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Bill Calkins•techondemand.podbean.com

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Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.

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Episodes

Audio Files: Headwinds Ahead?

HEADWINDS AHEAD? FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY STAN VANDER WAAL NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: My father used to use the term, “Batten down the hatches,” which I feel is very applicable to today's business environment. The definition of my father’s term is, “To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.” With this thought in mind, I’d like to consider how we as operators and business owners can prudently plan and navigate the challenges ahead. Read the ...

Sep 19, 2023•5 min•Ep. 84

Audio Files: The Labor Dilemma

THE LABOR DILEMMA FROM THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY AMY MORRIS NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: Why does our industry face this dilemma? I believe it’s because prospective employees observe greenhouses and garden centers as offering the same compensation and career potential as the local McDonald’s. They see an entry-level temporary or transitional job when what we’d like them to see is a fun, challenging and rewarding opportunity. We all know the one thing holding us ...

Sep 18, 2023•5 min•Ep. 83

Audio Files: Not Customer Service—Hospitality

ACRES & ACRES: NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE—HOSPITALITY FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR, CHRIS BEYTES EXCERPT: If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you’ll know I’m passionate about customer service. I’ve long felt it’s the one easiest (and hardest) place you can make your business stand out from the crowd. Easiest because so few businesses excel at it; hardest because it requires that your staff (and you) are at your abs...

Sep 06, 2023•5 min•Ep. 82

Audio Files: Guide to High Tunnel Production

GUIDE TO HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION FROM THE MAY 2022 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY PATRICK MAHONEY NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: Growers obviously want to minimize their expenses, but at the same time want to maximize crop growth and boost their profitability. This can be a tough balance to achieve, as newer growing practices can often come with a hefty price tag. However, with a high tunnel, growers can start to obtain some of the benefits of greenhouse growing, without having to ...

Sep 03, 2023•11 min•Ep. 81

Audio Files: Building a Vertical Farm Team

BUILDING A VERTICAL FARM TEAM FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY ERIKA SUMMERS NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: In my experience, here’s what I’ve seen work as the core makeup of a successful vertical farming implementation team. This team in the initial planning phase includes a grower, a mechanical engineer (or engineering firm) and a finance/business person. Other members of the team need to be added as the project progresses, but aside from someone raising funds...

Aug 30, 2023•9 min•Ep. 80

MYSTERY SOLVED! Slime, Moss & Algae with Dr. Will Healy

For more than three decades, Dr. Will Healy was a technical services manager at Ball working with countless growers around the world to solve greenhouse challenges and grow amazing crops. Over that period of time, there was a phenomenon he saw over and over and made it part of his mission to figure out how and why it happened. Now retired but still constantly looking for ways to share knowledge with the horticulture industry, Will joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to reveal what he’s learne...

Aug 22, 2023•47 min•Ep. 79

Audio Files: Biofungicides—What to Consider

BIOFUNGICIDES: WHAT TO CONSIDER FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY DR. ANN CHASE NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS EXCERPT: You should be aware of some considerations before trying biopesticides in your operation. It might be simpler to convert completely to biopesticides, but it’s rarely practical due to limitations in controlling a wide array of diseases. There are some facts you need to know to make the most successful use of any pesticide—biological or conventional. This ar...

Aug 21, 2023•8 min•Ep. 78

Tissue Culture: The Next Frontier (Part 2) with Dr. Nathan Jahnke & Deanna Felton

Skip the intro and get right to the content—fast forward to 1:15. In the second part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) continue the foundation built in the previous episode, this time covering preparation, inspection and grading, as well as best practices for acclimation and the importance of providing feedback to labs and suppliers. Nathan a...

Aug 15, 2023•42 min•Ep. 77

Tissue Culture: The Next Frontier (Part 1) with Dr. Nathan Jahnke & Deanna Felton

In the first part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) set the stage with an overview of commonly used terms, how exactly Tissue Culture material is produced and the most common product forms you can expect to receive from TC labs. Then they dial in on critical components for success before taking you crop by crop through common TC species—ranki...

Aug 15, 2023•25 min•Ep. 76

Ball Customer Day 2023 FRIDAY Panel Discussion: Planning for 2024—Your Business, Plants and People

For the past couple years at the annual Ball Customer Day event in West Chicago, panels have been assembled to share thoughts on a topic during lunch in the big tent. This year, the topic was how to plan for 2024—a big question and one that has everyone in the industry talking. Following three unique seasons, it can be challenging (if not impossible) for you and your team to set sights on a plan for your operation next year. Because Ball Customer Day is now actually two days, the final Thursday ...

Aug 09, 2023•35 min•Ep. 75

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