Since 2003, Plantpeddler has been hosting Variety Day on the first Friday of August. This year, on August 2, they received about 400 visitors at their premises in Cresco, Iowa. The event features Trial Gardens, as well as presentations, a vendor-sponsor trade show, lunch, tours, and additional activities. "We offer a "complete day" for growers consisting of education and networking activities. It's an opportunity to see what's new from breeders and emerging breeders. The door is open for all industry professionals, it's our thank you for the industry," said Mike Gooder of Plantpeddler, a greenhouse operation in Iowa. In this article he and Stacy share how they experienced Variety Day 2024. Mike Gooder, along with his wife Rachel and son John are the owners of Plantpeddler. Stacy holds the title of Sales Manager, Marketing and Trials.
Visitors in the Trial Gardens
"Testing the Best in the Midwest"
One important part of Plantpeddler is their trial garden with over 1,500 varieties of vegetative annuals, from a global array of breeders. During Variety Day visitors can compare varieties and search out their favorites. Our motto is "Testing the best in the Midwest". Stacy comments: "Every year is different. This year there was a large amount of rain in June and July followed by cooler than normal temperatures. No matter the year, you see the best varieties shine. These varieties become top picks because they perform better for the end consumer. This is just part of our selection criteria to promote the best varieties for growers in the Midwest and the rest of the US."
Sunfinity Double Yellow and Petunia Dekko Max – Syngenta Flowers
This year, the Sunfinity Double Yellow from Syngenta Flowers was ranked first for its performance. "It's absolutely fantastic, it doesn't fade. It was the clear winner," says Mike. I'Conia First Kiss Del Sol from Dümmen Orange, and 4-D Blue Ice from Selecta One were second and third respectively. The full top-25 can be been found here. According to Mike, it was also remarkable that there were seven Begonias in the top 25, which may be due to this year's cooler June and July.
Sunfinity Double Yellow was ranked first
Filling the trade show gap
Vendor Sponsors are another important element of Variety Day. During the event, visitors can network with an array of industry professionals in what we might call a "mini tradeshow," said Stacy. "These sponsors are key to making our Variety Day happen". Mike added, this year we saw more people visiting vendor tables, saying: "The tradeshow area was so full. We lost some of our smaller regional trade shows in the Midwest, with this element we help fill the gap a bit". There are also educational presentations throughout the day. This year we highlighted topics such as offshore production and logistics, greenhouse coverings, and crop protection. Each year we try to focus on topics that are relevant for the attendees. There was a lot of talk about substrates, and growing interest in clean and sustainable production."
People visiting vendor tables
The mini tradeshow was so well-received, Mike commented: "We won't rule out expanding the concept in the future, but at the same time we are also operating a greenhouse and shipping plants. There is a lot of organization by the whole team at Plantpeddler, and getting to the day is a process in itself."
Towards forty-five years of Plantpeddler
What's clear is that next year's Variety Day is set to be a special one, as Plantpeddler will have their 45th anniversary. "We will definitely spice things up," says Mike. Plantpeddler will host Varity Day 2025 and their 45th Anniversary Celebration on the first of August. In line with the upcoming anniversary, they will also repeat their 'Educate the Educators' event on Thursday, July 31st, 2025. This event is a day of interactive learning for Ag Instructors, who have or are considering a greenhouse at their school. To further our industry and as a personal mission for Mike, he states: "Plantpeddler is committed to supporting ag educators and inspiring kids to find horticulture."
On December 4, 2024, the company will host Plantpeddler Poinsettia Variety Day.
For more information:
Plantpeddler
Tel.: (800) 827-1654
[email protected]
plantpeddler.com