For some reason, I tend to mark the passage of time in school years. Never mind the fact that the beginning of the school year means new supplies, books, clothes, and, of course, new classes, the new school year means you are another year older. In addition to being older, what is most notable about the start of school is change: new teachers, new students, new classes, and new topics to discuss.
The beginning of this school year marks a big change for my family as my husband and I took our daughter to college in mid-August. It seems like it was just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital, sent her to kindergarten, and watched her motor through elementary school, kicking soccer balls every chance she got. The next thing I knew she graduated from high school and here we are.
The thing about change, however, is it is necessary in order to grow. The same thing applies to vegetable operations. As technology continues to advance from everything from high-tech harvesters to traceability, growers must be willing to embrace these advancements and make some changes to remain viable and better do their jobs.
Working For The Cause
The willingness to adapt and change is especially critical if you are a grower directly subject to the public, like those involved in agritainment. You have to be open to what consumers want and then be willing to give it to them. That statement pretty much sums up this year’s Grower Achievement Award winner, Kurt Alstede of Alstede Farms.
A vegetable and fruit grower for more than two decades years, Alstede had a vision of what he wanted his farming operation to be, and he made it happen. He went from growing tomatoes for some area restaurants to producing a variety of crops for customers in his area of New Jersey and beyond.
He listened to his customers and accommodated them every chance he could. When they asked about organic produce, he set out to get 10 acres certified. When there was interest in Community Supported Agriculture, he worked to implement a program, which was wildly successful in its inaugural year. When it was time to incorporate a corn maze on the farm, he used GPS guidance to make it happen.
Benefits Of Networking
To find out what consumers wanted, Alstede said he had to network, which included attending and participating in trade shows. So much information — such as learning about the latest equipment, production techniques, or marketing ideas — can be exchanged at a trade show, providing growers with new ideas to implement on their farms.
In a recent poll that ran in our weekly E-Newsletter, American Vegetable Grower E-News, we brought up the subject of trade shows, asking readers about the number of trade shows they attend annually. About 71% of the respondents indicated that they attend between one and five events every year. To me, that says a lot about growers: You want to find out about what is new and then make the necessary changes on your farm.
There is that word again: change. For growers who want to remain competitive, the alternative simply isn’t an option. In terms of my daughter who is now a college student, the alternative isn’t an option, either. It will take some getting used to, but this is a change for the better.
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Listen To Customers And Embrace Change
Rosemary Gordon is Editor of Grower Programs and Events for Meister Media Wordwide.
See all author stories here.
September 9, 2010 