What are you thankful for in the greenhouse industry?
Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in the U.S.! We hope you’re enjoying this time with food and family. Before we make the mad rush to find the best holiday deals this weekend, it’s important to take the time to be thankful for what we have. In the greenhouse industry especially, there are many things to give thanks for. Here are a few that come to mind:
Honest customers with strong values. The greenhouse industry is full of hardworking honest men and women, and that makes it easy to develop positive relationships between customers and suppliers.
Family business remains strong in the greenhouse industry. There is a pride in growing a family business and the lifestyle that is part of the family farm. It is rewarding seeing the next generation of growers develop under the guidance of their parents.
A government that supports the greenhouse industry. The USDA has many programs available for providing financial assistance to growers.
Plants. How many of us are able to enjoy fresh greenhouse vegetables as part of our greenhouse feasts this year? And let’s not forget all the flowers we give and receive during this gift-giving season.
New innovations for growing in controlled environments. A healthy industry is one with lots of opportunities for growth and change. For example, LED light technology research both in university greenhouse research facilities and in practical farm acreage tests are demonstrating exciting new possibilities.
Global business growth in greenhouses. At GGS we are currently involved with 2 greenhouse projects in the Middle East, assisting growers in the Dominican Republic, and quoting greenhouses in Cuba & Jamaica. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve on a global level. And of course we are thankful for our current Canadian, US, and Japanese customers on a daily basis.
As part of a contest a few months back, we asked growers what they love about the greenhouse industry, but in looking at these responses now, they equally illustrate what growers are thankful for. I’d like to share a few of these now:
“We're all like family - we look out for each other - we help each other - going to a trade show is like a reunion - there is no other industry greater than the greenhouse industry.”
“You get to help people bring color into their lives…Enjoy every second, every bloom, every color!”
“I cannot imagine another job for me that brings more pleasure than growing plants. You can let go of your cares and truly relax.”
“How great it is to see plants from seed to finished product and know you had a part in all of it.”
“We nourish the body with the highest quality fruits and vegetables and we nourish the soul with finest flowers and plants.”
“We get the chance to get all that vitamin D, warmed atmosphere, surrounded by our blooming colorful flowers, our growing tree seedlings and our tall tomatoes and cucumbers plants...what's not to love?”
What are you thankful for? Feel free to share in the comments section below!
Author
Leigh Coulter
Leigh Coulter is the President of GGS Structures Inc. a leading greenhouse manufacturer with sales worldwide. Leigh holds a degree in business from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and she has been asked to speak at numerous events regarding manufacturing and business development. GGS manufactures greenhouses for all crops, as well as manufacturing fabric covered buildings. After years of working with cannabis growers to improve medical marijuana cultivation technologies, and as part of the company’s strategic development in 2013 Leigh established a division within the company dedicated to the emerging legal cannabis industry, and as such GGS is on the forefront of the movement. As part of this division new people were brought into the company to expand the company’s knowledge in indoor controlled agriculture cultivation (CEA) as well. GGS was the first greenhouse manufacturer worldwide to actively promote cannabis cultivation in greenhouses through their website, brochures, and in the media. Leigh believes passionately in “doing the right thing” and that supporting people’s rights to choose how they take care of their bodies is fundamentally “the right thing”. Working with cannabis growers all over the world she has developed the utmost respect for people who want to perfect their craft, and grow their best plants, and everyone on the GGS team is delighted to be part of that mission.
