Tag Archives: state parks

Guest Lecturers: Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak

Who knew that on horticultural product sales alone Delaware’s Green Industry brought in over 21.7 million dollars. Horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and any other plant life. Unlike agriculture, horticulture does not include large-scale crop production or animal husbandry. Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak delivered a beautiful presentation on Delaware’s Green Industry. They captured our attention with a variety of pictures and laid out their information filled lecture in a way that was easy to follow along. Throughout the lecture they went into depth about what and who the green industry consists of; producers, retailers, landscapers, golf courses and suppliers. After learning about the different aspects of Delaware’s Green Industry, Ms. Wootten and Ms. Budischak spoke to us about a couple of organizations that Delaware is a part of. Their goal is to educate horticultural related businesses as well as homeowners to promote the use of products in the green industry, enhance the quality of those products and to protect the environment.

Before this lecture I didn’t realize how much our state is involved in managing and improving the area around us. The next time you’re on the highway, look at the grassy median, most likely there have been specific flowers planted to enhance the sides of roadways and to bring some of the native plants back to Delaware! Horticulture never meant a lot to me before this lecture but after hearing Ms. Wootten and Ms. Budischak speak I have a new-found appreciation and respect for all the work that goes into this industry, it’s not all roses and daffodils!

Guest Lecture: Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischack

Tracy Wootten and Valann Budischak came in to our class and gave a very interesting lecture on Delaware’s green industry. Economically, Delaware’s green industry generates over $21 million every year. This includes landscapers, producers, retailers, golf courses, and many other fields. They told us a lot about how a nursery works and the types of plants they produced. I was surprised to learn about the Delaware Christmas Tree Grower’s Association. I once worked for a nursery who sold Christmas trees, so it was very cool to learn that there is an association for those that grow them. I also thought it was interesting that landscapers do so many different jobs within Delaware to keep everything looking nice, including landscaping between the highways in an attempt to keep Delaware beautiful. They also told us about the State Parks, which own the most land in the state, and all that they do in Delaware.