Category Archives: The Business of Horticulture

The Business of Horticulture blog explores the business world of horticulture, from the front office through the greenhouse and beyond. We discuss current trends that affect horticulture, such as human resources (overtime rules, immigration reform, ACA), business processes, and technology.

5 Things Growers Can Do in the Event of a Food Recall

Product recalls are becoming more common in the food and beverage industry. Here are five supply chain tips growers can use for dealing with a product recall: 1. Stay on top of changing regulations Product safety regulations are complex, vary among different countries, and change frequently—almost always becoming stricter. This… Read more »

Cybercrime striking horticulture, agriculture in 2020 too

There was an interesting thread in the “Nowhere to Hide: 2020 Threat Hunting Report” about other industries that were targeted by cybercrime during the first half of this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 27 distinct industries targeted by cybercrime in the first six months of this year —… Read more »

Virtual Cultivate’20 Pt. 2: Was it worth the investment?

Yesterday, we looked at how Virtual Cultivate’20 was overall and focused on the educational sessions. Today, we’re going to talk about the digital event’s trade show and whether it was a success or not. Trade show better than expected for Virtual Cultivate’20 Even in the best of circumstances, we never know… Read more »

Virtual Cultivate’20 Pt. 1: Exhibitors get to participate

There’s no getting around it: I was worried about Virtual Cultivate’20. I was worried AmericanHort wouldn’t see the attendance they had hoped. I was worried the platform wouldn’t hold up to the traffic if people showed up. I was worried exhibitors wouldn’t see any traffic through the virtual trade show…. Read more »

Virtual Cultivate’20: The convention world is watching

We are happy to announce Practical Software Solutions will be participating in the digital Cultivate’20 conference, set to take place July 13-16. This is going to be a great opportunity, not only for the horticulture industry, but also for the convention industry at large. Those of you outside the horticulture… Read more »

Could technology have saved 2020 California Spring Trials?

There’s something interesting and ironic going on in the horticulture industry this week. The California Spring Trials, one of the biggest events on the horticulture calendar, was cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, our customers are reporting one of their best spring seasons ever. Strange as… Read more »

Cybersecurity matters more when working from home

An increasing number of counties and municipalities across the United States are falling under stay-at-home or shelter-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While many manufacturing and distribution companies are exempt from these orders to help keep the supply chain moving, we’re finding many of our customers are choosing to… Read more »

Greenhouse Grower confirms cross-industry learning helps

An interesting story landed in my lap when I saw the cover story in January’s Greenhouse Grower magazine. It features three different growers from three segments of the horticulture industry coming together to discuss the similarity between their branches. The three horticulture segments represented in the article were cannabis, ornamentals,… Read more »

Have ruggedized devices improved enough for day-to-day use?

What if Sage 300 CRE could pull out a laser to measure a wall in a building? Or what if Grower Vertical for Sage X3 could help detect if the atmosphere in a greenhouse was safe? While these two programs are amazingly versatile, they haven’t quite achieved this level of… Read more »

Space Management Key for Growers at 2019 Plug & Cutting Conference

With six days left before the start of the 2019 Plug & Cutting Conference, we’re keeping an eye on the Atlantic Ocean as much as we’re keeping an eye on the calendar. (We may be a bit gun shy because last year’s event was cancelled due to the threat of… Read more »