The STEM Podcast show

The STEM Podcast

Summary: STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros is a podcast created specifically for commercial greenhouse growers, horticulture professionals and the customers they supply – including but not limited to retail garden centers, nurseries and landscape professionals. Hosted by Ball Seed’s Bill Calkins, each episode will feature a guest sharing timely and relevant horticulture ideas, innovations and technology, as well as current greenhouse industry topics and news – practical information for greenhouse professionals.

Join Now to Subscribe to this Podcast
  • Visit Website
  • RSS
  • Artist: Bill Calkins
  • Copyright: Copyright 2018 All rights reserved.

Podcasts:

 Creating Your Trial Plan | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:57

Our guest today is Jason Twaddell. Jason was one of the first guests on STEM almost a year ago, episode number 3. And he’s back to tackle a completely different topic this time. Jason is Sales and Marketing Manager with Ball FloraPlant and Selecta One, companies that sit on the cutting edge of new genetics in the vegetative world and also understand the importance of trialing for many reasons we will explore during this episode. Jason will dig into the Why, What and When of trialing in an effort to highlight the importance of this critical piece of the growing puzzle. With margins getting narrower and the tolerance for inefficiency and shrink dropping to near zero, trialing and testing new genetics before replacing existing varieties is more important than ever. Some of the topics he covers include trialing to solve problems and not just to evaluate what’s new; improving labor–intensive processes and the importance of an internal champion to maximize resources. Jason details the steps to take when implementing an effective trial strategy and also how to plan and prioritize to achieve the goals you set. This episode is appropriate for many roles in your greenhouse operation from management to section growers. Getting your team aligned when putting trials in place is critical to the whole process. Check out Jason’s previous podcast episode! STEM Episode 3: Executing Your Plan with Priority and Timeliness   Ball FloraPlant & Selecta One Resources: Ball FloraPlant Territory Managers: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/BFP/Team.aspx Ball FloraPlant Website: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/ Ball FloraPlant YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallFloraPlant Ball FloraPlant Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bfpsocial/ BFP TV: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/BFPTV/ Product Growing Culture: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/Culture/ Current Ball FloraPlant virtual catalog: https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2019_BFP/index.aspx Selecta One North America Website: http://selectanorthamerica.com/   Contact Links: Email Guest Jason Twaddell: jtwaddell@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Tanya Brings the WOW! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 43:49

This is our first Holiday Episode and my guest definitely represents the cheer and energy of the season and just happens to spend a good part of her current role supporting poinsettias, one of our most traditional holiday crops. I’m welcoming Tanya to STEM to talk about the overall retail experience – what garden centers and nurseries AND the growers who supply them can do to inspire the shoppers of today and tomorrow. Tanya brings a ton of energy but more importantly actionable ideas for offering in-demand products at retail, presented in inspirational packages. She shares tips and tricks for exciting customers, bringing communities together, putting on dazzling and effective events and igniting the senses. We get into some of her favorite WOW varieties, amazing greenhouse events she’s attended recently – like GLOW festivals – the importance of sharing knowledge and educating and also introduce a concept she calls the “full circle experience.” When I asked Tanya to be on the podcast I had a feeling it would be a fun episode with plenty of great retail ideas, but I must admit I had no clue that her background includes a stint at Proctor & Gamble and how she brought some of those amazing consumer insights to the world of horticulture. I really enjoyed this conversation and I’m pretty sure you will, too. Definitely share this one widely throughout your organization and encourage your team to think about Tanya’s predictions for the future of horticultural retail. I have a feeling she’s on the right track.   Connect Four Article Link: Ten Ways to be 10X More Productive at Work from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/02/17/ten-ways-to-be-more-productive-at-work/#649c1580126a Ball FloraPlant & Selecta One Resources: Ball FloraPlant Website: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/ Ball FloraPlant YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallFloraPlant Ball FloraPlant Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bfpsocial/ BFP TV: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/BFPTV/ Product Growing Culture: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/Culture/ Current Ball FloraPlant virtual catalog: https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2019_BFP/index.aspx Selecta One North America Website: http://selectanorthamerica.com/ Selecta Poinsettia Catalog: http://www.selectanorthamerica.com/Literature/2019_poinsettia/index.aspx   Contact Links: Email Guest Tanya Carvalho: tcarvalho@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Watering: The Rest of the Story | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 48:44

