Greenhouse Grower to Grower

Ep. 37 - A Frank Conversation on the Challenges Facing the Future of Horticulture Research

Growers in the floriculture industry face many challenges when it comes to retaining key talent and building the next generation of industry leaders. The same holds true for both university Extension and the supplier community, two critical segments of the greenhouse market. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, I talk to Melinda Knuth of North Carolina State University, and Brian Schulker of Jiffy Group, about a range of topics, including how researchers, manufacturers, and growers can all work together to navigate the barriers each of these market sectors are faced with, and what might happen if we don’t face these challenges head on. Here’s our conversation. 

Ep. 36 - Up Close With John Mark Courtney of Kind Earth Growers

The cover story of Greenhouse Grower’s November issue provides a closer look at Kind Earth Growers, a wholesale plant nursery in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, that offers more than 215 species of seed-grown native perennials and aquatic plants under 20,000 square feet of controlled-environment production. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, you can hear my full conversation with Kind Earth owner John Mark Courtney and learn more about how his passion for native plants led to the launch of a new business that has become well known for its focus on quality and education about native plants. 

Ep. 35 - The Garden Trends You Need to Know About With Katie Dubow

The Garden Media Group released its official 2025 trends report in early September. In this episode, I sat down with Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, to get a first-hand look at what’s in this year’s report, and how you as a grower, or if you’re in another segment of the industry, can respond. Here’s our conversation.

Ep. 34 - Get to Know Lauren Kirchner of Spring Creek Growers

Lauren Kirchner left Waller, Texas when she was 18 to pursue a career in marketing and finance. She never thought she’d return to join her parents in running Spring Creek Growers, but that’s exactly what happened. Over the last couple of years, Lauren worked with her parents on an ownership transition at Spring Creek, and that was quickly followed by perhaps an even bigger challenge: a deadly tornado that came through the area earlier this year. Not only did Spring Creek come out of that stronger, it helped Lauren become a better leader. I recently caught up with Lauren to talk about what she’s learned along the way, how she works side by side with her team, and how she’s helping to develop the next generation of gardeners, Here’s our conversation.

Ep. 33 - Get to Know Tom Costamagna, Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Head Grower of the Year (Part 2)

Last week’s episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower was part one of my conversation with Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm, Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Head Grower of the Year. Please check it out if you have not already. In this episode, I continue my conversation with Tom, where we talk about the tools he uses to solve problems in the greenhouse, how he works with the ownership and growing teams at Young’s Plant Farm, and more. Please enjoy the rest of our conversation.

Ep. 32 - Get to Know Tom Costamagna, Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Head Grower of the Year (Part One)

Earlier this year during Cultivate’24, our team at Greenhouse Grower presented our Head Grower of the Year award to Tom Costamagna of Young’s Plant Farm. Tom has a rich history in floriculture, and following the award presentation, I had an extensive conversation with Tom about everything from his background, to how he thinks outside the box when problem solving, to how his early influences have shaped the type of grower he is today. In this episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, you’ll hear part one of our conversation. 

Ep. 31 - Aren Phillips of Walters Gardens on Smart Greenhouse Technology Adoption

Aren Phillips is a Greenhouse Systems Manager at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI. He is a team leader on several projects at Walters Gardens, including sales forecasting, automation, data collection and analytics, and the potential of artificial intelligence. Aren was part of a panel discussion at Cultivate’24 on smart technology adoption, and he will also be presenting at the Great Lakes Expo in December on live labor tracking, streamlining ERP systems implementation, and more. I recently caught up with Aren to talk about these topics, and why he’s taken a strong interest in greenhouse technology. Here’s our conversation.

Ep. 30 - How Josh Smith of Kopke’s Greenhouse Brings a Tech-Sector Mindset to Horticulture

Josh Smith is Vice President of Kopke’s Greenhouse in Wisconsin. During Cultivate’24, Josh joined Tamara Bartlett of Bartlett Instruments for a discussion on bringing a tech-sector mindset to greenhouse production, and how to eliminate time-consuming tasks and develop SOPs for automating common greenhouse practices. In this episode, Josh talks about his background in technology, how he brings a forward-looking approach to team-building, process management, and strategic and tactical planning, and more.