News
From the Field: Let’s Catch Up!
June 25, 2025
Happy Summer, everyone!
Are you starting to feel it in the air…?
That familiar feeling of excitement and anticipation?
Yep, that buzzing feeling can only mean one thing: summer trade shows and conferences! Summer is my favorite season, and these shows are a big reason why. Whether it’s Cultivate (join us there!), AIFD, Ball Customer Days, Far West, ASHS, or the SAF Annual Convention, these events always feel a bit like a school reunion to me: seeing familiar faces, catching up on everything that’s happened since last year’s show, and enjoying a shared energy that reminds us why we love this industry.
In my last column, I invited you to complete a brief survey to share your challenges, but with Cultivate just around the corner, there’s no better time to connect in person. I’m excited to share that AFE will be hosting several sessions at the show, and we’d love to see you there! Even if you can’t attend a session, let’s still connect—whether it’s to talk research priorities, discuss issues you’re facing, or just grab lunch at the North Market. I’ll also be at Ball Customer Days in West Chicago on July 24th and 25th. Don’t hesitate to email or call me to schedule a time to chat at either event! I would love to learn more about what AFE can do to help you.
Whether you’re brainstorming ideas at a show or getting your greenhouse ready for the next round of crops, summer is the perfect time to prepare for what’s ahead and to catch up on anything that may have slipped through the cracks during the busy spring season. As bedding crops wind down and attention shifts toward fall, it’s also an ideal time to revisit your greenhouse sanitation practices. A successful sanitation program is more than just cleaning; it’s about having clear standard operating procedures and building a workplace culture where everyone plays a role in growing healthy crops. Now is a great time to revisit our July 2023 Grow Pro Webinar, “Creating a Culture of Sanitation,” featuring Dr. Rosa Raudales from the University of Connecticut and sponsored by our friends at Syngenta. Dr. Raudales shares practical strategies for starting clean, staying clean, and creating a lasting, sustainable culture of sanitation in your operation.
As you wipe down the benches and gear up for the next crop, it’s also a good time to brush up on two other key ingredients for a thriving operation: cold chain management and H-2A/H-2B labor. Sustainabloom just released two new guides on these topics, and you can find them here. I’d also like to share an upcoming summit, led by Dr. Christian Nansen at UC Davis, about the use of plasma activated water in crop production. You can register here and find more information here. Dr. Nansen is also giving a Grow Pro Webinar on Plasma Activated Water for Floriculture Production on July 22nd at 1 pm Eastern.
I hope that you’re enjoying the season! We’re looking forward to catching up with you at summer events and continuing the important conversations that move our industry forward. Even if you won’t be attending an event, I’d still love to hear from you—your insights, ideas, and questions help guide the work we do, including our research priorities. Don’t hesitate to reach out any time!
Keep growing,
Laura
