Producing a live product can present unique challenges. But having processes in place will help growers provide healthy plants to their customers and avoid costly slip-ups. At Four Star Greenhouse, quality is a daily, top-of-mind goal, and for Robin Bourdon, Senior Manager of Growing Personnel, it is her main job. Along with, Amanda Vallade, Training and Development Grower Manager, Bourdon is responsible for hiring and training all of the section growers who work with plants, and she is familiar with the challenges the industry faces regarding finding good employees. She says a commitment to quality is built into the system at Four Star.
It all starts at the beginning with quality cuttings, Bourdon says. The team works very closely with suppliers to ensure cuttings meet the specifications needed. “We also discuss the nutritional status and any chemistries they have used, so if we need to apply anything, it won’t be the same mode of action – to avoid building up resistance in the pest or pathogen populations,” says Bourdon. “And as a preventative measure, we are constantly testing – sending hundreds of samples out weekly to the lab to test for viruses and other issues.”
Bourdon says action plans are in place for every crop. The Product Line Manager (PLM) makes sure the needs of each crop are clear to everyone, so the plants will finish on time. This includes nutrition, transplanting, pinching, and preventative fungicides and pesticides. In addition to traditional methods, she says a sizeable biological program is in place. Two full-time IPM (integrated pest management) specialists scout regularly for insects and diseases to catch small problems before they become big ones. And, before shipping, a production team makes sure every tray is 100% full with liners of consistent size that meet Four Star’s quality standards.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Four Star Greenhouse
