In this episode of the Hort Culture Podcast, hosts Brett, Alexis, Jessica, and Ray are joined by returning guest Savannah Columbia to discuss her master's thesis research on specialty cut flower workshops, consumer behavior, and the rising "experience economy" within agritourism. Savannah framing her study around the concepts of search, experience, and credence goods, explains that hands-on agritourism activities—such as floral arrangement, wreath making, seed starting, and flower drying—function as "experience goods" because their quality and value can only be evaluated by consumers after the event takes place. She points out that consumer interest in these interactive farm experiences has risen sharply since COVID-19, aligning with massive growth in the cut flower industry; national census data shows a 60% increase in farms reporting cut flower sales, and Kentucky's own cut flower directory expanded exponentially from 35 growers in 2020 to roughly 159 by 2026.

To better understand what drives this market, Savannah conducted a three-part survey tracking consumer experiences before the workshop, immediately following the event, and four weeks post-experience across nine flower growers in Kentucky and North Carolina. Her research maps out "pre-decision variables" like price, location, demographics, and travel distance alongside long-term consumer relationships. The hosts reflect on how these findings mirror their own real-life behaviors, discussing how modern consumers often prioritize purchasing memorable experiences or experience-based gifts over physical items, concluding that these workshops serve as a vital tool for farmers looking to establish a high consumer lifetime value.



FLORAL ENCOUNTERS: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE GOODS AND PROMOTERS IN SPECIALTY CUT FLOWER WORKSHOPS [https://uknowledge.uky.edu/agecon_etds/116/]

Center for Crop Diversification  [https://ccd.uky.edu/]

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/]



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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]



Specialty Cut Flower Workshops & The Experience Economy

This episode of Hort Culture features special guest Sarah Geurkink from the Organic Association of Kentucky and focuses on practical, budget-friendly strategies for growers, with discussions centered around weed management, irrigation, production efficiency, and marketing. The conversation begins with a lighthearted discussion about favorite spring blooming trees before shifting into grower advice. A major topic is weed management, emphasizing the importance of understanding which weeds are most problematic, how quickly they go to seed, and how large the weed seed bank is in the soil. The group explains how tilling can expose dormant weed seeds and why preventing weeds from reaching maturity is one of the best long-term management strategies. They also discuss how using mulch, weed barriers, and consistent maintenance can significantly reduce weed pressure over time. Another useful production tip involves planting in black plastic mulch, where using potting soil instead of field soil around transplants helps reduce heat stress and prevents weeds from growing directly around young plants. The episode also highlights challenges growers face when scaling up from home gardening to market production, especially when sourcing commercial supplies like irrigation parts, produce boxes, and packaging materials. Group purchasing, planning ahead, and building strong relationships with suppliers can help save time and money. Marketing is also discussed, with advice on creating consistency through standard brand colors, fonts, and simple branding tools. The episode wraps up with a creative idea for a short-term “Peak Season CSA,” designed to sell surplus summer produce like tomatoes and peppers while attracting new customers and improving cash flow. Overall, the main takeaway is that thoughtful planning and small strategic decisions can make production more efficient and profitable.



Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) [https://www.oak-ky.org/]

OAK Organic Production Technical Assistance Program [https://www.oak-ky.org/production-technical-assistance]

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) [https://www.sare.org/]

Kentucky State University (KSU) Pawpaw Program [https://www.kysu.edu/academics/college-ahnr/school-of-anr/pawpaw/index.php]

UK Cooperative Extension Service [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/]



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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]







Practical Tips for Productive Growing

In this episode of Hort Culture, Brett, Jessica, and Ray explore the exciting question of how much food you can really grow at home. While social media often shows impressive gardens producing huge harvests from small spaces, the hosts remind listeners that success looks different for everyone. Growing your own tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, and other favorites can be incredibly rewarding, even if you are not producing every item on your dinner plate. They encourage gardeners to focus on what their families enjoy eating, start small, and celebrate the wins—whether that is harvesting your first pepper, building gardening memories with your kids, or enjoying a meal made with homegrown ingredients. The episode highlights that gardening should be fun, realistic, and personal, with the goal of finding joy in the process rather than comparing yourself to perfect gardens online.

