Written by Al Zylstra

Hey, welcome back…to reality that is. Becoming reacquainted with reality is a wonderful and valuable incidental benefit of a crisis, economic or otherwise.  Anyone that has faced the imminent probability of death has a better appreciation of life; or that has faced the potential of economic ruin or loss has a better appreciation for the benefits of economic success and conservatism; or that has staked their fortune on the promises of “greenness” and learned that it is still about quality product, quality service, fair prices and good business management.

Once again it was confirmed that the most important factor in the year to year success of our business is how many sunny Saturdays there are in April and May.  Once again the day to day success of our industry has been confirmed to be how well you manage your business.   Yes, “a penny saved is a penny earned.”   Once again we appreciate the “magic of compound interest” relative to the “amazing wealth building capability of the equity markets” in the tortoise and hare race to business and personal success.

Three years ago we suspected that burning corn to heat our greenhouses was a no-brainer in reducing the costs of heating our greenhouses.  Now, having seen the cost burning our food sources for fuel exceed the cost of gas, many growers have a better appreciation for the “magic of turning on the gas valve” and paying attention to money, managing, marketing, and merchandising to achieve profitability.

Two years ago we thought, maybe, that growing organic crops in a sustainable cow manure pot and delivering them in a carbon neutral fashion was the key to success.  Today we are learning that delivering a “good quality” on time for a good value wins the race regardless whether it is organic, grown a thousand miles away or was delivered in an electric car or a diesel truck.

One year ago we were afraid there might be a recession and weren’t sure how it would effect our “recession resilient” industry.  Today we appreciate the fact that, as we are, we are in fact the original green industry, that, to a degree, we are recession resistant, and that our success is, still, generally dependent on how well we manage our businesses and how many sunny Saturdays we have in April and May.

6 months ago we were pretty sure that the “big stuff”…fancy patio planters, 16” hanging baskets, and “high end” do-it-for-me products were the way the market was going.  In the past 2 months we realized that when the consumer is faced with economic reality, or at least fear of reality, the 4” bedding plant is still a popular item and grandma’s vegetable garden made sense.

Sure, organic production, greenness, sustainability all have a place in the market, and will be viable market approaches for some growers,  but most consumers (sorry, but it is true) still just want to have a beautiful patio, or a complement from their neighbor for a nice looking yard, even if chemicals and plastic are involved.   And, the general trend toward do-it-for-me products will most likely prevail.  But, this past season demonstrated to most growers in the US that success come with a focus on the basics of good greenhouse and nursery business.   Pay attention to the details of your cost per unit of production (fuel, labor, water, chemicals); Grow a crop of quality appropriate to your market, deliver it on time and in good condition; help your retailer merchandise your product well, treat your customers, employees and family well, boom, there you have it…success.

My father can’t remember a lot these days about a lot of things but when I talk to him about how to succeed in business…something he did well, he remembers:

• Gotta show up every day to make sure things are going as they should.
• Gotta take home the same amount, good year or bad, so you can reinvest in the business to keep up with the ever present grind on profitability and keep your family happy…at the same time.
• Gotta pay attention to the details.  The devil is in the details.   Turn off the lights when the sun is shining, turn down the heat when you don’t need it, open the doors before you turn on the fans.

So here we go again, coming back to business as normal, a bit wiser, a bit chastened, and confident that we have a beautiful product, that is already green, that people want even when times are bad, and that we can be successful even if we aren’t super green, wonderfully sustainable, earthily organic, or politically correct.

So, if this inspires you to want to buy a high efficiency boiler or heating system, to capture and re-use your runoff and rain water, to install a high efficiency flood irrigation system…give us a call and we will be happy to help.  If not so much, at least right now, that’s fine too…but congratulations on surviving a tough one and achieving another successful season in spite of it all.

Al Zylstra

Written by Les Evans

A conversation overheard at the last TrueLeaf sales meeting:

Jim: So is there anything else we need to discuss?

