UMC STUDENTS GET UP-CLOSE LOOK AT BUSINESS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS

Members of the class, back row – Meghan Jaeger, Traci Richter

Front row – Luke Wittkop, Aaron Motl, Dan Bjornson

From harvesting cut flowers to combating plant viruses, local university students had the opportunity to learn about what drives the commercial floriculture industry at recent visits to greenhouses and farms in Wisconsin and Lake Elmo, MN.

    The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Commercial Floriculture Class took their Spring Greenhouse Tour last week to explore the growing of flowers as a crop. UMC students learned about bedding plant production in the wholesale trade at Anderson’s Plant Farm, in Baldwin, WI. In Hudson, WI, the class watched the harvesting of cut flowers, growing of flowering potted plants as well as processing of bedding plants at Hermes Floral, a major Midwest supplier of floral products for both greenhouses and retail florists. The group also toured Linder’s Greenhouses in Lake Elmo, MN, and heard from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Professor Ben Lockhart regarding the Hosta Virus X that affects hostas, one of the most popular perennials grown in the Midwest and northeastern portions of the US. Hostas are perennial shade-loving plants with broad ribbed leaves and clusters of tubular white, blue or lilac flowers. Linder’s has more than 110 greenhouses as well as a large outdoor growing area for more than 800 varieties of perennials and 13 million bedding plants. The tour was hosted by the MNLA (Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association) Commercial Flower Growers Committee.

Posted 4/3/06

UMC HORT TEAM PLACES FIRST!

Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS)

Amber Werner, Luke Wittkop, Cayla Wieland, and Aimee Grosam

2006 meeting/competition hosted by University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

March 15-18, 2006 Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS) http://www.m-a-c-h-s.org/ 

The contest consisted of a written horticultural knowledge exam, Judging of all types of horticultural crops, Identification of herbaceous plants and woody plants.

Individual placings by UMC Students were

1st place, Woody Plant Identification – Luke Wittkop

2nd place, Woody Plant Identification – Aimee Grosam

1st place, Herbaceous Plant Identification – Luke Wittkop

1st place Overall – Luke Wittkop

2nd place Overall – Aimee Grosam

 The University of Minnesota, Crookston Team members:

Amber Werner from Big Lake, MN           

Luke Wittkop from Hugo, MN

Cayla Wieland from Minneapolis, MN          

Aimee Grosam from Brownsdale, MN

The MACHS organization and contest provide a means of communication between horticulture clubs of participating schools.  Sharing knowledge and ideas are an important part of the gathering.  This year there was a workshop about how to do horticultural seminars as public service and to further horticultural interest on the college campus.  The students enjoyed a presentation on environmentally friendly, native plant landscaping and how it can be implemented in today’s landscapes. The group toured Ball Seed Company, parts of the Brookfield Zoo, and the Garfield Conservatory in Chicago.  They also attended a dinner and Landscape Design Presentation by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. 

Posted 3/20/06

Online Horticulture Training moves forward, signing ceremony February 17th at UMC

February 2, 2006—Crookston, MN—The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) in cooperation with Communicating for Agriculture (CA) has formed a partnership with a consortium of Minnesota based agricultural and agricultural related businesses to develop and deliver horticulture training online. $260,000.00 has been awarded to teach horticulture online through UMC. Classes are expected to begin late February.

A signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 17th at 11am in the Prairie Room, Student Center University of Minnesota, Crookston

The $260,000.00 project, awarded by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership, is based upon an international agriculture exchange apprenticeship training program currently being offered through CA. UMC’s contribution includes online course development and instruction that will operate through its Center for Adult Learning (CAL). CAL’s mission is to facilitate access for a diverse community of adult learners within Minnesota and beyond by utilizing alternate delivery systems. UMC’s proven track record in online course delivery and CA’s apprenticeship program combined will expand that access.

