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FORUM 



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Innovation 



Small Growers Can Lead the Way 



Steve Taylor 



s size of operation a critical factor in whether or 

 not innovative techniques of plant production are 

 introduced? 



At a time when many greenhouse operations are 

 growing larger and larger, both in New Hampshire and 

 across North America, when investment in facilities at 

 a single site may reach into seven figures, and when 

 the cliched slogan "Get big or get out" is often heard 

 from green industry insiders, is there any hope for the 

 small grower just starting out? 



Based on what I see happening at location after lo- 

 cation around New Hampshire, I have to say there is 

 hope and, indeed, a pretty decent chance of success 

 for those who are ready to innovate in ways that bring 

 to consumers products that are new, different, and 

 higher in quality or better adapted than what's al- 

 ready in the marketplace. 



Over the past 10 years, there's been a significant 

 increase in the numbers of operations inspected by 

 the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture's Divi- 

 sion of Plant Industry. There's been a sharp increase 

 in volume coming from the established large-scale op- 

 erations too, but the proliferation of small and me- 

 dium-sized enterprises has been the most dramatic 

 development, both in the state's green industry and 

 in the structure of New Hampshire agriculture in gen- 

 eral. 



To visit these new small businesses is to see that 

 innovation is alive and well. Wherever I go, I find 

 people doing things in production and marketing that 

 are sure to raise eyebrows among traditionalists, but 

 that are working and paying off. 



Whether it's finding easier ways to use wood to 

 heat greenhouses or developing a clever promotion 

 for cut-your-own field-grown flowers, small-scale grow- 

 ers are trying it and succeeding these days. Some of 

 the reasons I see for why this is happening include: 



• Many people who have entered the industry re- 

 cently have come without extensive education or 

 training in plant science, so they've had to scramble 

 to gather the knowledge needed to move ahead. 

 They've had to travel and observe what works and 

 what doesn't in other settings. This has given them 

 skills to critically evaluate their own situations. 



• The typical small-scale entrant into the industry will 

 continue to rely on income from another job while es- 

 tablishing the new enterprise. While this in effect is 

 subsidizing the new operation, the beginning grower 

 has flexibility and a space within which he can make 

 mistakes while learning the ropes. 



• The small-sized setup can often be managed by a 

 lone entrepreneur or with family labor, thus avoiding 



substantial labor costs. This is particulariy important 

 for start-up operations, but can continue to be an im- 

 portant factor as it becomes well-established. 



• With lower overhead, the small operation enjoys 

 flexibility in pursuing market niches that may not be 

 worthwhile for bigger outfits. This is especially true 

 for operations focused on higher-end consumers who 

 demand hard-to-find products and personalized ser- 

 vice. 



• Enterprises which cater largely to retail customers 

 within their immediate area often have the chance to 

 sense and assess subtle changes in consumer tastes 

 faster than larger competitors who may have to plan 

 marketing regionally. 



• IVlany consumers prefer to patronize businesses 

 where they either know the owner personally or feel 

 they can talk directly to the person in charge. And in 

 New Hampshire especially, there are may consumers 

 who want to buy products which are "Made in New 

 Hampshire." Locally-grown plant material that is 

 adapted to local conciitions will get the nod from 

 these buyers over stuff they find at the strip mall or 

 warehouse store. 



So I contend, based on my observation of recent 

 developments in the New Hampshire green industry, 

 that innovators are fully as likely to be found flourish- 

 ing at the helm of small operations as at the big 

 places — and this will perhaps be even more likely as 

 time goes on. 



There's a woman in Grafton County who operates a 

 couple of houses in which she grow nothing but pan- 

 sies — a particular shade of pansies that customers will 

 drive 50 miles to buy. She is usually sold out before 

 she even starts a new crop, because repeat customers 

 will have called to be assured she'll have flats enough 

 for each of them come May. Over the years, she has 

 experimented with every aspect of the production 

 cycle and she'll test any new idea that comes along to 

 see if she can produce better plants more efficiently. 

 Innovation is the lifeblood of her enterprise; she rec- 

 ognizes that while she has a loyal customer base, she 

 must constantly look for ways to keep quality up and 

 costs down. Her story is repeated dozens of times 

 over by small growers all over our state. 



The rapid growth and continued vigor of the New 

 Hampshire green industry are abundant testimony to 

 the fact that our many smaller scale operations are 

 well-positioned to continue innovating and adapting 

 to the ever-shifting market opportunities. 



Steve Taylor is the New Hampslnire Commissioner of AgricuUure 

 He can be reached at (603] 271-3551 '« 



December 1993/ January 1994 