Les: Why has it taken so long for our industry to use a water treatment technology that has been used elsewhere successfully for years?

Jim: Good question.  Write an article about it, due Thursday.

Les: Ugh…Gee, thanks.  Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut?

Jim: You?  Keep your mouth shut?  Good one.  Now write.

Les:  Ouch, that hurts.  Ok.  So what’s my “angle”?  You and Al always have a good angle in your articles.  You guys have a gift.  I’m an engineer, not a writer; I need some guidance here…

Morris: Well, what else is ozone used for?  Isn’t it used all over the place?  Why don’t you just tell people about those every day uses?

Les:  Great idea, I am glad I thought of it.

…. And so here it is, an engineer’s article or “blog” as some like to call it…

I was only aware of a couple of the below uses of ozone.  Ozone probably affects more people’s lives every day than we realize.  Maybe something as simple as this list will begin to help demystify it and shed light on why we haven’t seen much of it in our industry.  Maybe it’ll help me answer why it should be used more in our industry. (List brought to you by the use of bullet points, a non-writer’s favorite literary tool.):

• Bottled water - ALL water bottled in the USA must be ozonated!  100% of it.  It disinfects the water, the small amount of air in the bottle and the bottle itself.  In case you were curious, there was over 9.4 billion gallons of bottled water consumed in the U.S. in ’08; 24 gallons per person.
• Ozone is the most powerful disinfectant used by public water systems today.  Ozone is taking over for UV and is much more effective than chlorine in destroying viruses and bacteria, making it the most most popular method for new and retrofitted waste water treatment plants.
  • Dallas and Los Angeles are the largest and second largest waste water treatment plants in the United States.  They both use ozone as the primary treatment, and have done so for years.
  • Fact: More than 5 Billion gallons per day of drinking water is treated with ozone in communities within a 400 mile radius of Los Angeles, California.
• Ozonation is the most common way of treating water at aquariums, sea parks, and zoos.  It safely kills disease-causing microbes and fungus without the use of harsh and increasingly regulated chemicals.
• Ozone is especially well suited for disinfection, preservation, and for sterilizing packaging and equipment in the food industry.  It destroys microorganisms without adding chemical byproducts to the treated food, food processing water, or the atmosphere in which foods are stored.
• Ozone systems provide safe, decentralized water treatment that can be used on-site for surface sanitation of products, equipment, and even the gear worn by personnel in various industries.
• Ozone is used in the dairy, poultry and swine industries to produce safe, clean, chemical free drinking water, improving the health of the animals and greatly reducing the costs of supplements and medicines.  The poultry industry also uses it for meat sanitation and packing.
• Ozone is used to reduce microbiological growth and other factors that affect the performance and lifespan of cooling towers and other heat exchange equipment.
• In hospitals ozone is used:
  • To disinfect surgical instruments,
  • To destroy the ever increasing resistant strains that are produced by constant chemical use.
  • In some capacity for enemas!  (I didn’t ask any more questions),
  • For HIV treatments, cancer, fungal issues, non-healing wounds, the list goes on…

So, if it’s so darn great, why isn’t ozone widely (or even hardly) used in our industry?  Like so many of our customers and colleagues in the industry, I’ve known about ozone for years and I’ve wondered why it hasn’t been embraced more to treat the myriad of water issues that we see.  After consulting with our own expert, Charlie Hayes, as well as outside industries that have been utilizing the technology for many years, I think it can be summed up by the below (oh goody, more bullet points):