We are once again joined by Ball Horticultural’s Senior Technical & Research Manager Dr. Will Healy who I referred to in episode 21 as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in all things greenhouse production. Our topic continues… watering and water management. These two episodes work best in tandem so try to listen to part one – The Language of Watering – before jumping into this one. In the first part – which you can find on your favorite podcast player or linked below - Dr. Healy delved into the importance of speaking the same language of watering throughout the company and qualitative and quantitative ways to teach water management so that accuracy and efficiency can be achieved. This episode takes it to the next level getting into specific plant demands, how to determine wet/dry targets, how to optimize any greenhouse for water management and even suggests an inexpensive gift for all of your production team members. PART ONE - Episode 21: The Language of Watering https://www.greenhousegrower.com/sponsor/ball-seed-company/the-language-of-watering/   Ball Seed Technical Resources: Production Guides, Culture, Pests & Diseases, Charts and Tables: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/ Water Management Level 1-5 Training Presentation (English): https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/stem-episode-21-ball-seed-water-management-levels-15-english Water Management Level 1-5 Training Presentation (Spanish): https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/stem-episode-21-ball-seed-water-management-levels-15-spanish Good Scale for Weighing Pots and Trays: https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-ZK14-S-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen/dp/B004164SRA/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543593422&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale   Contact Links: Email Guest Dr. Will Healy: whealy@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 The Language of Watering | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 52:15

The Language of Watering This episode of STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros addresses one of the most basic tasks in a professional greenhouse, watering. But proving that water management is fundamental and critical, we are joined by Ball Horticultural’s Senior Technical & Research Manager Dr. Will Healy – one of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in all things greenhouse production. He’s also a great story teller, which you will learn throughout the episodes. And yes, I did say episodes because this one is a two-parter. Watering and water management is SO critical that we invited a PhD to help us learn as much as possible about it AND will spend two sessions on the topic. The first part will be all about The Language of Watering and this one is perfect to share with your entire production team and others across your organization. As Dr. Healy will help us understand, speaking the same language of watering throughout the company is critical and there are qualitative and quantitative ways to teach water management so that accuracy and efficiency can be achieved. Getting watering right WILL reduce your costs and result in better crops. So gather your team, grab a pen and notepad and get ready for part one in a two part session on watering.   Ball Seed Technical Resources: Production Guides, Culture, Pests & Diseases, Charts and Tables: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/ Water Management Level 1-5 Training Presentation (English): https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/stem-episode-21-ball-seed-water-management-levels-15-english Water Management Level 1-5 Training Presentation (Spanish): https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/stem-episode-21-ball-seed-water-management-levels-15-spanish   Contact Links: Email Guest Dr. Will Healy: whealy@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Dr. Marvin Miller Unplugged | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:06:46

It’s hard to believe that this is the 20th episode of STEM – Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros. And this time we’re talking to our first returning guest. Ever since the first episode of STEM launched, I’ve thought about more topics to discuss with Marvin, from industry data and research to current product trends and consumer groups. Now, seemed like as good a time as any, with another season of travels under his belt and new industry data and research being released. Dr. Marvin Miller recently celebrated 35 years as Ball Horticultural’s Market Research Manager and he’s quick to remind me that he has been studying our industry for longer than that and also that being a researcher means he has looked at data going back far beyond those 35 plus years. Bottom line – Marvin has a ton of knowledge and ideas to share. And because his first episode was on the shorter side of STEM as we’ve progressed through 20 episodes, I decided to turn off the timer and let him go. This one’s almost an hour but it’s worth every minute. We start by going through some current industry research and data related to today’s consumer and setting participation and consumption records and quickly move into topics ranging from the current indoor plant trend and potential of the cut flower market to millennials as consumers. We also discuss lessons learned from more than 15 trips to Alaska and what politicians can learn from a pod of whales. Seriously – I’m not joking about that one. We also talk about how social media is like the shopping malls of the 1980s! You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this one – Dr. Marvin Miller… Unplugged. Resources: Ball Seed WebTrack: https://wtlogin.ballhort.com/Pages/Login.aspx WebTrack To Go Mobile App: http://www.webtracktogo.com/ Catalog Product Search: https://catalogsearch.ballseed.com/ Drama In the Garden – STEM Episode 1 with Dr. Marvin Miller: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/sponsor/ball-seed-company/drama-in-the-garden/ Jamie Kitz on Growing & Giving – with a discussion of cut flower opportunities: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/sponsor/ball-seed-company/jamie-kitz-on-growing-giving/ Contact Links: Email Guest Marvin Miller: mnmiller@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Perennial Problem Children | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 50:42

