Unfortunately the little guys, the individual growers, even some multi-generational family operations, are paying the ultimate price
Every week we talk to many people who dabble in the world of professional horticulture. This includes a vast array spanning multiple industries. Doing this, as we always have, exposes us to a lot of common ground feelings, trends, concerns, fears, and gripes.
Recently growers — both retailers and wholesalers — have been telling us something which should concern us all. It’s something they’ve been dealing for years but which seems to be causing more damage than ever lately. Culmination and compounding are making their mark. It’s something many of us are actually aware of already. Many acknowledge, dislike, and sometimes even vow to try and change. It’s also something that we are capable of changing, but only if we make a concentrated and continual effort to do so. Furthermore, it’s something we have to do collectively if we are to affect enduring change. It’s also something that’ll cost us a little time and money, too. Not much, but a little bit.
We, as used herein, are consumers. We buy plants. It’s poinsettia season. The “something” of which I write is the middle term after effects of big city merchandising taken outside the limits of suburbia. Specifically, multimillion dollar entities, like WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, and others that fit the profile, are putting many growers out of business. We already know this to a certain extent, though we don’t think about it nearly enough.
I understand, though. It’s driven by price and mostly convenience would be my guess. Consider this: We have five items on our shopping list. We know that we can go to five small businesses, spend a more time and money filling the list. Or we can go to the MegaMart down the road and get all five items. It’s a helluva motivation to go to the big guy. So this time, even though we appreciate Robert’s Greenhouse or Mike’s Nursery, we go to the ‘Mart and let ourselves off the hook, just this time.
Unfortunately the little guys, the individual growers, even some multi-generational family operations, are paying the ultimate price. Look around at what our consumerism habits are doing. We are putting our community-based establishments out of business.
Sam Walton had a noble idea in bringing big city savings and convenience to rural America by dealing in volume, but I think it’s gone bad. I firmly believe it is ruining our sense of community. Robert’s Greenhouse, the General Store, and Bill’s Service Station have character and charm. But that’s all falling to the wayside. Almost imperceptibly except to those going down. It’s like erosion. We don’t like it much if we think about, yet we keep right on doing the same rain dance, bringing on more rain, causing more erosion. What’s eroding, though, is really us.
Is this what we want? To lose ourselves into an abyss of rollbacks and family packs? Mega-deals, without a “Thank you, come again, Mr. Jones.” or other bits of real personality? We see the good old days on TV and love it. We should, too, as it’s getting harder and harder to find outside the boob-tube. But we can help save little businesses by giving them our regular attention. And we should, not just for them but for us as well.
You can begin by getting your poinsettias at your Robert’s Greenhouse this year. And if you start wondering why you should care, try to realize that a lot of these small timers made a commitment years ago to do this because they love growing plants and really appreciate you. They have passion (an knowledge), and it gives their establishments soul. They didn’t get into it for the big bucks, though they did hope to make ends meet I’m sure. They’ve been there for us. Remember back to not too long ago when we used to go to a greenhouse to buy a plant. A real greenhouse, not a giant sun porch attached to the south side of a freaking warehouse. Let’s start doing that again. Let’s be there for them. I think it’s in our best interest — all of us.