UMC and CA will partner to create a domestic online version of a special horticulture program where Minnesota businesses and U.S. citizens will be able to benefit. A consortium of 5 businesses will be participating in the project. These businesses, from various parts of the state, will include businesses from both rural and urban settings that are primarily engaged in horticulture activity. The size of the contributing businesses will range from around 80 to several hundred individuals. Some of the firms have business operations in a number of locations. The companies in the project are: Linder’s Greenhouses & Garden Center, Gerten’s Wholesale Nursery Center, Wagner’s, Bergen’s Greenhouses & Bailey Nurseries. The instruction for the project will include an apprenticeship, field instruction and e-learning all delivered through the collaboration of CA and UMC.

“The face of agriculture in Minnesota is changing,” says Dr. Richard Nelson, UMC’s Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. While production agriculture focuses on raising crops and livestock still predominates, other types of specialty agriculture and agricultural related businesses are securing an ever increasing niche in the industry. “This type of training, available online and through apprenticeships, will allow industry the ability to educate their employees and keep up with changes in the workforce,” Nelson said. The horticulture industry is no longer just a seasonal operation,” says CA’s Steve Jones. Because of heavy investment in their greenhouse facilities, they can now operate (i.e. grow) throughout the year.

Apprentices participating in the program would have a wide range of duties. They would learn all aspects of their business host operations. This would include operating equipment, dealing with customers, learning about vendors and their products and how the industry operates, besides the detailed technical skills that are necessary in doing their job. “I think it is a great idea to improve the quality of the workers in the green industry, it is another chance for them to receive professional development and to improve their working skills.” We have partnered with CA in the past on similar programs and it has been a “win-win” situation for all of us,” said Ivan Izzo, Linder’s Greenhouses & Garden Center, Division Manager. Participants would have much needed and highly valued work experience that they could put on their resume in addition to the apprenticeship certificate from a respected higher education institution.

Communicating for Agriculture is offered in all 50 states and in a wide range of foreign countries where it has successfully provided overseas training internships to over 10,000 foreign nationals and American students. UMC is a four-year baccalaureate degree granting institution and coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota.

For more information please visit: cal.umcrookston.edu or contact Dr. Richard Nelson (800) 862 6466 ext 8100 rnelson@umcrookston.edu or Steve Jones sjones@cainc.org 1-800-432-3276 ext. 3343.

Long-time Horticulture and Agriculture Assistant Professors, Roger Wagner and

Dave Hoff celebrated at their retirement social on May 4, 2005.  You will be missed!!

(l to r) Naomi Schulstad, Luke Wittkop, Candi Lee Fuller, Aimee Grosam, Cayla Wieland, and Melinda McVey McCluskey at Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado March 9-12 to the Mid-America Collegiate Horticultural Society (MACHS) annual meeting and competition. UMC's team placed second overall. Team members included Luke Wittkop, Hugo, MN, Naomi Schulstad, Erskine, MN, Candi Lee Fuller, Aitkin, MN, Aimee Grosam, Brownsdale, MN, and Cayla Wieland, Minneapolis, MN. Luke Wittkop was second-place individual overall placing second in identification of woody specimens and second in herbaceous identification. Schulstad placed first and Fuller placed third in the herbaceous identification competition.

The MACHS competition consisted of 85 individuals and 13 teams from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Students competed individually or as part of a four-member team in four divisions: plant judging, plant identification of woody specimens, plant identification of herbaceous specimens, and a general knowledge exam. South Dakota State University won the competition. The competition was held on Thursday, March 10, and the winners were announced at an awards brunch on Saturday, March 12. Students attended workshops and took part in educational tours to Welby Gardens, the Denver Botanical Garden, Denver Zoo and Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos. The meeting emphasizes the region's horticulture industry.

Posted: 3/21/2005

ASHA Acknowledges Academic Achievement

The American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHA) recently announced recipients of its Outstanding Undergraduate Horticulture Student Award and its Collegiate Scholars Award. Three UMC students majoring in horticulture are among those honored this year. Luke Wittkop of Hugo, Minn., received the ASHA Outstanding Undergraduate Horticulture Student Award. Michelle Holman of Climax, Minn., and Jennifer Jacobs of Villard, Minn., both were named ASHA Collegiate Scholars. Congratulations!
posted May 18, 2004