• The equipment price itself. Yes, I’ve listed it as first, because it’s the most obvious and has most likely been one of the biggest reasons we haven’t seen it around as much as in the larger industries.  As it’s used more and more, it has logically gotten more and more affordable. It has seemed like a pricey capital expense, but if one looks at the actual annualized or monthly budget expenses for the alternatives, it compares favorably in direct costs per month.  Then once it’s “paid for it self” it’s only input is electricity.
• Efficiency and durability of the equipment. With its do or die live plant applications, our industry demands fool proof water treatment equipment and until the last decade or so, it hasn’t really been available.  It is now ready, and has been tested and proven, and on a scale (see above note regarding 5 BILLION gallons/day) that should tell our industry it’s worth looking into.
• Sounds too good to be true.  The “snake oil” factor. A few bad apples… Companies in the past tarnished ozone’s credibility because they sold thousands of poorly manufactured units and didn’t support them.  These cheesy units were sold as silver bullets for any and all water issues and simply didn’t work.  Things have changed considerably and there wasn’t a true systems approach to water treatment until the technology improved and more professional companies got involved.
• Conspiracy theory. I don’t want to make too many enemies here, but the chemical companies certainly have enjoyed the presence of higher capital cost treatment solutions.  For most growers, it’s certainly much easier to keep purchasing the relatively low cost chemicals rather than spend the money on a piece of equipment that would eliminate that cost.  Or is it…?

The bottom line is that treating water with ozone is not something new.  It is a mature technology.  It has been used in industries where, like ours, it is critically important.  It has been used for many years in these industries and continues to take over for the older, less effective and less reliable technologies.  It is safe for the environment. The EPA does not require any record-keeping or reporting of ozone use.  It is green.  The USDA and FDA all accept it and it’s certified organic at ANY level, even on food.  There are NO by-products.  There is no other disinfectant or treatment product within the USDA and FDA that is so accepted as is ozone.

I invite you to learn more about ozone by calling us or researching it yourself.  (And let me know if you’d like a good source for hospital quality, ozonated, extra virgin olive oil; it works like magic on our family’s boo boos).

We’re pleased to have a guest bloggers. The message below was written by Ernest Wertheim and Jack Klemeyer, the principals of firm of WERTHEIM VAN DER PLOEG & KLEMEYER Architecture, Landscape Architecture, & Planning.  If you are in the retail side of the plant biz, you may know them as they are one of the leading garden center design firms in the world. If you aren’t retailing, their message is still valuable to consider, as it discusses a basic element of business survival: planning ahead to thrive.  You can view their website by following this link. Good reading! Jim Rearden

It’s a “catch 22″: when you’re busy it’s hard to find time to plan, and when you’re not busy it’s hard to justify planning projects due to lower profits. But when business is slow, that’s exactly the opportunity you have to be thinking ahead about what can be done to improve your facility when the funds become available. Not every project has to be expensive; it might be something as simple as painting a wall to provide a better focal point for a special display, or moving a checkout station to a better location to reduce congestion. Think about the opportunities — and never forget the total picture, too many “bandages” can in the long run be very expensive.

The parts of the process:

The most important part of any solution is to define the problem correctly in the first place. This is not always easy when you’re close to a given situation, and may need some professional help, but you can start by making a list of how the problem manifests itself: is there congestion at the entrance and exit? Is there a lack of a Wow! factor when customers enter your facility? Are sales unusually slow in a particular part of the store? Are there portions of your outdoor sales area that customers never seem to get to? Are parts of your facility looking “tired”? Are there disabled access issues that need to be corrected? Seek input from your staff, encourage people to share their thoughts with regard to problems they have noticed. You can also assemble a focus group of some of your more valued customers to determine whether they have pet peeves they would enjoy seeing corrected — ideas to improve your facility or customer service.

Once the problem is identified, then we need to find a solution; this may be simple, or it may be complex, but whichever it is, think about ways to solve the problem with minimal disruption to your business. There may be some trade-offs — but there is usually more than one way to resolve a problem.

Even if all the parts of the solution are not totally identified, estimate the cost, either on your own or with the help of a professional (painter, contractor, architect, engineer, etc.); keep this cost estimate current — as more details become available, update the cost estimate. If the solution involves permits, be sure to include the expenses associated with obtaining them.