Resources for Home Growers: Vegetables [https://horticulture.mgcafe.uky.edu/growers/home/vegetables]

Plate it up! Kentucky Proud Recipes  [https://fcs.mgcafe.uky.edu/plate-it-up]

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Grow What You Eat: Realistic Home Food Production

In this episode, the Hort Culture team are joined by a full panel of guests: Hunter-Anne, and Spencer from KCARD, along with Dr. Steve Isaacs from the Agricultural Economics Department. Together, they dive into one of the most critical—and often overlooked—challenges in horticulture: succession planning.

The conversation explores the realities of generational transition in horticulture businesses, including the emotional, financial, and operational complexities involved. Speakers highlight how succession is not just about handing off ownership, but about preserving knowledge, maintaining relationships, and ensuring long-term business sustainability.

Key themes include:

 * Early Planning is Essential: Waiting too long to plan for succession can create instability. Proactive strategies help avoid rushed or forced transitions.
 * Communication Matters: Open dialogue between current owners, family members, and potential successors is critical to aligning expectations and avoiding conflict.
 * Training the Next Generation: Preparing successors involves more than technical skills—it requires leadership development, decision-making experience, and industry awareness.
 * Financial and Legal Considerations: Structuring ownership transfer, valuing the business, and navigating tax implications are all vital components of a successful plan.
 * Non-Family Transitions: The episode also addresses alternatives to family succession, including employee ownership and external buyers, which are becoming more common in the industry.

The episode emphasizes that succession planning is ultimately about legacy—ensuring that businesses, relationships, and expertise continue to thrive beyond the current generation.

Listeners walk away with a deeper understanding of how thoughtful, intentional planning can safeguard the future of horticulture operations and support the next wave of industry leaders.



Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) [https://www.kcard.info/]

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/]

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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]

Succession Planning: Securing the Future of Your Operation

In this episode, the Hort Culture crew takes a winding (and hilarious) path from debating Post Malone playlists to one of the most relatable gardening topics of the season: patio plants. What begins as music chatter turns into a thoughtful conversation about how container plants soften hard outdoor spaces, blur the line between indoor and outdoor living, and create small pockets of joy just outside the door. The hosts swap favorite “can’t miss” patio performers like wave petunias, calibrachoa, begonias, marigolds, coleus (with some friendly disagreement), geraniums, lantana, ornamental grasses, lettuce mixes, cherry tomatoes, and even small evergreens and bonsai, emphasizing how containers are not only decorative but functional, flexible, and often easier than in-ground gardening.

Along the way, they talk through the realities of patio environments, from blazing afternoon sun to deep shade, and how those extremes affect watering routines, root temperatures, and plant selection—especially when using concrete or dark containers that hold heat. They share the simple pleasure of evening watering rounds, the appeal of window boxes, the joy of attracting butterflies and bees close to where you sit, and the unexpected success of letting annuals overwinter and return the following year. The episode’s big takeaway is that patio plants feel like “cheating” because they offer a low-risk, high-reward way to garden, serving as part hobby, part décor, part therapy, and a dependable way to bring life and beauty to your outdoor living space.

Landscape Design [https://www.rs.uky.edu/consumer/extension_pdfs/ho105.pdf]

Container gardening [https://exclusives.mgcafe.uky.edu/2022/hort/container-gardening]

Creating Outdoor Rooms With Plants [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/publications.ca.uky.edu/files/ho62.pdf]

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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]

Patio Plants That Feel Like Cheating

This spring-themed episode opens with the crew swapping stories about wild temperature swings, allergy struggles, ornamental pears, and a “secret bucket of crystallized honey” before welcoming guest Nathan Howell of Need More Acres Farm and the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association.

