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Product, Service, & Operational Trends of the US Retail Florist Industry, 2003 Study Co-Sponsored by WF&FSA, Over 1,000 retail florists throughout the US identify their current mix & form of cut flowers, potted plants, and non-perishables. This report also reveals momentum trends for product usage of 85 floral crops and over 30 hardgood/accessory "gift shop" items. Also profiled are florists’ service offerings, operational trends, types of sales (sympathy, party/wedding, commercial, wire/web, etc.), mode of sale (in-store, wire, web/Internet), direct sourcing of floral products (by-passing local wholesalers), and florist "success" measures. Trend comparison with 1998 Prince & Prince study. All findings are segmented by ten Census regions, market urbanization, age of florist owner, and florists’ annual sales. Floriculture Crops A product of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This full-text report presents data on floriculture crops including cut flowers, flowering potted plants, foliage, bedding/garden plants, cut cultivated greens and special Hawaiian crops; data includes area in production, price and value of wholesale sales, and intentions for next year for 36 selected states and growers having $100,000 or more in sales; also number of growers and growing area for growers with $10,000 or more in sales. Floriculture
and Environmental Horticulture Outlook and Yearbook. ERS has resumed
its Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture report, which was last published
in 1999. It is now available twice a year, as an electronic outlook report (issued
August 28) and a yearbook (issued May 24), both available online. These reports
provide current intelligence and forecast the effects of changing conditions in
the U.S. floriculture and environmental horticulture sector. Topics include production,
consumption, trade, prices received, and more. Economic Viability of Using Hardwood Residue Chips as a Heating Source for Nursery Greenhouse Operations in Tennessee by Kim Jensen, Jamey Menard, Burt English, and William Park of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. This study examines the economic feasibility of heating greenhouses with hardwood residue chips. Resources for Greenhouse and Nursery Operations and Operators - a vast array of resources that managers in the green industry will find useful regarding starting a business, horticultural distributor companies, greenhouse manufacturers and general supply companies, websites for information on nursery and greenhouse production, integrated pest management, and much more. Establishing a Greenhouse Business - Starting your own greenhouse business is a huge financial and personal decision to make. A key to making this decision is to know all of the facts. The following publications provide information regarding site establishment, determining product mix, cultural practices, and economic considerations of greenhouse production. Click on the links provided below to peruse the latest research-based guides to entering the greenhouse business.
Determining Costs of Production - The most important factor affecting the success of wholesale nursery businesses is the associated costs of producing and marketing landscape plants. The economic tool for determining costs of production is referred to as enterprise budgeting. The following publications specifically address typical costs faced by nursery operators today:
Risk Management for Specialty Crops - Risk is an inherent factor in the production and marketing of specialty crops. The following resources provide excellent information regarding the proper management of production, marketing, financial, legal, environmental, and human resource risks.
Software for Greenhouse Growers - One of the questions most often asked is "What software alternatives are out there for the nursery industry?" While the list below is not meant to be all-inclusive, it is a good point from which to start in analyzing which software may be best suited for your firm:
E-commerce applications in the green industry. Although e-commerce performance in the green industry has been mixed to date, opportunities do exist to apply information technologies to the marketing of green industry products and services. An excellent overview of B2B and B2C e-commerce strategies recently appeared in CIO magazine. A recent presentation also provides an introduction to applications in the green industry. While appropriate B2C models are still being evaluated, B2B models/portals have been highly touted as useful tools for e-procurement and online exchange. A few of the most popular B2B green industry sites (provided only as examples of this latest trend - not an endorsement) include Plantfind.com, Growit.com, NurseryNetwork.com, PlantsAvailable.com, Plant and Supply Locator, LMI Trees, PlantSearchOnline.com and PlantAmerica.com. TnNursery.com's marketplace type website has information for locating Tennessee-grown nursery products and supplies specifically.
Spectrum Net Designs offers services to the Green Industry including internet access, website registration, website hosting, website design, and website marketing. Growing and Marketing Bedding Plants by J. Raymond Kessler, Jr. Extension Horticulturalist and Assistant Professor Auburn University. This paper (ANR-559), published jointly by Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities, takes a look into consumers demand for bedding plants and how the greenhouse industry can respond to this demand. The ATTRA Greenhouse and Hydroponic Vegetable Production Resources on the Internet provides a multitude of links to articles related to tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and other general greenhouse vegetable production. Other topics include hydroponic vegetable production, aeroponics, greenhouse design and maintenance, and greenhouse production systems. The Bottom Line in Greenhouse Tomato Production by Edmund A. Estes and Mary Peet of North Carolina State University. The primary purpose of this report is to provide a guide for greenhouse tomato growers so that they can estimate their operational bottom line, that is, calculate the difference between gross revenue and total cost. At the end of this report, a complete greenhouse tomato budget is developed and presented in a series of tables. Purdue University Floriculture Extension's Greenhouse Management articles cover topics from floriculture production to Best Management Practices and implementing a Quality Control Program in your nursery or greenhouse. Additionally, there are links for conversion guides and formulas and an on-line metric converter. Energy Conservation for Commercial Greenhouses written by John W. Bartok, Jr., an authority on greenhouses for over 30 years. This newly revised, highly practical book reviews the merits and limitations of current energy-conservation strategies for commercial greenhouses. Topics covered include principles of heat loss, site selection and modification, construction materials, insulation, fuels and heating, ventilation and cooling, space utilization, utilities, strategies for reducing trucking costs, and managing for efficiency. Supplementing the text are 53 illustrations; 26 tables; equations and calculation examples; and four appendixes -- an energy conservation checklist, heat loss calculations, selected product manufacturers and distributors, and useful conversions. The book, a revision of the 1989 version of the same name, will be of interest to anyone who is constructing a new greenhouse, considering renovating a greenhouse, or simply looking to increase energy conservation and efficiency in daily greenhouse operation. The website is a detailed review of the book, which can be purchased for a fee. Greenhouse Systems: Automation, Culture, and Environment. This proceedings from a July 1994 international conference provides in-depth information on the engineering principles of greenhouse system design and management. The papers are grouped into four sections concerning automation, culture, environment, and systems integration. Papers cover fundamentals and describe the application of those fundamentals in system selection. The website provides a news release, table of contents, and the fee for purchasing the proceedings. Greenhouse Engineering. This manual contains current information needed to plan, construct, and control the commercial greenhouse. Major sections describe various structures, methods of materials handling, the greenhouse environment, and energy conservation. Other topics include plans for noncommercial greenhouses, access for the handicapped, and remodeling existing greenhouses. A large appendix includes conversion tables, worksheets for performing calculations, and sources of greenhouse construction materials and contractors. The website contains purchase information and a news release. Focal Point Communications has been producing creative brochures, newsletters and sales aids for the green industry since 1987. Landscape companies, lawn care companies, trade associations and suppliers use Focal Point for solutions to their marketing challenges. Tax Information for Businesses. This website, provided by the IRS, is a good source of information for tax rules and regulations. The Small Business/Self-Employed webpage, also provided by the IRS, offers information and links for starting a business, employee records, employer id numbers, and many other aspects of owning and operating a small business. Greenhouse
and Nursery Industry Trade Magazines
(and other commercial publications):
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Green
Industry Yellow Pages, Inc. - www.GIYP.com is a powerful search directory
serving both the retail and wholesale sides of the green industry. Customers worldwide
are searching GIYP for green industry products and services. As a buyer, GIYP
allows you to research the products that satisfy your needs. As a seller, GIYP
is a marketing medium that promotes your brand and marketing message. GIYP also
offers website development and direct mail services.