Young people, regardless of which generation they represent, have always held the same role in society: The enthusiasm of our culture. Whether today’s Millennials or 1960‘s Baby Boomers, or 1940’s Greatest Generation, when people are in their 20s and 30s, they directly contribute to cultural optimism and freshness of new beginnings and original ideas. They haven’t been alive long enough or seen enough to be jaded and skeptical, so young people have a distinct sense of possibility. (more…)

by Alex Huebner
Change was in the air throughout the Greater Columbus Convention Center during this year’s edition of Cultivate. From the construction happening all around, to “The New Now” theme of the show, to the spirited panels and seminars, all sides of the business were facing and embracing a new chapter in the horticulture industry. (more…)

COLUMBUS, OH –Ken Fisher, AmericanHort President and Chief Executive Officer, announced exciting changes are coming to Cultivate’17.
Since 2012, AmericanHort has worked with event experience engineers to discuss strategies to improve and grow the Cultivate experience for exhibitors. “The primary goals were to utilize the planned expansion of the Greater Columbus Convention Center to enhance the exhibitor and attendee experience, and to address the requests of exhibitors to provide additional opportunities to connect with current and potential customers,” said Fisher. (more…)

by Sally Colby
Ko Klaver grew up on a flower bulb production farm in The Netherlands and currently operates a successful cut flower consultation business, so he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to growing and marketing cut flowers.
“There is a huge opportunity because of where we are culturally as a nation,” said Klaver. “We’re seeing the need for sustainable, locally grown cut flowers – flowers that are going from the field straight to the vase without a major carbon footprint that comes with traveling all over the world.” (more…)

by William and Mary Weaver
“At harvest, the quality clock is ticking. Post-harvest losses can be staggering. I decided to specialize in post-harvest handling when I saw how much of the loss could be prevented,” stated Dr. Steve Sargent of UF/IFAS Extension.
The waste is huge. From field to retail in the United States and other developed countries, losses of unmarketable produce can be as high as 23 percent and average 12 percent. (more…)

by William and Mary Weaver
Root vegetables, many of which can still be planted in July for fall and late fall harvest, are becoming more popular as new varieties, new uses and a growing consumer interest in healthy food boost demand.
Small red beets, for example, are being marketed cooked and brined in small snack packs with crackers and cheese, making a great value added product. Beet greens are growing in popularity as a mild salad green. (more…)

by Sally Colby
Food-borne illnesses make headlines. Although E. coli and Salmonella are the most common causes of illness related to contaminated food, Listeria has started to appear more frequently in the news.
Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at Penn State Department of Food Science, says that a lot of Listeria research has been focused in dairy, meat and poultry. “In produce, because of some of the issues we’ve had, we want to understand what the organism is,” he said. (more…)

Recently, I met someone who works in management for a midsized corporation in Minnesota. Her company has hired several Millennials to work in their on-call help desk service. But the company discovered that whenever the supervisor wasn’t in the room, the majority of their young staff would shirk their work and instead jump on Facebook or text their friends. The phone lines would light up, but if no boss was around, the kids ignored the calls.
Due to this, part of this woman’s job is now to periodically pop in on the Millennials unannounced, to make sure they are still working. (more…)