Who has money to buy a tiller in this bad economy? Apparently a lot of people do. And they are looking to their backyards to help stretch their food budgets. It’s the return of “recession gardens.”
The National Gardening Association said recently that 43 million American households will grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries in 2009. That’s up 19 percent over last year. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the largest seed and gardening supply store in the country, says it has seen a 24 to 30 percent spike in vegetable seed and plant sales this spring compared with last.
About 20 per cent of these gardening households will be gardening for the first time. They can expect a $70 investment in a garden to yield about $600 in produce for the year if they know what to plant, when to plant it, how to deal with different soil types and how to care for the garden.
And therein lies your opportunity to become a gardening resource for your customers, most of whom grew up in an era where there was no need to learn anything about horticulture or agriculture. You can help them get into vegetable gardening by helping them purchase the best size tiller that meets their needs. You can sell them vegetable seeds and plants, and perhaps specialized fertilizer for different plants in their garden. Offer them a small selection of how-to gardening books. They’ll come to depend on your expertise and knowledge.
Hopefully you planned ahead and have a few tillers and small cultivators on display. If you’ve really prepared, you also have vegetable seeds and plants and fertilizer on your shelves. For those that plan ahead and take advantage of available opportunities found even in difficult economic times, there will be happy customers in your store and dollars in your cash register this spring.
There’s an ongoing debate about increasing the percentage and use of ethanol in our gasoline. Here’s one unintended consequence of higher ethanol usage that will hit us right in our pocketbooks. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stated in early April that “Higher use of the corn-based fuel additive accounted for about 10 percent to 15 percent of the rise in food prices between April 2007 and April 2008.” That could mean the government will have to spend up to $900 million more on food programs for the needy during the current budget year that ends September 30. Aren’t we fortunate the money printing presses are running 24 hours a day?
Husqvarna recently unveiled a new robotic lawnmower that has a phone integrated in it that sends text messages when it wants to talk to you. I’ve never had the desire to carry on a conversation with my lawnmower, although I’d be the first to admit I have spoken to it before, often rather harshly.
Is this what the future of mowing grass will be like? I’m getting ready to mow the yard on Saturday morning and my cell phone rings. It’s my mower calling with a text message. “Good morning, Joe. I really don’t feel like mowing the lawn this morning. Isn’t there something else you could do instead?” Or the message from my mower could be even worse! “Good morning, Joe. I know you’ve been looking for me everywhere, but I don’t feel like mowing today. And I’m not going to tell you where I’m hiding. Have a nice day.”
By the way, the Husqvarna Automower 260ACX is currently available in Europe only, but will eventually be made available in the United States.
With spring here and planting season in many places just around the corner, I came across a garden plan for life that you might consider for 2009. First, plant three rows of peas: passion, performance and persistence. Then three rows of squash: squash gossip, squash indifference and squash criticism. There should be three rows of lettuce: Let us be true to our obligations, let us be unselfish, and let us be loyal. Next, plant four rows of turnips: Turn up when needed; turn up with determination; turn up with a vision; and most of all, turn up with a smile. To complete your garden, you must have thyme: time for fun, time for family and friends, and time for yourself. Water freely with patience and cultivate with affection. If you do all this, you will reap what you sow. Don’t you agree?
The National Gardening Association said recently that 43 million American households will grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries in 2009. That’s up 19 percent over last year. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the largest seed and gardening supply store in the country, says it has seen a 24 to 30 percent spike in vegetable seed and plant sales this spring compared with last.
About 20 per cent of these gardening households will be gardening for the first time. They can expect a $70 investment in a garden to yield about $600 in produce for the year if they know what to plant, when to plant it, how to deal with different soil types and how to care for the garden.
And therein lies your opportunity to become a gardening resource for your customers, most of whom grew up in an era where there was no need to learn anything about horticulture or agriculture. You can help them get into vegetable gardening by helping them purchase the best size tiller that meets their needs. You can sell them vegetable seeds and plants, and perhaps specialized fertilizer for different plants in their garden. Offer them a small selection of how-to gardening books. They’ll come to depend on your expertise and knowledge.
Hopefully you planned ahead and have a few tillers and small cultivators on display. If you’ve really prepared, you also have vegetable seeds and plants and fertilizer on your shelves. For those that plan ahead and take advantage of available opportunities found even in difficult economic times, there will be happy customers in your store and dollars in your cash register this spring.
There’s an ongoing debate about increasing the percentage and use of ethanol in our gasoline. Here’s one unintended consequence of higher ethanol usage that will hit us right in our pocketbooks. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stated in early April that “Higher use of the corn-based fuel additive accounted for about 10 percent to 15 percent of the rise in food prices between April 2007 and April 2008.” That could mean the government will have to spend up to $900 million more on food programs for the needy during the current budget year that ends September 30. Aren’t we fortunate the money printing presses are running 24 hours a day?
Husqvarna recently unveiled a new robotic lawnmower that has a phone integrated in it that sends text messages when it wants to talk to you. I’ve never had the desire to carry on a conversation with my lawnmower, although I’d be the first to admit I have spoken to it before, often rather harshly.
Is this what the future of mowing grass will be like? I’m getting ready to mow the yard on Saturday morning and my cell phone rings. It’s my mower calling with a text message. “Good morning, Joe. I really don’t feel like mowing the lawn this morning. Isn’t there something else you could do instead?” Or the message from my mower could be even worse! “Good morning, Joe. I know you’ve been looking for me everywhere, but I don’t feel like mowing today. And I’m not going to tell you where I’m hiding. Have a nice day.”
By the way, the Husqvarna Automower 260ACX is currently available in Europe only, but will eventually be made available in the United States.
With spring here and planting season in many places just around the corner, I came across a garden plan for life that you might consider for 2009. First, plant three rows of peas: passion, performance and persistence. Then three rows of squash: squash gossip, squash indifference and squash criticism. There should be three rows of lettuce: Let us be true to our obligations, let us be unselfish, and let us be loyal. Next, plant four rows of turnips: Turn up when needed; turn up with determination; turn up with a vision; and most of all, turn up with a smile. To complete your garden, you must have thyme: time for fun, time for family and friends, and time for yourself. Water freely with patience and cultivate with affection. If you do all this, you will reap what you sow. Don’t you agree?
