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As a commercial grower of ornamental plants, I have hired hundreds of people. And I have interviewed a much larger number for prospective employment. In some cases the unpleasant task of "firing" certain individuals has also been my responsibility. Since my continued success in commercial horticulture depends primarily upon the employees I choose, you may rest assured that I have given the subject careful thought. Almost daily, people ask me for information about how to find employment in this field. These inquiries demonstrate the need for some elementary information about this subject. The following presentation will outline the most critical points job seekers need to keep in mind. I ask you to have patience until you discover a topic of interest, as this section has been written for an audience with varied needs and levels of experience. Therefore, not every part will have equal value or appeal for different persons. Hopefully, each reader will find in these pages some bit of information which proves helpful in landing a rewarding job in horticulture. The first thing you should realize about horticulture is that it covers a tremendously varied subject area. Perhaps the most important contribution this guide can make is to help readers become aware of the many different job opportunities which exist. Unless you have been active in horticulture for years, the numerous activities taking place in this field would probably surprise you. Because of this diversity, it’s necessary to narrow down and define our area of discussion somewhat. In this section job information which is more properly concerned with conventional agriculture or in botany won’t be presented. Most dictionaries describe horticulture as dealing with the activity of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamentals. We will discuss job opportunities in all these horticultural areas. However, the material relating to fruit and vegetable production is limited to situations in which their culture is practiced indoors or at least in very intensively managed outdoor facilities. HORTICULTURE AN EXPANDING INDUSTRY Every segment of horticulture has been expanding rapidly in the past several decades--a good deal faster than the general economy. The market for medicinal and edible herbs, specialty fruits and vegetables, plant related services, and other products is much greater than in the past. Ornamental horticulture, in particular, has experienced explosive growth. The demand for ornamental plants is generated mainly by trends in national life-style which will continue unabated. Everyone is becoming more ecologically minded and more fully aware of the ethical and practical benefits which ornamental plants can add to human life and the environment. Reinforcing this change in basic national psychology is the fact that, generally, both husband and wife now work outside the home; this increases household income but reduces the time available for outdoor and indoor gardening activities. People want to enjoy plants and flowers more but they have less time to do it. Professional horticulturists can now command an excellent income by providing the time saving goods and services which consumers demand. Ornamental horticulture is no longer an infant industry which supplies only the basics of seed, fertilizer, and perhaps a few bare root shrubs and trees; a large volume and varied assortment of sophisticated horticultural supplies and services have become more or less necessities of life to many people. ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALS IN HORTICULTURE Fortunately for individual job seekers and entrepreneurs, relatively little of the horticultural production industry has been invaded by large corporations. Only in the area of hard goods (such as fertilizer and pots) have they made significant inroads. Anywhere there is money to be made we can expect corporate management to investigate the possibilities. However, the inherent variability of plants, their need for constant care, and the diversity of environments in which they are utilized is not the ideal situation for the standardized methods which megabusiness is best at. Large national corporations have tried to enter the plant growing segment of horticulture but have, in general, pulled back out as they find that producing living organisms is more complicated than manufacturing stoves and refrigerators. By far, the greatest total number of greenhouses, nurseries, and specialty production facilities throughout the United States are small to medium size and are owned by individuals who sell a good deal of their product through their own retail outlets. Even the larger production facilities are most frequently owned by individuals or closely held companies. Marketing of greenhouse and nursery crops was formerly accomplished almost entirely through the producer's own retail facility or through numerous independent florists and garden stores. At present, a large part of ornamental plant products are sold by chain, discount, and food stores. Hardware and department stores also do a significant amount of business. For live plants and cut flowers as a whole, perhaps a little less than half are now sold through the nontraditional outlets; of course this figure will vary greatly depending upon the exact nature of the product, geography, and demographic factors. Twenty or thirty years ago, independent operations were caught unprepared to market effectively against chain type competition. At present, however, the independents seem to have adapted well and may even be benefiting from the wide and constant public exposure which flowers and plants receive in mass outlets. Those independent retailers who have placed their emphasis upon service, high quality, and new or unusual products seem to flourish now, while the ones who tried to compete head on in price terms with mass outlets have fallen by the wayside. Many growers of ornamentals have seized the opportunity to supply chain type outlets. Of course, these growers must adapt to the mass market philosophy of high volume and generally lower prices for the product. Often times in this situation quality has suffered. Chains pressure the grower for lower and lower prices until factors essential for proper plant growth are sacrificed. Fortunately, most people in the industry have begun to realize the folly of this situation, and, in general, chain buyers are stressing quality more than in the past. We may summarize the general situation in ornamental horticulture by saying that it’s an industry whose exceptional growth is due to fundamental and continuing changes in national psychology and living patterns. Individuals and small companies dominate the plant growing segment, while activity in the marketing phase is split fairly evenly between chain outlets and independent operators. Although plants and flowers are often distributed nationally, market prices are still determined primarily by local factors and participants are more-or-less able to fix their own prices by providing differing levels of quality, service, and selection. The