definitely stuck out to me as I was reflecting back on their presentation. She majored in business while in college, which led her to work her way towards being a regional account manager for Dewalt Black & Decker. Her career path changed once she had two kids and didn’t want to live on a train or a plane anymore commuting for long hours. She took a chance and was accepted to be an executive director for the Delaware Nursery & Landscape Association. I am definitely starting to believe that you just need to pick a path and life will lead you where you are meant to go. In regard to their speech about Delaware’s Green Industry, I never realized how big of a market it is. It makes a lot of sense as many homeowners, restaurants, golf courses, all want to look presentable and plants have always been a great option. This creates so many possibilities within this market. Some of these jobs include producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, suppliers, etc. I am glad I was exposed to an industry that I previously didn’t give much thought or attention to.
Delaware’s Green Industry
The horticultural industry is a sizeable business within Delaware. The total horticultural product sales in Delaware in 2014 was $21,774,000. They produce two different products that are floriculture crops, such as bedding and garden plants, and nursery crops, such as trees, plants for home use, and evergreens. The total grower sales nationwide was $8.0 billion for Nursery crops and Floricultural crop sales was $4.8 billion. The major crops are split up into nursery stock, bedding/garden plants, sod, potted flowering plants, and mushrooms. Christmas trees are one of the most popular horticultural products sold in Delaware and the Delaware Christmas Tree Growers Association a big part of the horticultural industry. It was really interesting to learn about how important marketing and design is when selling plants. Designing displays for the plants that the customer will see is a major factor in selling plants as it educates them about what their house will look like if they purchase the plants. Retailers have specialized and made their customer service better to attract new customers who are not as knowledgeable about plants.
Green Industry Lecture
Tracy Wooten and Valann Budischak presented the class with a guest lecture on Delaware’s Green Industry. The Green Industry is basically the people who are involved in producing, selling, managing, and controlling Delaware’s plant life, including the plant life that people have at their own homes. This also includes landscapers, golf courses, and the suppliers of equipment and other products. The green industry was responsible for almost twenty-two million in horticultural product sales in 2014. This statistic was surprising to me, as it shows that the green industry can be a lucrative industry to work in. There is profit in starting many of the businesses associated with the Green Industry, such as the greenhouse and nursery producers, the retailers that sell their products to the consumer, and for the landscapers that maintain the product. Many of their business profits rely on the consumer and what they desire at the time. Business branding, marketing, and advertising are all important to sustain the Green Industry. All the different types of jobs associated with the Green Industry once again show how the agricultural community is very diverse and is in need of people with different backgrounds.
Delaware Lawn, Turf, and Land Management Industry
Last Monday Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak came and talked to us about Delaware’s green industry. The $20 million industry is made up of producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, golf courses, and equipment suppliers. They started off by talking about the producers. Producers and growers grow anything from flowers to bare root plants and grass plugs. They sell their products to a broker or wholesale nursery who act as a middle man and sell the products to the landscape companies, big box stores, and garden centers. The end users will get the products from one or more of those three sources. Part of the green industry is land management and conservation. We learned how important vegetation is for filtering water run-off from roads and parking lots. In fact Del DOT has started only mowing margins rather than whole areas along roads so that the vegetation will filter run off. Another big part of land management is controlling Invasive species which is a huge problem in Delaware.
Delaware’s Green Industry
We had the opportunity to learn about Delaware’s Green Industry during a guest lecture by Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak during one of our classes. Both of these ladies were incredibly knowledgeable about this industry. They first spoke about what exactly encompasses the “Green Industry” of Delaware. Then through out the lecture they shared many pictures and information about the many aspects of the industry from producers, retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and many others in the industry. I learned that these sales are very dependent on consumers wants and need, which isn’t uncommon for any industry, but the catch it that some of the plants grown for sale take several years to grow. This aspect of the horticulture industry makes producers really have to stay onto of current and future trends of their buyers. These buyers include everyone from regular people to landscapers.
They also talked about how there are many nurseries and garden stores that really hone in on trying to give the customers a connection to what they are buying. These businesses often will provide pictures of what the mature plant will look like, and then help the customer pick what plants they want based on the area they are trying to grow them. This connects back to making the consumer feel connected to agriculture, a common trend of consumers these days. Overall, I learned a lot about the Green Industry as whole. This industry is something I’m not all too familiar with so it is cool to see how other agricultural industries operate in their similarities and differences.
DELAWARE’S GREEN INDUSTRY
On October 17th, 2018 we had guest speakers Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak talk about Delaware’s Green Industry and Horticulture. They started off the lecture by talking about the Green Industry and how in 2014 it came in at $21,774,000. The people that make up the Green Industry are producers, retailers, landscapers, land managers, golf courses, and suppliers. Within nursery production there are two types of horticultural crops that they grow. Floriculture crops are your bedding and garden plants and the other one is nursery crops such as broadleaf evergreens and deciduous shrubs. Within the industry is many ways that they are grown and sold. This varies from container planting to balled and burlapped. From here the plants are sold to either a retailer or directly to the consumer. Retailers help bridge the gap between people and horticulture plants by having displays with the plants in different designs. This allows people to see what they can do with them without being a plant expert. This is where Landscapers play a part in this industry. Landscapers have a vast knowledge of plants and perform task from designing a landscape to maintaining a landscape. This involves knowledge on mowing, invasive control, fertilization and plant identification. I found this to be an interesting lecture since I am a Landscape Horticulture and Design major. Thank you Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak for being amazing guest speakers in are class.
Delaware’s Green Industry
When I go to pick out plants and shrubbery for my house, I never think about how it is set up in the nursery I go to or how it got there. I also don’t take into account how the business marketed people like me to encourage business. In listening to Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak break down the industry was an eye opening experience. In talking about the different types of crops, floriculture and nursery, gave me a breakdown of what is housed where and why. Floriculture crops are those that are bedding and garden plants; those of cultivated greens, cut flower, potted plants and so forth. Nursery crops are those in which are broadleaf evergreens, shade trees, flowering trees and many others. To even think about having a job of deciphering these plants and finding the best homes for them not only has to be difficult, but also seems very rewarding. They also talked about the different ways businesses put themselves out there. It may be through posters and signs or events based around a certain age group. The main goal of these businesses are to expose as many people to the wonderful Delaware green industry. In hearing about all the work that goes into keeping our roadsides trimmed and beautiful is just one more example of the hard work that Tracy, Valann, and so many others put into their jobs in order to keep Delaware beautiful and appealing to its visitors.