Ball Seed recently hosted a meeting of our supplier partners and rooting stations that featured speakers addressing shared production challenges and offering many technical and cultural strategies. One of the top-rated speakers coming out of our post-event survey work was today’s guest. We asked him to join us on STEM to go through some of the concepts he presented at the meeting. We’re excited to be joined this time by Darwin Perennials’ Karl Batschke who’s going to take us through some new ways to better produce some of the latest and greatest perennial genetics. But he’s not going to talk about the easy ones. Instead, Karl will address some of the more challenging crops and also new crops that require new cultural and technical regimes. Let’s call them the Perennial Problem Children. And like a good guidance counselor, Karl will treat each one as an individual and create a custom plan to maximize their potential and achieve the results you want – the best crop you can produce. But since we have Karl on the hook for 40 minutes, we’re also going to ask him plenty of questions about the current market for perennials, what he’s seeing and hearing in his travels and thoughts and predictions for the future. Karl has tons of industry knowledge and experience and we’re really happy to have this chance to pick his brain for a bit.   Darwin Perennial Resources: Darwin Perennials Culture and Scheduling Tools: https://www.darwinperennials.com/Culture/ProductionGuides/ Tons of Perennials Resources: https://www.darwinperennials.com/ Darwin Perennials Day Event Registration (Open to the TRADE ONLY): https://www.darwinperennialsday.com/register.aspx   Contact Links: Email Guest Karl Batschke: kbatschke@darwinperennials.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Jamie Kitz on Growing & Giving | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:50

In this episode, we talk with one of my favorite industry people, Sakata Seed America’s Jamie Kitz about a whole range of topics. We start with plants – seed annuals, vegetative annuals, cut flowers and vegetables and then transition to industry support, charitable giving and philanthropy. Throughout we share tons of industry ideas and dig into where Jamie gets her energy and inspiration that’s so infectious. We wrap the episode up talking about the Sakata Gives program and actionable ways to bring a similar sense of corporate mission to your organization. And trust me, it’s not the old way of directing employees to give to a charity selected by corporate management. It’s far more grassroots these days. My guest, Jamie Kitz has represented Sakata Seed Americas for more than a decade as Key Account Sales Manager working with bedding plants, floral crops, and cut flowers. You’ve no doubt seen her at trade shows and meetings, always on the cutting edge of new plant trends. And in the past few years she’s taken on the role of Corporate Citizenship Specialist for the Sakata Gives Program, a visible representation of Sakata Seed America’s attention to corporate social responsibility. If you are in horticulture and on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen some of the ways Sakata is giving back. So, this episode will be about plants – Sakata is an industry leader bringing amazing products to market. Have you heard of Sunpatiens? How about Dragon’s Breath and SuperCal? Ord industry mainstays like Majestic Giant Pansies and Profusion Zinnias. These are just a few rock stars in an extremely diverse and innovative portfolio. And this episode will also be about aligning with causes and how this can not only benefit your community and the world around you but also your company and team culture. To say I was psyched for this one would be an understatement. I’ve been planning it since before we launched the podcast. Sakata Seed America Plant Resources and Social Media: Sakata Ornamentals Site: https://sakataornamentals.com/ Sakata Vegetables: https://sakatavegetables.com/ Jamie Kitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiekitz/ Sakata Vegetables on Twitter: @veggiesbysakata Sakata Ornamentals on Twitter: @flowersbysakata Sunpatiens on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunPatiens/ Sunpatiens on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunpatiens/ Some of the Organizations Jamie Referenced: Seed Your Future: https://www.seedyourfuture.org/ Produce Marketing Association – Center for Growing Talent: https://www.centerforgrowingtalent.org/ National Garden Bureau Programs: https://ngb.org/ America In Bloom: http://www.americainbloom.org/ Contact Links: Email Guest Jamie Kitz: jkitz@sakata.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Be a Power Supplier | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:30

Is the current model broken? Host, Bill Calkins, has recently heard this discussed in various ways during events, conferences, in the offices of retail buyers and during breaks and social hours at garden center retail events and trade shows. The model in question is the wholesale grower to retail model and the comments are specifically related to plants and live goods. Basically, plant retailers of all shapes and sizes don’t feel like their needs are always being met. As they strive to create inspiration at retail and get today’s shoppers excited about buying flowers and plants, the products and service level they require just don’t seem to be keeping up. Often, the plants and products are differentiated and seem underwhelming when compared to the shopping experience they have worked hard to create. In this episode, Bill takes the mic and shares ideas and strategies to the best, most amazing “power supplier” to your retail customers. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end because he shares ideas straight from a group of retailers he informally surveyed about this challenge. It’s guaranteed that if you grow and sell plants, you’ll get plenty of ideas form this edition of STEM and we will be back again in a couple weeks with more greenhouse production content. Contact Links: Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Seed Your Future: Join the Movement! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 43:02

