Learn about greenhouse environment at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference

The Canadian Greenhouse Conference has prepared a speaker program that addresses the challenges faced by today’s flower, vegetable and nursery growers. Two full days of sessions is aimed at equipping growers with information necessary to thrive in today’s marketplace. Complete details are on the website www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com Here are some highlights:

Garden centers/retailing
New this year is expanded sessions for garden centre retailers and nursery growers. Large operation or small, if you are retailing you will want to attend both days of the conference this year as retail guru, John Stanley provides inspiration and information to help you attract customers and increase sales. Wednesday, Stanley shares 10 Tips from Garden Centres Around the World and a full day marketing workshops follow on Thursday. Len Ferragine from one of Ontario’s premier garden centre establishments, Bradford Greenhouses, draws on his experience to share the elements of marketing and how to find what will be effective for your business.

The CGC brings you industry professionals from across Canada helping you prepare for next season with great advice on trends and plants for the Canadian gardener. Indigenous plants can withstand our tough Canadian climate. Bob Osborne, Corn Hill Nurseries, NB, shares his favourites from over 30 years of retail and cultivation. Learn how to market an urban habitat that is both beautiful and beneficial to pollinators with Ken Beattie in Fall Forward - the Final Act.

Bridget Behe, Michigan State University, sheds new light on what younger (and our future) customers are seeking from our industry, our retailers and our products. Come away with a better understanding and practical strategies to approach boomers, Gen X and Gen Y.

Environment
Light and humidity defines a greenhouse environment. Finding what works best for your operation and balancing the return on investment is the challenge.

Youbin Zheng, University of Guelph, will help growers determine which lighting technologies will work best for their operation while Abhay Thosar from Philips Lighting clarifies the economics of LEDs. Erik Runkle explains the science behind the technology and how it can be used to influence the morphology of young plants.

Humidity control is considered by many to be the largest challenge in commercial greenhouse cultivation. Theo Blom begins the session by explaining common terms. Kurt Parbst, Director of Business Development for Envirotech Cultivation Solutions in Richmond CA, is keen on the importance of an efficient and environmentally sensitive growing environment and will discuss the benefits of capturing latent heat while removing moisture. Albert Grimm, Head Grower at Jeffery’s Greenhouses in St. Catharines, Ontario explains how proper humidity control can result in improved crop quality, reduced plant losses and increased profits.

Grow your business and your network; time invested at the conference pays dividends throughout the year. Register in advance to take advantage of discount pricing. Complete conference information is available at www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com