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Introducing our new and improved lookFrom the Editor – February 2015

February 2015 – Ask any plant retailer in any market what’s the most common question posed by customers, and it’s usually a variation of the following: “What’s new?”

The industry is driven by “newness.” And it applies as much to greenhouse vegetables as it does to flowers, nursery products, containers and packaging.

Growers are continually adding changes with new product lines, welcoming colour additions to plant series, incorporating stylish new pots, and launching new marketing campaigns. (If you’re not already into social media as a marketing tool, you’re missing out on a growing opportunity in reaching customers. And this phenomenon has only really took off over the past two or three years.)

And Greenhouse Canada is no exception. We are continually re-inventing ourselves to ensure we remain relevant, either with our completely revamped weekly enewsletter or a totally overhauled website, both of which were updated last fall.

This edition features the debut of our redesigned magazine. More than just introducing style changes to make it easier to read, the number of regular feature elements has been expanded.

• Growers have been asking for more new variety coverage, and that will be a regular feature each month.

• Each month will also feature regular Business and Technology features, with many penned by industry specialists on a variety of rotating topics. Included will be labour, finance and marketing (among others) within the Business section, and pest management, energy and water management (among others) within the Technology section.

Of course, we’ll continue with grower profiles, including Year 2 of our Top 10 Under 40 program. Last year’s debut was warmly received, and we’re anticipating increased interest – and even more nominations – this year. The “Top 10” were formally announced during the opening night gala of last fall’s Canadian Greenhouse Conference, with profiles published in the November edition.

Watch also for continued major theme issue coverage throughout the year. Last year’s features included:

• An aquaponics industry update (including interviews with two successful growers).
• An overview of the growing interest in medical marijuana production, along with a crop production primer for licensed growers.
• A review of some of the latest research at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
• An update on LED lighting research in Canada.

And due to popular demand, we’re also changing the venue of this year’s Greenhouse Canada Grower Day, returning to the Niagara region on June 22. Details will soon be announced, but the focus will be on “Microbial Biocontrols.”

And with the changes, we’re looking for feedback. Browse our website and let us know what you think. Is it easy to navigate and search? How do you like the “new look” print edition? Is it providing the information you need to grow your business in a reader-friendly format?

We welcome your feedback at greenhouse@annexweb.com.