Think about the timing of executing the solution. What sort of preparation is needed? If you are improving your restroom facilities as a result of the customer focus group feedback noted above, what sorts of interim solutions will be needed while the new restrooms are being built? Can they be built one at a time, such that one “unisex” restroom will be available while the other is being renovated or expanded? How will access be maintained during the construction period?

If, as in the example of the restrooms above, the solution involves construction, be sure to carefully investigate the following, potentially with the help of a professional who is familiar with the local regulations:

• What approvals are needed, and how long will they take to obtain? Will design review approvals be needed before proceeding with the documentation needed to obtain a building permit?

• What is the cost of these approvals, and for what period will they remain valid? In many jurisdictions, building permits expire after 90 days if construction has not been started, and can be renewed only once, for an additional 90 days. So in general, it is best not to have a building permit approved until you know you are ready to begin construction. Planning approvals generally remain valid for a longer period of time.

• Do you have adequate documentation regarding the existing conditions prior to starting the planning process, including non-physical items such as the location of easements? Is accurate topographic information available, and current?

• Prior to even thinking about solutions, familiarize yourself with the basic zoning regulations affecting your property. Is the present facility considered a legal but non-conforming use, due to it having been in existence prior to zoning ordinances having been passed? Will this prevent any significant additions or improvements? Will variances be required (which take time to get approved)?

• Will storm water retention requirements affect what you want to do, and if so, to what extent? Is there adequate space for a retention pond without affecting other activities on the property, and is the location one that storm water can be drained to without the use of pumps?

• Identify any professional help you want to involve at an early stage, and verify their availability and the timing of the total work; even on small projects, there is a big value in including an experienced professional on the planning team.

• Think about the space that will be required for secure storage of materials, the contractor’s employee parking, a job office, and preventing conflicts with customer traffic.

• Will sustainability be a part of the solution? Do you want to become a community example for recycling, renewable energy sources, composting, and the like?

• With regard to financing, are investment tax credits available, and if so, will they make the project more financially viable?

So how do I start?

As noted above, the first step is to identify the problems. If there are several, list them, and then think about prioritizing — which are the most important to solve? Thinking doesn’t cost very much — rank the problems in their order of importance, and then think about potential solutions. Will some problems require less time and money to fix than others? If there are good solutions to important problems but the solutions are expensive, make the solutions part of the overall budgeting process. Start a “solutions” fund, investigate financing, and start planning for the future.

Conclusion

We’re all facing some difficult economic times right now, but that doesn’t mean this is not the time to be thinking about how to improve your facility. It is easy to stand still, but a fresh look — even in the simplest of terms — keeps customers’ interest, so it is important to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of having a “tired” facility that suddenly needs a major facelift. Making small improvements each year is a lot easier on the pocket book, and much less disruptive to your business. Keep the business growing!

Written by Al Zylstra 

And then, miraculously, everything went perfectly…just as planned…

“Dire situations inspire ingenious solutions. If worse comes to worst, people will apply all their imagination and skill to deal with the problem.” This historically popular saying is summarized by Plato, simply, as “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

It would be difficult to appropriate a more immediate, and graphic, example of this than the recent “Miracle on the Hudson” of Flight 1549. The accounts of heroism and other forms of outstanding human performance are many, and I applaud them.

But, as a pilot for many years, I not only hold huge admiration for the skill and focus demonstrated by the flight crew of Flight 1549, I also have an additional perspective. The successful outcome of this incident, and the fact that it was an incident at all and not a disaster, really was all about preparation. You see, Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger and his First Officer Jeffrey Skiles performed a perfect execution of what every pilot contemplates, reads about, trains for, and practices on a regular basis, and is (or at least should be) thinking about every time we depart the runway, and throughout course of a flight: “Where on earth do I put this thing if the motors stop now?” And if you frequently fly over water, you will also have thought through and practiced many simulated ditchings, as Sullenberger acknowledges he has done.