healthy financial stature of the industry, in combination with an interesting mix of larger and smaller companies doing new things to promote their product, allows job seekers to choose from amongst numerous opportunities. Fortunately for the job applicant in horticulture, most companies in the industry still maintain a down to earth management style that does not reflect a set of rigid rules and regulations characteristic of larger corporations. This informal atmosphere makes it easier for individuals to find and win positions which are well suited to their talents and needs. Although the owners and managers who do the hiring are concerned about productivity and profits, they are generally in very close contact with employees and understanding of their needs. Most managers are easy to approach for a job and willing to give almost anyone a chance even if the applicant may lack some aspects of formal education or experience. Although the horticultural industry is rather conservative in many respects, it’s not a moldy group of good-old-boys who wish to keep everything the way it has been for years. For the most part, the industry is directed by practical people who get the job done by old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity, while possessing an inborn appreciation of new plant varieties and cultural methods. Employers have little tolerance for people who wish to dabble in horticulture without doing the necessary dirty work. But dedicated "eccentrics" are accepted everywhere in this field as one of the benefits of membership in our community of plant lovers. The horticultural industry is proud of its unconventional putterers and creative designers, much as the English public is of their beloved street-corner-orators. Horticulturists are, in general, a sensible lot of independent-minded people who are friendly but intolerant of shoddy work. And while they appreciate time for dreaming about the glories of plants, they understand the need for timely planning and execution of necessary tasks. How else could it be if one's teacher is Mother Nature? She is beautiful but unforgiving. BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS IN HORTICULTURAL SPECIALTIES If you carefully recollected the specific activity or combination of activities of each horticultural business you have visited over the years and classified these memories into logical order, you would recognize an organizational pattern similar to the one which will soon be outlined. In the process you would, of course, find that there are many hybrid operations which don’t fall neatly into any one area of activity. Although each particular horticultural specialty area will be explored in more detail later, readers may benefit from having a concise preview of the industry right from the start. Some knowledge of how business is organized cannot but help when a person is searching for a job. Production The production phase of horticultural specialty crops is a rather obvious aspect of the industry, It’s probable, however, that only a few readers have observed firsthand the actual workings of such a growing facility. Your closest experience with production operations most likely would be with a small, neighborhood greenhouse or nursery which was growing a portion of its merchandise needs while buying the rest from wholesale specialists. You are not likely to have visited the production locations of larger independent retailers or wholesale growers. Generally, the managers of these larger production operations must, out of necessity, limit the number of visitors so that work may continue without interruption. Production facilities for horticultural specialty crops are as diverse as the particular needs of each crop and of the individuals growing it. There are different ways to solve cultural requirements and the chosen solution may vary with the materials available, climate, financing, individual inclination, and marketing objectives. The atmosphere at a production facility may range from one of complete dependence upon technical methods, to the opposite attitude where success or failure depends upon vague "feelings" the grower may have about the needs of crops. Fortunately, most modern growers lean towards the first alternative as they become aware of the competitive advantages offered by efficient, reliable crop production methods. The size of production facilities in specialized horticultural crops ranges from tiny backyard setups, to gigantic operations. Most fall into the small or medium size range. There has been some tendency of late (particularly in the greenhouse field) for firms to expand quickly. This is only natural when growers see attractive markets without an adequate supply of products. But many growers have found that bigness does not necessarily lead to greater profits and stability. Now some growers are beginning to question the wisdom of extremely rapid growth and are concentrating more upon profitability rather than volume. The primary driving forces for change in the production aspects of horticultural specialty crops are the decrease in availability of cheap labor and the virtual explosion in technological knowledge which is taking place. Any present day grower who does not take advantage of labor saving techniques and who does not keep abreast of new knowledge in the field will soon find that it’s impossible to compete with more progressive operations. It’s absolutely essential for growers to keep themselves informed about all aspects of the industry so that they may organize their production towards the most efficient use of resources. Marketing The important point to be made about marketing in horticultural speciality crops is that, luckily, it generally lacks a centralized character. Centralized marketing (whether it results from government, industry, or financial interests) always tends to limit the ability of individuals to determine and ask for the price they feel is proper for their merchandise. Centralized markets (such as auctions and government and industry sponsored marketing authorities) represent an easy means for growers to sell crops. But the passive acceptance of whatever price marketing organizations allow does not usually lead to the highest possible profits for better growers. Centralized markets function best when a product possesses relatively uniform characteristics. If growers must tailor their produce to meet these uniform standards, then there is little room left for individuals who wish to distinguish their product in the public eye. This is the primary reason why mainstream food and fiber farmers have generally realized low profit levels from their operations. Within the different classes of ordinary corn which have been established by market authorities, each farmer in a region receives basically the same price at any given time. There is little incentive for product differentiation under these conditions; in fact, there is a bias against any variation. A similar situation exists for most major commodity crops. So, while centralized marketing may function as a lubricant to effective national trading and distribution, it rarely