How We Grow

🌱 Before choosing the technology, who’s buying the crop?Henry Gordon-Smith, founder and CEO of Agritecture, joins Chad to explore what makes vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture projects viable. He explains why growers should start with market demand, how geography and operating costs influence farm design, and why an efficient growing system can still be a difficult business.🎙️ They also discuss where greenhouses can compete with vertical farms, the role of consumer demand, and why sharing knowledge could help the industry move forward after the hype.🔗 Connect with Henry and explore Agritecture:Agritecture: https://www.agritecture.comAgritecture Designer: https://design.agritecture.comHenry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theagritect/Email: [email protected]🌿 Learn more about Rosy:https://rosysoil.com🎧 Follow How We Grow for more conversations about the business of growing.

🌱 What if horticulture’s workforce problem starts long before a job goes unfilled?Many students, parents, and teachers don’t know how many careers exist in the world of plants—or how much science, technology, creativity, and business those careers involve.On this episode of How We Grow, Chad Massura sits down with Jazmin Albarran, Executive Director of Seed Your Future, to explore how the industry can build a stronger talent pipeline.Jazmin shares why misconceptions keep people from considering horticulture, how employers can connect with local schools, and why recruiting and retaining the next generation requires a different approach.🎙️ In this conversation:• Why horticulture is missing from career conversations• What parents misunderstand about working with plants• Careers across science, automation, marketing, design, and logistics• How Green Career Week connects employers with students and teachers• How smaller businesses can start with one internship• What young professionals want from their employers• How AI and automation could create new career opportunities💡 For growers and horticulture businesses, the takeaway is practical: show people the careers behind the plants, and start building relationships before you need your next hire.🔗 Explore Seed Your Future’s career profiles, educational resources, and internship guidance:https://www.seedyourfuture.org/📩 Contact Seed Your Future:[email protected]🌱 Learn more about Rosy:https://rosysoil.com/🧪 Explore Rosy’s science:https://rosysoil.com/pages/our-science💬 What helped you discover your career in horticulture? Share your story in the comments.

🪴 Growing a great plant is only part of the job. Helping the customer succeed with it is where the relationship really begins.Chad welcomes Leslie Halleck to How We Grow for a conversation about the business of horticulture—from customer education and authentic marketing to inventory planning and the future of garden center retail. 🌱Drawing on decades of experience in research, retail, and consulting, Leslie explains how businesses can better connect what they know about plants with what their customers actually need.💡 You’ll hear:🌼 Why great plants still need a clear story🛒 How to approach sales through customer success👥 Why your next great employee might already be a customer📣 Why marketing and production need to work together🌱 What root development reveals beyond the size of a nursery pot🔄 What an evolving garden center industry could mean for entrepreneurs🎧 A conversation for growers, retailers, and anyone building a business around plants.🔗 Connect with Leslie:https://lesliehalleck.com/

What if a grower could adjust a crop nutrition program as conditions change throughout the season?In this episode of How We Grow, Chad Massura talks with Mike Hemman, CEO of Deerpoint Group, about a fully managed approach to crop nutrition. Mike explains how Deerpoint works with growers to set a fertility plan, delivers nutrients through automated fertigation, and uses soil, water, and tissue testing to inform adjustments.They discuss why the timing of nutrient delivery matters, how faster lab results can support decisions during the growing season, and the labor involved in managing a conventional fertilizer program. Mike also shares his perspective on ag tech: the most useful tools start with the problem a grower needs to solve.In this conversation:• How a managed crop nutrition program works• Why large, infrequent fertilizer applications can be inefficient• How tissue samples and irrigation data inform adjustments• The role of water quality and root-zone conditions• Where automation saves time—and where grower judgment remains essential• What could come next for site-specific crop nutritionLearn more about Deerpoint Group: https://deerpointgroup.com/

What happens when an irrigation system appears to be working—but the crop tells a different story?In this episode of How We Grow, Chad talks with Domonic Rossini, Team Leader, Agronomy West at Netafim USA, about the hidden problems that can develop between the irrigation line and the root zone.Domonic explains how poor maintenance, changing water chemistry, incompatible fertilizers, soil conditions, and uneven application can affect crop health and uniformity. He also explores how soil-moisture probes, weather stations, satellite imagery, aquifer recharge, and digital farming are helping growers make more precise decisions.In this episode:💧 Why irrigation emitters become plugged🌱 How overwatering can look like drought stress🧪 Why growers should regularly test their water⚠️ How fertilizers and treatments can react inside a system🌾 Why soil testing should happen before system design📡 How digital tools are changing irrigation management💰 Which irrigation investments can actually pay offLearn more:🔗 Netafim USA🔗 Domonic Rossini on LinkedIn🔗 About Netafim North AmericaVisit Rosy: https://rosysoil.com/ Netafim develops precision irrigation, fertigation, and digital-farming solutions designed to help growers improve yields while using water and other resources more efficiently. (Netafim USA)