Week 1

Greenhouse view

In this industry we go by what we call "grower weeks".  The year has 52 weeks and so there are 52 grower weeks - sometimes 53, but I don't quite know why.  In any case, for us weeks 10-14 are peak shipping for rooted liners, which means weeks 4 - 8 are peak weeks for sticking.  Well this is week one.  Three weeks away from mayhem.

At DFC a lot changes week 1. We start cutting back on days off for starters.  We also start to bring back old seasonal workers and start announcing that we will be hiring more.  We have advertised in the local papers in the surrounding 3 counties, we have used Monster, Facebook, Hortjobs, you name it.  We have also been known to put a sign up by the road. What really works best is word of mouth; so we let everyone know when the flood gates are about to open.  We got lucky this year, and we have two seasoned former workers returning week 1.  It is always exciting to have someone at least partially trained starting.

I have been co running this business for nine years now. Hands down the biggest challenge we have is labor.  AT ALL LEVELS.  Employees are just like health insurance from where I am standing: you pay more every year and get fewer benefits.  If you have anyone even half way competent you have to make every effort to keep them.  Our problem is that we are in a very rural area with negative population growth and all the social problems that come with that.  So convincing people to move here is a challenge.  Getting people that are willing to commute is a challenge.  Moving the business is impossible.  And have I mentioned it is greenhouse work: wet, dirty, at time very hot and uncomfortable, on your feet all he time. There you have it, and among ten other things I am HR manager.  Nice to meet you.

Carts lined up for shipping

I like to start my growers in November.  In a perfect world, they would get two months to familiarize themselves with the area, our greenhouse, our people, our computer system, our company culture...all before peak sticking starts around week 4.  We don't live in a perfect world.  From August 2017 to August 2018 I had 4 propagators with the 5th one starting week 1.  We traditionally have one grower who focus on propagation (the propagator).  That grower oversees the process of rooting the plants. As I mentioned in a previous post the plants mostly come unrooted from overseas, they are stuck in trays and  are taken to propagation where they live until they are either ready to transplant or leave our greenhouse and relocate at another grower facility (sold).  We grow over a thousand different plants who all have different needs as far as water, fertilizer, growth regulators, light, shade, fungicides etc.  The propagator makes sure they are taken cared of, getting what they need, when they need it.  It is a tough job and it is a key position from weeks 1-20 for us.  We are a small business and most people wear more than one hat.  Weeks 1-20 the propagator is just a propagator.  No more hats bruh, you got enough on you.

Rex begonia tray

We had a wonderful young lady who was with us almost 5 years.  She was in her mid twenties and ready for a change so she left.  Then we got a man who really did not know what he wanted.  He stayed with us three months and changed his departure story at least three times.  Then we got a great young lady who had just had her first child.  She was married to our Head Grower and reluctant to start work again with a baby that was at week 1 just 4 months old.  So we let them bring their baby to work, and he became ours.  We had a playpen for him and all of us chipped in on childcare for him.  If he got too uncomfortable we had both mommy and daddy in the greenhouse to come and care for him.  Our office manager basically adopted him as her fourth grandchild so all was good.  My girls called him their baby brother.  I know what you are thinking, y'all are crazy!"  Yeah, my lawyer told me not to do it too.  Too much liability.  But hey, when your gut tells you to do it... you do it.  It worked out.  She was an amazing propagator and even with the free child care we got her pretty cheap.  Unfortunately, she got pregnant again.  I mean, good for her and her family, but bad bad bad for our business.  Anyone who has two kids will tell you it is hard, and you need all the help you can get.  Suddenly the work family was not enough, and so they moved away to be closer to the two grandmothers.

Here is a pretty flower

Propagator number 4 was hired late July and I told him "I don't need you now, I need you in March.  If we hire you it is because we need you for Spring."  He said of course, I'm here until Mother's Day.  yeah, but in November he said "I'm leaving in December, going back to school.  He did a great job while he was here.  Talented kid. However, as a business owner I am very tired of being brutally honest with my employees just to be lied too.  I have a few college degrees myself, I applied to many schools and I have worked at 3 colleges and universities.  In order to register for a degree program in January, you must have this plan in place at least six months prior. When I asked for a a minimum of 10 months he said yes and basically lied.  And so good grower but not so good employee/human if you start your relationships by lying.

So week 1.  I got a brand new propagator starting.  Fresh out of UGA, has a nice resume, Margaret and Vic ball internship, yadda yadda yadda... but you can see why I am a bit jaded.  She is smart and seems eager, so let's all say a prayer that she does well.  5 times a charm, right?  At least she was honest and told me she was applying to summer internships elsewhere. My problem is she has catching up to do, quick.  She has three weeks before peak sticking starts and in those 3 weeks she has to lea rn what in a perfect world she would have learned in two months...Yay for week 1 right? Well it is too soon to tell, but she is doing fine.  She seems smart and interested in the work.  Call me optimistic but I think we have another good one.

Lot of Rex Begonias rooting