While landing on the Hudson was indeed an extraordinarily difficult feat, it was the result of disciplined focus and years of practice and preparation for just such a moment. When the moment came, Capt Sullenberger “just” did what he had for so long prepared and practiced for. My guess is that he had gone over so often in his mind it probably even felt familiar to him. A less prepared and practiced pilot would easily have panicked and may have attempted one of a handful of other perceived options and crashed in a densely populated area with disastrous results.

Plato is also ascribed with saying: “A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished man might not be found even among a hundred thousand men.” Capt. Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles are, fortunately for the passengers, accomplished men.

The current economic “recalibration” represents a “dire situation” for many in our industry. And we need to apply all of our imagination(s) to deal with the problem. What can we do better? How can we improve our product to make it more appealing or more cost effective for the customer? How can we improve our operation to be better prepared for next season? Is your crew practicing now to be prepared for the inevitable oops that happens during a busy shipping day?

Never say die. When I ask growers and retailers about the forecast for the upcoming season, I hear from a few that they aren’t putting much on the bench this year, or they are holding back orders for their garden center because they are uncertain about the outcome. But, I continue to hear the more disciplined and accomplished professionals in our industry state their view that it still comes down to weather and preparation for the selling season ahead and they are ready and anticipating a good season this year. A successful year this year may not be defined as fantastic but if growers grow it, and retailers retail it, and the sun shines enough, the people will come and buy it, (same as always, huh!) we can have “as good a year as can be had” in these circumstances and we too will have a good landing, just like we prepared for.

Ready or not, here it comes………

Written by Morris Brink   

In the January 2009 issue of GPN, Kurt Parbst (President of LS USA Svensson) wrote an article called “Measuring for Curtains”. He parallels that while the new US president is measuring for new curtains in the White House, it might be a good time to be looking at your greenhouse to see how you can improve your growing environment and conserve energy. In that vein, TrueLeaf can help you.

Parbst says, “In plant production, that comes via automating labor-intensive processes and reducing the cost of space heating. Once you have identified the space that must be heated, investments should be considered for making heating economically efficient.” We agree 100%. One of the best ways to heat your plants is using bottom heat, the reason for the creation of the company called BioTherm almost 30 years ago. BioTherm tubing, now called MicroClimate tubing, has hot water running though it to provide the ideal root temperature for your plants.

After all, happy plants make happy growers, which make happy customers! And the result is more profits, hopefully.

There are many different ways to heat your plants. TrueLeaf Technologies prides itself in taking a systems approach for each of its customers, no matter what their size. By looking at a structure and the needs of the grower, the perfect growing environment can be created for the plants. What kind of heat do the plants need; do they need lights; what is the best way to irrigate them and what will the fuel sources be are some of the questions that need to be answered.

Today there are many fuels you can choose to produce your heat and, as Parbst said, there are “federal monies available, as well as state and utility-based programs. Some utilities are giving rebates of 20 to 25 percent and financing the investment on the monthly energy bill without finance charges.” This makes retrofitting existing energy eating structures into more efficient ones feasible to many growers. With the additional available funding, we have seen the payback period decrease to just a few years.

Parbst also said, “‘have you conducted an energy analysis to identify opportunities to reduce energy use?’ Once you know where the bulk of the energy is being allocated, you will know where to focus (your) efforts.” Trueleaf Technologies has been completing Energy Assessments to growers around the Nation. An Energy Assessment will show a grower benchmarks of where they are today and how best to unlock hidden profit dollars in their operation. The trained assessor not only looks at the heating components of the greenhouse, but all components including glazing, controls, irrigation, fertigation and labor.

Are you considering upgrading your heating system or do you want to know how efficient your current operation is? If so, don’t hesitate to call us now.

To read the article by Parbst in the January GPN issue, please click here:

http://www.gpnmag.com/Measuring-for-Curtains-article10009

Written by Jim Rearden   

I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the inauguration of the next President of the United States of America next week in Washington, DC.