benefits innovative growers who wish to offer products which differ from the standard version. Since crop marketing is the most difficult part of my job, it would be nice if this task could be left to someone else. However, when the yearly accounting of profits is done, I give thanks that conscientious and knowledgeable growers like myself are able to ask for and receive prices which are much higher than the ordinary. Creating profitable market channels through active participation in the selling process is absolutely essential. It takes time, though, and advance planning, but it’s well worth the trouble. Growing plants is fun, but it soon becomes stale when monetary rewards are slim or nonexistent. The essential points about where and by whom most horticultural speciality crops are sold have been mentioned. It’s obvious that the market for these crops is evolving a two-tier structure. At the bottom are the mass outlets who deal primarily in products which are treated more-or-less as commodities; that is, those which are sold in volume, those which exhibit some degree of uniformity within classes and can be easily handled and priced, and those which require a minimum of service. On the second tier are the independent outlets which deal in more than strictly the commonplace plants and products and which offer a maximum of service. This two-tier merchandising system is evolving because of natural forces in the market place. Please recognize the reality of the situation and decide which segment is more to your taste for employment. Services If you pause and imagine various businesses which have some connection to horticulture, you will find that some of them offer very little in the way of tangible plant products; they sell a service, such as landscape design, plant care, or pest control. These are the more obvious aspects of service in the industry, but there is some degree of service offered with almost every plant sale. Even the least service- oriented mass outlets provide care tags with plants to help customers enjoy their purchase. And at the other end of the spectrum, the retail price of plants and flowers at some upscale specialty shops is mainly dictated by the amount of special service connected with the purchase. Some outlets for horticultural products don’t have a clear vision of the relationship which connects products and services. They don’t know what they are selling. This type of confused situation can lead to disastrous consequences through not pricing merchandise to include the cost of services rendered, aiming products at the wrong economic class of purchasers, and many more merchandising mistakes. Smart marketers learn to evaluate service factors correctly and how to best use them to advantage in particular business situations. In the future, the marketing of horticultural products by independent operators will increasingly be dominated by those who are devising creative ways to provide needed services along with the plant products they wish to sell. The days when a grower could simply offer Marigold and Petunia seedlings or bare root nursery stock and expect consumers to knock down the door are over. Customers desire and need added services to satisfy new lifestyles. They will go someplace else if you don't provide what they want. For the reasons above, the service area of horticulture offers particularly fertile ground for those people who seek employment in a challenging field with few established rules. The "sky is the limit" for creative people who are able to come up with concepts which find public acceptance and therefore sell more products. There is a rather distinct segment of horticultural services which merits some special mention. It’s the area of informational and technical and scientific services. Many consumers and perhaps even some avid horticulturists may seldom think of this as being a real part of horticulture. But it’s truly the power and motivator behind improvement in the entire industry. Although many readers may never have thought of employment in this last mentioned field, I can testify (from personal experience) that it’s very rewarding both in monetary and creative satisfaction. Writers, teachers, scientists, technicians, and publishers may seldom have direct contact with the horticultural marketplace, but they provide the information necessary for smooth and profitable functioning of the industry. TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE IN HORTICULTURE Every field of endeavor has at least several general job specialty areas. Horticulture approaches the unique because it has employment niches running the gamut from unskilled field workers through highly trained research scientists. There are outdoor jobs, indoor jobs, creative jobs, repetitive jobs- you name it and horticulture has it. If you love plants it’s likely you can find a job in horticulture that fits your skills, needs, and aspirations. But you won't find the right job unless you know what is available-that's what this section is about. My main emphasis will be to discuss employment opportunities available in what we would term entry level jobs through middle level positions. Some mention will be made of top management positions and of those which generally require a technical education. But, obviously, these managers and college educated people are not the ones who require the most help to find a good job- hopefully they have already learned a good deal of what I shall soon present about specific job areas. This doesn't mean these people cannot benefit from reading this book- they will surely pick up a few new facts, and perhaps their thinking about employment opportunities may become more organized than it previously was. SUGGESTED METHOD OF STUDY Before proceeding further, take a few minutes to ponder the question, "Why am I reading this information?" Obviously, you must feel that this guide may help you find something you are looking for. In other words, you hope to find an occupation which coincides with your needs, hopes, preferences, and abilities: a good job that gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you happy. In order to find employment of this sort you must determine just what it’s you need, what your preferences are, what you hope to accomplish, and what your abilities are. It sounds simple, but, unfortunately, finding out this information is often the most difficult part of job seeking. Begin thinking of these things in a general way right now, then turn the page and quickly study the remaining information. Don't try to figure out details as you speed along, and, above all, don't attempt to make any decisions. Finish your first reading of this section in one sitting if you possibly can. Then let the information "stew" in your head for a few days before you pick up the guide to begin a detailed study of each employment topic. Only at the end of your second reading should you feel qualified to begin making decisions about what job you want and how to go about getting it. The two-stage method of inquiry makes my own study efforts more enjoyable and usually leads to better decisions with less difficulty. |