In this episode, we talk with Susan Yoder about an organization dedicated to our industry that’s working hard to engage our next generations of professionals and inspire them to pursue careers in horticulture. This is a mission we all should share and perhaps a movement we all should support. Susan is the executive director of Seed Your Future, a national initiative to promote horticulture as a vital, viable and exciting career path for the nation’s youth. They envision a world where every U.S. student knows the meaning and importance of horticulture and want the next generation of leaders in this invaluable field poised to fill the wealth of job opportunities available to them. Their stated vision is: We envision a U.S. where: Everyone understands and values the importance of plants and the people who work in the art, science, technology and business of horticulture. I think this is something we can all get behind. In this episode we will learn more about Seed Your Future and the different groups they are impacting already and also some of the background that led to its creation. We detail the Bloom! Program that engages teachers and offer some sobering statistics that underscore the need for this kind of education. Susan and I end the discussion talking about some of the near-term plans and how everyone in the industry can get involved. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end. Seed Your Future Information & Resources: Seed Your Future Website: http://www.seedyourfuture.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeedYourFuture/ Bloom! Website: https://www.wearebloom.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreBLOOM Resources for Teachers: https://www.wearebloom.org/teachers/ Instagram: @SeedYourFuture & @WeAreBloom HOW TO GET INVOLVED! http://www.seedyourfuture.org/get-involved Contact Links: Email Guest Susan Yoder: syoder@SeedYourFuture.org Phone Seed Your Future: (484) 798-5934 Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Poinsettia Selection & Production | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 45:31

In this episode I’m joined by Gary Vollmer, Product & Technical Manager for Selecta One. Selecta’s portfolio includes many best in class products but for this episode we’re focusing on poinsettias. Gary is the keeper of tons of knowledge when it comes to poinsettias with decades of production experience, product trialing and selection and deep insight into current and future breeding. He has his finger on the pulse of the North American market, as well as European trends that drive holiday crop sales. He works with growers selling discounted Black Friday poinsettias, specialty growers filling market niches with unique, super high end plants and every type of production scenario in between. And he’s not afraid to address the hot issues! You’re going to want to listen all the way to the end of this one. Poinsettia Resources from Selecta One: Poinsettia Varieties: http://www.selectanorthamerica.com/Products/_Poinsettias.aspx 2018 Poinsettia Catalog: http://www.selectanorthamerica.com/Literature/2018_poinsettia/index.aspx Technical Poinsettia Webinar: https://bit.ly/2MTJSQZ 2018 IGC Show Trends Article: https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/igc-show-2018-the-retail-game-is-changing/ Contact Links: Email Guest Gary Vollmer: gvollmer@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Grow More & Grow Better with LEDs | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 41:39

In this episode we are lucky to be joined by Jason Grimmett, Key Account Manager for Philips Lighting. LED technology is all the talk these days and I know for a fact growers have a lot of questions about this new lighting option.

 Demystifying Perennial Production | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 41:51

This episode, we are lucky to have not one but two excellent guests this episode – Leland Toering and Chris Fifo perennial experts representing Darwin Perennials and Kieft Seed. Leland and Chris team up to bring a fascinating perspective to our topic – Demystifying Perennial Production because they come at it from two angles but end up in the same place: there are tons of opportunities greenhouse professionals can tap into when a product mix is shifted or expanded to include more perennials. In this episode, we will dig into the current perennials market and why consumers are buying more every year, perennial growing today compared to the past, how to get started in perennials operationally and in terms of no-brainer products, mistakes and pitfalls to avoid and what the future may hold. It’s fun to point out that I’m actually catching these guys on the road as they are visiting perennials trials on the East Coast so if they seem fired up and energetic it’s because they’ve gotten plenty of Vitamin D and seen hundreds of amazing plants in the hours before recording. Perennials Links Referenced in Episode: Darwin Perennials Catalog: https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2019_Darwin_BSC/index.aspx Darwin Perennials Website: https://www.darwinperennials.com/ Darwin Perennials Culture and Scheduling Tools: https://www.darwinperennials.com/Culture/ProductionGuides/ Perennials from Kieft Seed: https://www.panamseed.com/perennials.aspx STEM Podcast – The Retail Color Bridge (seasonal perennial sales): http://www.greenhousegrower.com/sponsor/ball-seed-company/perennials-the-retail-color-bridge/ STEM Podcast – What Today’s Shopper Wants: http://www.greenhousegrower.com/sponsor/ball-seed-company/what-todays-shopper-wants/ Contact Links: Email Guest Leland Toering: ltoering@darwinperennials.com Email Guest Chris Fifo: cfifo@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 38 Stolen Retail Ideas | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 23:27

Take these 38 Stolen Retail Ideas for what they are – ideas meant to inspire creativity and fresh approaches. We’re entering a new era of retail – driven by an emerging massive customer base! I trust at least one of these ideas (and hopefully more) will resonate with you or your customers. The best way to vet out what will work and what won’t, is to share as many of these ideas as you can with your team and generate discussion. Let me know your thoughts. I’m always happy to talk retail!