I believe that this will be an historic and pivotal day. I am not suggesting this as a partisan sentiment. To me, it is a nationalist sentiment. Not only does this country need a leader who can unify the disparate elements that make up this great land, we need a fresh start.

And no matter what you think of the incoming President, you will likely agree that he’s got a Herculean job ahead of him. It’s likely that much of what he accomplishes (or messes up) in the next four years will not even take effect until afterwards. It concerns me though that the expectations are so high that failure is imminent…that the pedestal he occupies now will crumble when the realities of “the art of the possible” set in.

Regardless, I am pressing the “pause” button on my Teutonic stolidity, taking a break from my “I’m from the show-me state” attitude. I am suspending the skepticism that has protected me from getting too excited or seriously disappointed when things don’t happen as expected. I am suppressing these attributes right now because I want to believe we’re on a better path. I am going to rally behind it and shush my inner doubting Thomas.

I have heard that the biggest problem with “my” baby-boomer generation being in power is the need to be skeptical about EVERYTHING. It’s part of the rearing under a nuclear threat thing or something.

Why can’t we just be a little less “skepticynical” and buy into the dogma – the almost evangelical belief that we have a “Leader” and a collective resource of hope and optimism?

Unabashed unity and belief in a bright future and just taking things on faith are what got this country through the depression, world wars, and will now bring us out of this era of fear and despair.

I’m just saying that my generation has sold us on cynicism as a way of survival when we should be getting back to basics, family, faith, loyalty, and teamwork.

Call me overzealous if you want….but look for me on TV on the 20^th!

Speaking of Zealousness:

I spoke with the infectiously enthusiastic Ernest Wertheim the other day. Ernest is known as the pre-eminent architect of premiere garden centers and has been around the world of creating environments for selling plants for more years than most of us. My utmost respect for Ernest keeps from even trying to do the math as to what his chronological vintage is. Also the fact that he is more vital than a good number of my contemporaries keeps me from spending much time on this contemplation. I suspect Ernest is a wee bit older than me…but that’s as far as I’ll go.

Ernest believes that the new administration should convert the grounds of the white house from grass to a modern Victory Garden. A place to grow flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Think of what a boon to our industry that would be!

If you love that idea, let Ernest know at WVK@aol.com .

Written by Al Zylstra

Recession/depression/economic adjustment/financial meltdown/conflagration of Wall Street and financial industry greed/housing market bubble bursting/deleveraging….whatever it is you want to call it…! How much longer will it last? What can growers expect this spring?

I’m going to go out on a limb and will hereby prognosticate that we will soon see that we’ve already hit the bottom of the trough, and have already been bumping along the bottom for a few weeks or so. And after another month or so we will begin the slow, initially jerky but none-the-less steady rise back to economic normalcy, whatever that actually is.

So, you heard it here, and if it proves true, remember that! If not, well, you should read the Wall Street Journal for that kind of information anyway.

How can I say that? Well, first, I spent a chunk of my previous life in the financial industry and learned a few things and endured a few significant economic cycles along the way; I believe history is the best predictor; I read a lot about the economy every day; and I pay close attention to developing economic trends. I’ve had a pretty good track record of anticipating what is going on….note please that “pretty good” is a long ways away from “perfect”.

So, if you care to know: First, the news media can only report what has already happened, and thrives on reporting the most negative aspects of what has already happened. Hence, by carefully reading the economic opinions and recited data it is revealed over the past couple weeks that a preponderance of the negative news is from a few weeks back…late end of November, and much of that has been trending back toward the positive for a couple months already. The stock market and commodities markets began settling down from their wild gyrations a few weeks ago and these markets generally reflect bets on future activity not past results. The financial industry came to the brink of ruin, but managed to survive by the good graces of the American public and some folks in DC that were paying attention for a change, and while not completely behind us the recovery is beginning. The auto industry is in the throws of what appears to be a nearly identical process and with some major adjustments to come is not going to be allowed to fail, at least in a wholesale fashion. The housing sector appears to be at or near the bottom and poised to stabilize as fresh capital and spring demand come into the market. The consumer retail industry is currently engaged in the post holiday collapse that has been anticipated already by the stock market and will emerge much leaner and smaller in just a few short weeks (but its going to sound really bad for a while). A new Executive administration is soon to enter office with all of the promise that usually brings (and a lot more than normal this time around); and, finally, the largess of taxpayer funds is just beginning to pour into the market in historic portions to stimulate the living twiddle out of us.

