CNGA LooseLeaf February March 2019

3 colorad o nga.org LooseLeaf  February/March 2019 MESSAGE FROMTHE BOARD As we currently enjoy high demand for our products and services in a strong economy, labor continues to be an issue at the forefront for employers in all sectors. We in the nursery and greenhouse industry are not immune from this—in fact, we face some unique challenges. There isn’t a single solution for employers, but rather a patchwork of ideas and solutions to keep our businesses staffed with quality employees. Those of us, who have seen the yearly cycle of labor and workload a few times, recognize that we have major peaks and valleys through the seasons. Large inputs of labor are required at some very time-critical points in the year, while the workload drops exponentially during other periods. Traditionally, large numbers of short-term, seasonal workers are hired to execute labor-intensive tasks. While the need for seasonal labor will never go away in agricultural and horticultural businesses, some creative solutions can help fill that need. Flexible use of labor in your company can be a great option. Do some departments have a different schedule of labor needs? Having some “Swiss-Army-Knife” players on your team, who can move around to multiple areas, can be a great way to maximize the output of the existing people you already employ. Mechanization is a hot topic these days in horticulture. It can be overwhelming to consider automation in processes that have been done by manual labor for decades, but many progressive businesses have made strides in their labor struggles by looking to a variety of labor-saving machines. If you can find a way to reduce a production crew size and maintain your desired output, many machines will pay for themselves in time (sometimes only a season or two!). Another challenge we all face is recruitment. Some thoughtful action is required to find individuals who will be high performers and get satisfaction from working in physically demanding, often repetitive situations. First, we need to be looking for the next generation of horticulture professionals. Marketing the benefits of a career in nurseries and greenhouses to young people is key, so that we can be viewed as a viable and exciting career possibility. If we can promote the many positive aspects of working in horticulture, it will pay off with stronger interest in working in our businesses. By portraying nursery and greenhouse jobs in their best light, people will be attracted by the opportunities to enjoy working outdoors with plants and other horticulture professionals, find rewarding relationships with enthusiastic customers, continually learn and grow, and work in a satisfying career. Staffing our horticultural businesses will always present some challenges. But, by trying new ideas and sharing with and learning from our peers, we can increase our success in bringing quality people into this great profession. By Dan Wise, CCNP CNGA Board President Multiple Solutions Needed for Labor Challenges “If we can promote the many positive aspects of working in horticulture, it will pay off with stronger interest in working in our businesses. By portraying nursery and greenhouse jobs in their best light, people will be attracted by the opportunities to enjoy working outdoors with plants and other horticulture professionals...”