Nathan shares the story of his family’s highly intensive, small-acreage, year-round produce farm and how high tunnels, row covers, and protected culture allow them to grow vegetables 12 months a year in Kentucky. What sounds “small” in row-crop terms is actually incredibly productive in horticulture, with multiple crops moving through the same ground in a single year.

The conversation shifts into marketing strategies for small farms—from farmers markets and restaurants to schools, health departments, and medically tailored food boxes that support both their farm and dozens of other local producers.

Nathan then dives into his leadership role with the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association (est. 1970) and how this farmer-led, volunteer organization focuses on education, advocacy, and networking for growers of all sizes—from backyard gardeners to commercial producers. The group co-hosts the long-standing Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference, known for its highly targeted, practical programming and uniquely broad age and experience range among attendees.

A major highlight of the episode is real-world advocacy in action. Nathan explains how the association recently worked with partners like the Kentucky Horticulture Council to successfully push for restoration of cost-share funding levels through the County Ag Improvement Program (CAIP), protecting crucial support for small and beginning vegetable growers. They are also currently working with Kentucky Farm Bureau and state legislators to correct a sales tax issue affecting greenhouse and high tunnel materials used in protected agriculture.

The episode closes with discussion of unexpected member benefits of the association—from advocacy and conference access to life assistance resources and insurance perks—all for a very low annual membership cost.

This episode is a powerful look at how grassroots grower organizations, practical education, and producer voices working together continue to shape the future of vegetable production in Kentucky.



Need More Acres Farm [https://needmoreacres.com/]

Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association [https://www.facebook.com/KYVGA/]

Kentucky Horticulture Council [https://kyhortcouncil.org/]

Farm Service Agency-Kentucky [https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/kentucky]

KENTUCKY OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL POLICY [https://www.kyagr.com/agpolicy/]



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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]

Why Every Grower Should Know the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association

n this episode of Hort Culture, the team dives into the art and science of plant propagation, focusing on softwood cuttings—one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to multiply your favorite plants. The conversation blends practical how-to advice with relatable stories (including barefoot spring moments and the emotional highs and lows of plant success).

Listeners learn the key differences between herbaceous, softwood, and hardwood cuttings, with an emphasis on timing and plant “energy” levels throughout the growing season. The hosts explain how softwood cuttings—taken from flexible, actively growing stems—offer a balance of vigor and responsiveness, making them ideal for late spring through early summer propagation.

The episode walks through the step-by-step process of taking successful cuttings, including:

 * Identifying the right growth stage using the “snap test”
 * Cutting just below a node for optimal rooting
 * Managing leaf size and quantity to reduce moisture loss
 * Using rooting hormone effectively
 * Choosing the right propagation media with proper drainage and no added fertilizer

The discussion also highlights common mistakes—like taking cuttings too early, overwatering, or using the wrong soil—and reinforces that while there are best practices, plants can be surprisingly forgiving.

Whether you’re a beginner experimenting with houseplants or a seasoned grower looking to refine your technique, this episode offers a practical, approachable guide to cloning plants and expanding your garden.



Propagating Plants In and Around the Home [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/ho67.pdf]

New Plants From Cuttings [https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/extpub/new-plants-from-cuttings-text-only/]

Propagating Shrubs and Trees from Softwood Cuttings [https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/propagation-deciduous-trees-and-shrubs-softwood-cuttings]

Home Propagation of Garden and Landscape Plants [https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6970]





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Softwood Cuttings 101: Timing, Technique, and Success

In this episode of Hort Culture, the podcast crew welcome Dr. Amanda Skidmore, Kentucky’s state apiarist, to discuss the vital role of beekeeping in agriculture and the challenges facing pollinators. Skidmore shares insights into her work supporting beekeepers through inspections, education, and outreach across the state. The conversation highlights the importance of honeybees in pollinating specialty crops and maintaining food systems.