Add to all of that the inimitable American public’s refusal to stay down for long and our demonstrated ability to pull ourselves up when things look the bleakest, and you have the makings of a recovery.

The government has arrived to help, how can it go wrong?

What’s it mean? We are back to the one basic reality we all know is the primary driver of the success of our business from one year to the next…something even more fickle than the economy, the weather in spring!

There’s nothing that drives garden center sales like a pleasing weekend forecast and a sunny Saturday! And when people have already been enduring the long winter of bad weather and financial discontent, and have decided that they can’t or shouldn’t splurge on some big luxury ticket, they will probably be even more excited/incited to go pick up some plants to perk up the garden and the deck and get on with life…celebrate the news that the economy is improving and get a little more enjoyment out of the “staycation” they’re planning this summer and feeling better about, anyway.

Will you be ready to capitalize on it? Or, are you planning to contribute another self fulfilling prophecy of doom?

I think the growers that plan to capitalize on it will win in two ways: 1) They will get the business that they usually get, and 2) They will get the business of the growers and retailers that didn’t plan to capitalize on it.

Do you want to participate in the coming economic recovery? It is coming to a garden center near you soon!

2009 is gonna be Extra Fine!!

Written by Jim Rearden   

A few months back, I was sitting around with a group of CEOs and company owners and one of them made the comment that his company had “chosen to not participate in an economic downturn”. Trite and cute…but I’m not sure how many companies will emerge from this period of time completely unscathed, such is the unprecedented nature of this mess. I’m pretty sure that his gourmet salami sales aren’t where he would like them right about now.

Regardless, there is an awful lot to be said about putting your head down and just “pushing through”. Given the alternative, it seems to be the only way to go, and like never before, the need to be optimistic and awake at the wheel is vital.

For our business, which has made its living from greenhouse construction, and renovation, it means spending a lot more time on the latter as the former is not really in vogue right now. For want of fresh capital in the credit markets and other very valid reasons, many growers have put their next building project on the back burner for now.

The way we see it, the positives that come from times like these are operations that run leaner and in a higher state of tune. Something about building all that new greenhouse space seems to take one’s eye off the ball operationally. This thought process is based on my firm belief that many growers really like to build greenhouses above everything else and the plants that are sold out of them are just a means to an end.

However, right now, many builders, ahem, I mean growers, are having to take this time to focus on existing facilities to squeeze the most profit out of what they already have. Walking around your older greenhouses with a clipboard may not be as glamorous as the process of staking out that brand new acre, but it sure needs doing.

This is a time that those precious few points of efficiency can fall right to the bottom line. And getting around to a point here, this is where we can help.

We’ve been really busy doing efficiency assessments for growers recently and it’s amazing to see how much “low hanging fruit” there is in a typical greenhouse operation. Trimming the sails may not be a simple thing though – having a qualified set of eyes to take that clipboard walk could make mighty good sense for you.

Got an email this morning from a grower we did that for last year. In our work, we modeled their greenhouses and found that a change in boiler appliances made good sense. We suggested one of our “near-condensing” boilers and it turns out that our suggestions are working to make their business more secure in this hazy time. Here’s what the email said: “Hi, My Oct. NW Natural bill says we used 13% less gas this year than last October, in spite of a bunch of freezing nights uncommon for this early in the year.  I’m certain that the new boiler is responsible for a good part of that.  And #8 is warm! Ellen”.

