New Location, Same Great Information For The Greenhouse Tomato Short Course

 

After 13 years in Jackson, Mississippi, the annual Greenhouse Tomato Short Course moved down the road a bit in 2007. A group of 125 current and potential growers from around the country (and even one from Jamaica) gathered at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond, MS, March 6-9 to learn the latest greenhouse production and marketing techniques.

Conference coordinator and American Vegetable Grower columnist Dr. Rick Snyder said the new location provided an excellent setting for three days of seminars presented by some of the leading greenhouse growers and researchers in the U.S. Growers learned about — among other topics — the basics of getting into production, marketing and creating a business plan, organic production, insect and disease identification and management, biological control of insect pests, and problem diagnostics.

Alternatively Speaking

“Alternatives” were a hot topic at this year’s Short Course. Mark Terkanian, owner of Natchez Trace Greenhouses in Kosciusko, MS, described the fantastic success he’s had the past two years with an alternative energy system. By burning corn and pelletized wood waste, Terkanian estimates he is saving 30% to 60% annually in heating his 200,000 square feet of greenhouse flower crops, and expects the technology will work just as well in greenhouse tomato production.

The University of Florida’s Nicole Shaw pointed out that while tomatoes are the most common greenhouse vegetable crop, you can also make money by diversifying your offerings. She told growers about a number of profitable alternative crops they can consider adding to their product mix including mini-cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peppers, melons, lettuce, and even microgreens.

Minnesota grower Steve Froehlich added emphasis to that point, telling attendees that he recently added greenhouse beans to his successful hydroponic lettuce operation.

Following three days of seminars, attendees had the opportunity to see some of the techiniques and ideas they had learned put into action on a tour of a local greenhouse, Leon and Candy Smith’s three-bay operation in Crystal Springs. Growers were able to learn from their 10 years of experience in hydroponic tomato production. The Smiths showed conference participants how they water, fertilize, pollinate, harvest, grade, and pack top-quality tomatoes for sale in local markets and in their own sales room.