February 2010

What Are Your Plans for This Spring? By Tim Hodson

Even though it is only February and there is still plenty of winter left to “experience,” spring is right around the corner. You have probably spent the last few months totally immersed in planning for this spring, so I have a question for you: What are your plans for 2010?

How did the struggling economy of 2009 influence your decision-making process for 2010? What lessons did you learn last year, and how will they affect your plan for this year? Will you be growing more or less? How has your product mix changed? What was the reason for the change?

What consumer trends have you been following that you plan to take advantage of? Is 2010 the year you launch a retail operation to complement your wholesale business? How will you tackle sustainability? Are you contemplating getting some kind of third-party certification for your business?

Will you increase your prices this year? If so, by how much? How will you manage your labor this year? Inventory? Energy costs?

Have you started to do any planning for 2011 yet? It’s never too early.

I like to ask questions, and I love to hear answers. Let me know what you are planning to do in 2010. Drop me a line at thodson@sgcmail.com.

A Couple of Articles to Devour

Are you growing more vegetables this year? Consumers were hungry for edibles in 2009; did that trend influence your variety selection for 2010? If you are growing more vegetables in 2010, we’ve got a couple of fantastic articles in this issue to help you out. Be sure to check out the article on page 34, “Vegetables: Here Today, Growing Tomorrow,” as well as Dr. Erik Runkle’s Technically Speaking column, “Height Control for Vegetable Transplants,” on page 50.

Your Digital Resource

Have you had a chance to check out the 2010 GPN Digital Resource & Buyers Guide yet? Just go to www.gpnmag.com and click the animated icon at the top of our home page for access to GPN’s handy online vendor directory. The 2010 GPN Digital Resource & Buyers Guide provides you with digital access to the supplier information you need to help you in your business. The Buyers Guide is searchable and interactive, and you can even download the entire guide to your computer desktop for easy information access.

Be sure to check it out!