Aug 20, 2010

Rocket Farms, Ecke Ranch Create Joint Poinsettia Certification ProgramSource: Rocket Farms

Rocket Farms recently partnered with Ecke Ranch to create a comprehensive training program that will provide growers with the knowledge to grow superior poinsettias.

Rocket Farms recently partnered with Ecke Ranch to create a comprehensive training program that will provide growers with the knowledge to grow superior poinsettias. Poinsettias are a highly technical crop, and given the lack of universal standards, there can be wide variations in quality. Rocket Farms will leverage Ecke Ranch’s established expertise to teach best practices, which will give both retailers and consumers confidence that they’re buying the highest-quality, longest-lasting poinsettias.

“The Ecke Ranch name is synonymous with the best poinsettias in the industry, so we are incredibly pleased to work with them on this certification program,” Marc Clark, executive vice president of Rocket Farms. “We look forward to drawing on a combined 150 years of growing expertise to bring a new standard of quality to the market.”

The training began in early June and will continue through October, covering sophisticated techniques in crop care including irrigation, fertilization, lighting, height management, pest control and black cloth management, and other methods to increase crop quality. These techniques will be applied to plants throughout the growing cycle. Training will take place on site in California, at both Ecke Ranch in Encinitas and Rocket Farms in Salinas. Upon completion of the established metrics for training and material comprehension, growers will receive a certificate for successfully completing the training program.

“Even though they are so prolific during the holiday season, many people don’t realize how challenging poinsettias are to grow,” said Steve Rinehart, chief operating officer of Ecke Ranch. “We realize that consumers want to know the poinsettias they buy will last once they leave the store, so we have gone the extra mile in training to grow the best possible product.”

For more information on the training program, contact Rocket Farms or the Ecke Ranch directly. For more information, visit rocketfarms.com or www.ecke.com.