UMC Students Take Part in Greenhouse Tour

The Commercial Crops class attended the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Spring Greenhouse Tour on Thursday, April 1, 2004. The tour included Nelson Nursery in Zimmerman, Malmborg’s in Maple Grove, and Chastek’s Greenhouses in Corcoran. Students making the trip were (below, from left): Sarah Parker, Laura Culver, Liz Knowlan, Aimee Grosam, and Jeremy Deitz.

posted April 2, 2004

Three UMC Students Attend Horticulture Conference

Cayla Wieland, Aimee Grosam, and Laura Culver (above from left) attended the 31st Annual MACHS Convention hosted by Michigan State University March 10-13. MACHS (the Mid-American Collegiate Horticultural Society) is an organization composed of collegiate horticulture clubs and their members. The students competed in competitions that included plant judging, plant identification, and a general knowledge exam. Tours included the MSU research greenhouses, Raker’s Acres (10 acres under plug production), and the John Henry Company (printer of plant labels). Speaker topics included the role of green roofs in sustainable communities, herbal medicine: the rest of the story, and creating magical spaces for children and adults.

These same three students passed the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional Exam, given March 5 at Bachman’s in the Twin Cities. Congratualtions.
posted March 30, 2004

New Certified Nursery Professionals

Luke Wittkop and Angela Nelson both became Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association (MNLA) Certified Nursery Professionals in January after passing the CNP exam.  The exam tests knowledge of landscaping, plant materials, and general horticulture knowledge.  Employers of these two individuals will have access to advertising materials from the MNLA to advertise that they have a CNP on staff.  Test takers must score 80% or higher to pass the test.  Historical pass rate is only 52%.  Congratulations, Luke and Angela!
posted February 6, 2004

MNLA Scholarship Winners
Renelle Thesing, Luke Wittkop, and Jennifer Jacobs (above, from left) were awarded the Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association (MNLA) Scholarship at the Minnesota Green Expo in January.  MNLA members sponsor scholarships together with the MNLA Organization.  Landsburg's Landscape Nursery, Brainerd, MN sponsored the scholarship for Renelle Thesing;Luke Wittkop was sponsored by Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape of Hastings, MN; and Jenny Jacobs was sponsored by Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping of Long Lake, MN.  Scholarships are awarded to horticulture students based on their potential to contribute to the industry after graduation.
posted February 6, 2004

Ag-Arama 2004 Winners

On Friday, January 30, students competed in various horticulture contests that were a part of the 29th Annual Ag-Arama event. Winners of the various contests included:

Tree and Shrub Identification
1st Place - Aimee Grosam
2nd Place - Cayla Wieland
3rd Place - Laura Culver
 
Floral Design
1st Place - Laura Culver
2nd Place - Aimee Grosam
3rd Place - Cayla Wieland
 
Overall Sweepstakes Winner -
Aimee Grosam

posted February 4, 2004

UMC Students Produce Poinsettia Crop
Students enrolled in fall 2003's Production Horticulture Class, (from left) Liz Knowlan, Jennifer Jacobs, Luke Wittkop, and Nate Dostert (Sara Kohnen is not pictured)
posted December 22, 2003

Neal S. Holland (right), Owner of Sheyenne Gardens, Harwood, ND, and retired horticulture department head at NDSU, has served many years as PIAC advisor to the Horticulture department at UMC.  Placque given for dedication and service to UMC's Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Horticulture Department in particular.  He was presented with the placque at the PIAC meeting on October 29 by Doug Knowlton, UMC's vice chancellor for academic affairs. While at NDSU, Neal was advisor to Roger Wagner while in grad school and was also on the committee for Melinda McVey McCluskey when she completed her master's degree at NDSU.

Luke Whittkop, Renelle Thesing, and Jenny Jacobs (in order as pictured)  attended the 2003 Bedding Plant Conference in Detroit Lakes on Sept 23 rd .  This conference is sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association for bedding plant growers across Minnesota.  Some of the subjects covered by the presenters were Greenhouse coverings, Fertilizer Selection, Ground Bed Preparation and Greenhouse Pests and Diseases.  Photos were shown of all the best performing annuals and perennials in the University of Minnesota trial gardens for 2003.  Presenters for the conference were John Erwin, Charlie Rohwer, and David Zlesak from the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science and Tami van Gaal from Wagner's Greenhouses.