August 2022 - 8

INDUSTRY NEWS
from americanhort to you
BACK2BASICS: AmericanHort to Relieve
Industry Demand for Basic Horticultural Training
BY MEAGAN NACE AND RACHEL RAWLS
As the green industry looks to hire record
numbers of employees, one thing has become
apparent: the need for simple yet effective
training tools for horticultural employers.
AmericanHort's focus on preparing businesses
for the future is meeting this need with
the rollout of a new series of educational
programs designed to support those who
are training team members with limited
horticultural experience.
" Post-Covid-19 has created a new labor
force seeking a career change. Some of
these laborers are coming to the industry
and they need basic horticultural education,
such as how to successfully grow plants
in a production facility, " says Mary Werth,
Suburban Lawn and Garden Inc.
Launched this past winter, the Back2Basics
virtual program is a series that includes
15- to 30-minute presentations from leading
growers, researchers, retailers, and industry
professionals that can be used as training
supplements or refreshers for teams across
the industry that cover fundamental skills
needed to be successful at their jobs, whether
you are new to the retail sales floor or working
in a growing facility.
Each Back2Basics virtual program will
focus on a specific industry segment and job
type, defined by the guidance given through
the AmericanHort Community Connector
groups and other industry professionals. As
a member of AmericanHort, these recordings
are available in the AmericanHort online Hort
Knowledge Center, a members-only resource.
AmericanHort also welcomes you to watch
these programs during their live webinars
so you and your team can interact with the
trainers and speakers.
Attending an AmericanHort event? Between
the extensive Back2Basics program at
Cultivate'22 to a complete lineup at the fall
grower event, Plug & Cutting - we have you
and your team covered.
The Plug & Cutting Conference 2022 is a
unique educational experience that focuses
on best practices in young plant production
that highlights leading research, hands-on
workshops, and a tour that immerses
attendees into the world of cutting-edge
technology and growing practices. And this
year, the addition of the Back2Basics sessions
and a special workshop make the conference
a well-rounded experience for growers of all
career stages.
AmericanHort learners can dive in " hands
first " during the half-day Plug & Cutting
Back2Basics Workshop: Practical Skills for
Growers, held at Tagawa Greenhouse. During
this half-day program, leading researchers
and industry experts will share practical tools
in training your new grower teams to ensure
a smoother training program back home in
your operations and will provide training of
practical skills essential to be an effective
young plant grower to complement their
sessions during the conference program. This
is an ideal opportunity to learn from industry
experts as participants ask in-depth questions
and practice, refine, and perfect skills in
important growing functions.
Learn more about these Plug & Cutting
Conference Back2Basics opportunities at
AmericanHort.org/Plug.
AmericanHort will continue to provide
support and training tools for you and your
team through in-person events and online
educational programming. Moving forward,
members can expect to see educational
opportunities that fit whatever stage they are
in their career.
For more information on the educational
programs mentioned, or to become part of
the AmericanHort Community Connectors that
help guide the education team in programming
decisions, visit AmericanHort.org or contact us
at Hello@AmericanHort.org.
Meagan Nace is senior manager of education
program development at AmericanHort. Rachel
Rawls is manager of education program development
at AmericanHort.
SAKATA SEED AMERICA TO MOVE
HEADQUARTERS
Sakata Seed America recently announced
two new business establishments in California's
major agricultural centers: Salinas Valley and
Woodland, California.
Since 1988, Sakata Seed America has operated
its North American headquarters in Morgan
Hill, California. The company recently initiated
plans to relocate its headquarters, including all
operations and personnel functions, to its 219acre
site in Woodland, California, by late 2024.
The planned relocation to the Woodland
Innovation Center (WIC) will follow the
8 AUGUST 2022 GPNMAG.COM
second phase of an infrastructure expansion
project that began in 2016. WIC celebrated
its official opening in 2018, when phase one
of the building project was completed, which
included 16 acres of operational facilities,
including greenhouses, a LEED-certified office,
headhouse, washery, a 25,000 square-foot
warehouse, featuring the latest technology in
seed processing equipment, and farm shop.
In addition, there is ample farmland to host
Sakata's annual California Field Days event and
serve as a permanent trialing location for the
company's expanding breeding programs and
research & development department.
" The expansion of our Woodland Innovation
Center is an exciting and necessary step for
the future of Sakata, " said Dave Armstrong,
president and CEO, Sakata Seed America. " As
we broaden our leadership position in a range of
warm crops, it's imperative that we support our
growing business and deepen our roots in one
of the world's most dynamic growing regions:
the 'Silicon Valley of seed.' Our headquarters
relocation to Woodland reflects our commitment
to California's vital agriculture and seed sectors,
and the investment enables us to consolidate
R&D and multiple other functions on a single,
state of the art campus. "
http://www.AmericanHort.org/Plug http://www.AmericanHort.org http://www.GPNMAG.COM
August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022