This kind of thing is going on all over the place, and it makes us very proud. It can happen for you too. So, keep your head up….this too shall pass, and while you’re thinking about it, drop us a line and let’s take that walk together.

All the best,

Written by Al Zylstra

Sustainable, Green, Energy Saving, High Efficiency…all terms that grab our attention these days, as they should.  Greenhouse operators need to keep up on investments in efficiency as energy costs rise, just to keep those costs in line with revenues. But just like the last energy price run-up, and the ones before that, the efficiencies and resulting savings claims often invite further scrutiny, and they should. Most efficiency related investments still have compelling merit even with actual un-inflated efficiency claims.  It will pay to sift through those claims, carefully, you will save money either way.

So, if you invest in a greenhouse curtain system that “saves 40%”, and that new fangled heat mat that “uses 30% less energy”, and it is powered by a new “99.8% efficient” boiler, and the newest greenhouse covering that “cuts heat loss by 25%”, does that mean your greenhouse eventually will no longer need heat?  Or, maybe the gas company will send you a check every month…hey, I like that deal, get me two!

One of my favorites is the “99.8% efficient” boiler for heating. Does it really exist?  Well, sort of. A boiler that can operate at 99.8% efficiency really exists, it just doesn’t happen to be 99.8% efficient when used to heat your greenhouse. Then it is more like 89 to 94% efficient, depending on the type of heat delivery.  That’s still good, and may be worth the investment, just not as dazzling.  So, you gotta ask the question: “will it be that efficient in my facility, in this application and these temperatures?”

And, be cautious of claims about how bad your existing equipment may be. I recently heard from a grower that was told his boiler “lost 3-5% efficiency, every year”.  My oh my, that would be very bad!  Maybe in one year, if it isn’t maintained properly, but not every year.  But it sure made a new boiler sound better.

So, don’t be shy about asking those hard questions of the person working hard to compel you to invest in a more efficient product or system.  They are probably telling the truth, just make sure you get the facts that apply to your facility and your application.  Facts often are at least as good as fiction.

Written by Jim Rearden   

There’s so much hype about fuel “alternatives” lately. Walking around Ohio, there were probably 10 booths selling all sorts of solutions to have an “alternative” to the gas man or the oil man. One booth even showed a machine that you could manufacture your own dense little fuel pellets from local bio-mass.

Kind of reminds me of the ’80s…without as many mullets.

What happened back then might be happening again though. Of all the growers that put in alternative ways to heat their greenhouses, most all of them abandoned them after “traditional” fuel prices fluttered back to earth. I think, maybe, that these growers realized that they needed to spend their time growing a quality plant or flower, and the pay for a default title like “alternative fuel manager” was not so rewarding.

Do you really feel like you want to add staff to push around giant stacks of wood chips?  Do you think building a facility to house “urban waste” makes sense? What if your local community decides that they don’t really like the fly-ash you are all of the sudden generating?  What about the space for that giant water tank you need to have? How about the maintenance for all this stuff?  What about the trucks that are going to be lining up on your driveway delivering all kinds of stuff to burn?

TrueLeaf Technologies is no stranger to any of this. We were there last time…and I guess it means I’m getting old because I remember that what some growers forgot about then was the importance of using the heat source they already had as efficiently as possible. This might mean that you could be better off changing the way you deliver and control your heat. It might mean using traditional fuel sources through a new “condensing” boiler.

I think the word “sustainable” needs to be used to describe solutions that can be sustained for a long economic and environmental life… not as a knee-jerk, green-washed investment of distraction in something out of your core business.  What I’m saying is that history is our greatest teacher, so give yourself a reality check before you decide you want to spend time driving around looking for old shipping pallets to burn. You might want to spend that time at Pack Trials next spring instead….

If, after all, you decide alternative fuel is for you, we are here to help so give us a ring. But be prepared because we might ask you a few tough questions first. We think that’s our job here.

Here’s to your future efficiency!