 Secrets of a Winning Product Launch | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 42:03

The guest for this 11th episode of STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros is Kris Carlsson. Kris has a background is growing at the wholesale level before coming to Ball FloraPlant, working at Chico Propagators in California growing an A to Z assortment annuals, perennials and a full line of flowering foliage for nurseries and wholesale florists. Over his 11 years at Ball FloraPlant, Kris has had the unique ability to do almost every job at the breeding facility from Trial Grower, Trials Coordinator, Facility Manager for BFP’s breeding location in California, Crop Specific Product Manager and now in his current role as Product Launch and Assortment Manager. He’s led the successful launch of some best-in-class products like Presto Geraniums, EnduraScape Verbena, Little Lucky Lantana, Conga Calibrachoa, Bloomify Lantana, SolarPower and Spotlight Ipomoea, FlameThrower Coleus, Mysty Salvia and more – some winning plant varieties for sure! His wide range of knowledge and experience puts a unique twist on product development and launch. You will no doubt enjoy our discussion about what it takes to ensure successful product introduction in competitive markets like horticulture. Kris and I will get into the different steps in the launch cycle, what he and his team look for when trialing crops around the world, the importance of grower sampling and crop culture recommendations and much, much more. This is an info-packed episode for sure. And be sure to listen closely for Kris’ top picks and favorites in the Ball FloraPlant assortment because with his expertise and experience across breeding, product management and wholesale growing, you can be confident they are truly the best of the best. Links Referenced in Episode: NEW Ball FloraPlant Website: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/ Ball FloraPlant YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallFloraPlant BFP TV (Featuring the one and only Kris Carlsson!): https://www.ballfloraplant.com/BFPTV/ Product Growing Culture: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/Culture/ Current Ball FloraPlant virtual catalog: https://www.ballseed.com/Virtual/2019_BFP/index.aspx Contact Links: Email Guest Kris Carlsson: kcarlsson@ballhort.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

 Wave: Past, Present & Future | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 49:47

Our guest for the tenth episode of STEM is Scott Rusch, the Product Development Director at PanAmerican Seed. Our topic is Wave – a fascinating history lesson, current grower, retailer and consumer solutions and what to expect in the near future from what I consider the top annual product brand in our industry. I keep wanting to say Wave Petunias but as you’ll hear in this episode, recent expansion into the pansy class with Cool Wave is a strategic move that’s opened up new markets for growers and retailers. I love the story of how Wave petunias came to market and was excited to learn even more about the power of global collaboration from Scott and our grower listeners will appreciate not only the deep dive we take into the different Wave petunia family members but also some new cultural and technical tips from Scott. We discuss the current breeding direction and some of the products resulting from extensive global trials, as well as looking at the new releases on track for 2020, which marks the brand’s 25th anniversary. You can’t talk about Wave without touching on the massive consumer marketing campaign that creates hundreds of millions of impressions each year and Scott is kind enough to share some of the latest marketing plans, including Pandora radio. As I mentioned before, Wave extends beyond petunias and we spend plenty of time talking about Cool Wave pansies and how everyone in the industry can capitalize on the easy spreading color this genetic breakthrough brings to the table. With new additions for Spring and Fall color palettes, the assortment continues to evolve and sales continue to improve. Wave Links Referenced in Episode: • Wave site for Growers & Retailers: https://www.panamseed.com/wave.aspx • Wave Culture (Spreading Petunia and Spreading Pansy): https://www.panamseed.com/culture.aspx?type=Ann • Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.panamseed.com/cool-wave-pansies.aspx • Cool Wave video with Scott! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6UTe795Gbg&feature=youtu.be&list=UUJqOZnMz1Z7YjiCGao8_0EQ • Wave Brand Support & POP: https://www.panamseed.com/wave-pop.aspx • Cool Wave Overwinter Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IlRvYYBsyk FORBES ARTICLE: Five Things Millennial Employees Want More Than a Fat Paycheck https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/26/five-things-millennial-workers-want-more-than-a-fat-paycheck/#74f205a15a7d Contact Links: Email Guest Scott Rusch: srusch@panamseed.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo

Comments

Login or signup comment.