vited to a graduate student get-to- 

 gether for students from other coun- 

 tries and visited Portsmouth, Man- 

 chester, and several other towns 

 throughout New Hampshire 



As Mbita's visit came to an end, 

 we discussed the program and its ef- 

 fectiveness. We both agreed that two 

 weei^s is not enough time to fully 

 grasp all elements of the program. 

 However, we both felt that we man- 

 aged to accomplish a great deal in 

 the time that we had together and 

 hope that this is just the first step in 

 creating pesticide education pro- 

 grams for developing countries. We 

 both felt that although each country 

 has its own particular problems and 

 needs, it is important to remember 

 that the pesticide practices of one 

 country have the potential to affect 

 us all. 



Faye Cragin 



Plant Biology Department 



C/C^lcome 

 New Members 



BALL SEED COMPANY 

 1 1 Willey Creek Road 

 Durham, NH 03824 



BARRETT GREENHOUSE & NURSERY 



694 Old Homestead Highway 



Swansey, NH 03446 



EARTHGRO, INC. 

 Route 207, Box 143 

 Lebanon, CT 06249 



|.P. BARTLETT COMPANY 



578 Boston Post Road 



Sudbury, MA 01776 



ROADSIDE FARMER 



Route 16 

 Wakefield, NH 03872 



SEACOAST SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY 

 40 Linden Street 

 Exeter, NH 03833 



TYNGSBOROUGH GARDENS 



PO Box 504 



Tyngsborough, MA 01879 



UNCLE TIMS TREE FARM 



RR2, Box IC 



Parker Street 



Canaan, NH 03741 



FROM THE BOARD 



QUALITY CONTROL & STANDARDIZATION 



Why We Need ISO 9000 

 In the Horticulture Industry 



Robert C. Rimol 



It seems, lately, that many companies are obtaining their ISO 9000 

 certification. 



What is "ISO?" The International Organization for Standardization 

 IISOI is an agency representing the national standards bodies of 91 

 countries. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the 

 member body representing the United States. ISO is made up of ap- 

 proximately 180 technical committees. Each committee is responsible 

 for one of the many areas of specialization that range from asbestos to 

 zinc. The purpose of ISO is to promote the development of standard- 

 ization, facilitate the exchange of goods and services, and develop co- 

 operation in technical and economic activities. 



The ISO 9000 Series is a set of five separate — but related — inter- 

 national standards on quality management and quality assurance. They 

 are generic — not specific to any particular products, but they can be 

 used by both manufacturing and service industries. These standards 

 were developed to effectively document, implement, and maintain the 

 quality system elements within a company. 



In other sectors of agriculture and some sectors of horticulture, 

 there are similar quality-control standards that have to be met. How- 

 ever, to fill these voids in the Green Industry, quality control goals 

 should be broken down into groups (Nursery, Bedding Plant, Cut Flow- 

 ers, Garden Centers, etc.). Within these groups, categories could in- 

 clude Plant Material, Shipping Standards, Pesticide Use, Marketing 

 (signs, etc.), or any number of other categories. This could improve 

 consumer confidence and result in higher per capita Green Industry 

 spending; this could open up doors for expansion of smaller and me- 

 dium-sized operations; this could give more guidance to entrepreneurs 

 starting their own businesses. And a safer, cleaner, more efficient 

 working environment would help the overall business climate of the 

 Green Industry. 



I know you are probably saying, "Easier said than done. And how 

 are we going to get everyone to agree on what constitutes quality?" 

 And do you know what? You're absolutely correct in your analysis. 

 However, if we are going to keep horticulture on an upward trend, we 

 are going to have to pursue quality and standardization goals to make 

 ourselves more enticing to everyone from today's consumer to young 

 people thinking about starting a career. 



On a per capita basis, our industry is growing, but we still do not 

 rank very high, especially if compared with the Green Industries in 

 other countries with similar economies. ISO certification takes time and 

 an investment in money, but a recent survey revealed that, although 

 initial investment is heavy, ISO-registered companies of all sizes 

 showed impressive annual savings from their improved quality and ef- 

 ficiency. 



Meeting guality goals may be challenging, but our industry can 

 meet the challenge. 

 For more information, Bob can be reached at 603-425-6563. 



October & November 1995 