A major focus of the episode is the emerging threat of the invasive yellow-legged hornet, a predator of honeybees that has recently been detected in the southeastern U.S. Skidmore explains its life cycle, how it spreads, and the potential ecological and economic impacts if it reaches Kentucky. Listeners also learn how to identify the hornet, report sightings, and even participate in monitoring efforts. Blending humor with urgency, the episode emphasizes awareness and collective action to protect pollinators and the agricultural systems that depend on them.



Georgia Department of Agriculture Yellow-Legged Hornet [https://agr.georgia.gov/yellow-legged-hornet]

Clemson Yellow Legged Hornet [https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/plant-industry/invasive/invasive-spotlights.html]

Dr. Amanda Skidmore, Kentucky State Apiarist [https://www.kyagr.com/ky-agnews/press-releases/2024/Kentucky-Department-of-Agriculture-welcomes-new-State-Apiarist.html]

Kentucky State Apiarist [https://www.kyagr.com/statevet/honeybees.html]



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Yellow-Legged Hornets: An Emerging Threat to Pollinators

In this episode of Hort Culture, the hosts discuss why people garden and how to keep gardening affordable. They begin by sharing their personal reasons for gardening, such as growing fresh food, experimenting with unusual plants, creating relaxing outdoor spaces, or producing crops for market.  The group emphasizes that successful budget gardening starts with a plan. Gardeners should think about their available space, what foods they actually like to eat, and how much time they can realistically spend maintaining plants. Poor planning can lead to overcrowded gardens, wasted money, and disappointing results.  They also talk about different growing methods, including containers, raised beds, and planting directly in the ground. While containers and raised beds can be convenient, they often require more inputs like potting soil and fertilizer. When possible, using native soil can be the most cost-effective option.  The hosts share tips for saving money, such as using repurposed containers, buying quality seeds or transplants from trusted sources, participating in seed swaps, and checking local schools or extension programs for affordable plants. They also discuss the pros and cons of starting seeds at home versus buying transplants.  Finally, they remind gardeners to plan for a productive harvest. Gardens can produce more food than expected, so preserving or freezing extra produce can help make the most of the season and reduce waste.



Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky  [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/ID128.pdf]

How To Save Money in The Garden [https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/tag/gardening-on-a-budget/]

Tips for Low Income Gardeners [https://extension.oregonstate.edu/es/node/201226/printable/print]

Kentucky Extension Service County Offices [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/county]



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Gardening on a Budget

In this episode of Hort Culture, we are joined by Kenney Gulley of the Kentucky Christmas Tree Association to discuss Christmas tree production in Kentucky. Kenney shares how he and his wife started a small Christmas tree farm near Mount Sterling as a way to make productive use of their land while fitting farming into their busy schedules.

The conversation covers the basics of growing Christmas trees, including species selection, planting seedlings, and the seven- to eight-year timeline required to produce a marketable tree. Kenney also talks about the challenges growers face, from labor demands and drought to choosing species that match their soil and climate.

This conversation also highlights the importance of the Kentucky Christmas Tree Association, which provides education, mentorship, and support for both new and experienced growers. Beyond production, the episode explores how Christmas tree farms create meaningful holiday traditions and community connections for families who visit each year.



Kentucky Christmas Tree Association [https://kychristmastreefarms.com/]

National Christmas Tree Association [https://realchristmastrees.org/]

University of Kentucky Extension Service Christmas Tree Resources [https://forestry.mgcafe.uky.edu/christmastrees]

Kentucky Christmas Tree Production Workbook [https://forestry.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/forestry.ca.uky.edu/files/for16.pdf]

Tennessee Christmas Tree Production Manual [https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/PB1854.pdf]

Christmas Trees, Center for Crop Diversification [https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/crops/nursery-ornamental/christmas-trees]



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The Business of Christmas Trees in Kentucky

Welcome to Hort Culture, where a group of Extension professionals and plant people talk about the business, production and joy of farming. So, join us for a chat on the culture of horticulture.

Questions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: hortculturepodcast@l.uky.edu

Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]

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