It seems perfect.
* In south Georgia, many farmers look for a new moneymaking
crop.
* Around Atlanta, other workers look for career changes.
(Often, layoffs force the
issue.)
* Meanwhile, greenhouse, nursery and landscape markets
blossom.
Thriving markets look made-to-order for people seeking
promising business ventures.
Between the people and the prospects, though, stands a stark
reality: 85 percent of all
new businesses fail within the first five years.
"That’s where we’re trying to help," said Paul
Thomas, a horticulturist with
the University of Georgia Extension Service.
Extension specialists will lead a workshop March 20-22 in
Athens. Along with the UGA
Business Outreach Services, Georgia Commercial Flower Growers
Association and Georgia
Green Industry Association, they hope to help new ventures start
out right.
An early, hands-on workshop March 19 will teach how to grow
plants from seeds or
cuttings.
The workshops will offer 43 sessions. Over four days,
greenhouse and nursery owners,
landscape pros and UGA experts will tell just about everything
anybody needs to know about
starting these businesses.
"Through our county Extension offices, hundreds of
people have shown an interest
in starting businesses like this," Thomas said. "And
there’s plenty of room for
new people in this market.
"The market in the Southeast is the strongest we’ve ever
seen," Thomas said.
"Sales have gone up 13 percent per year over the past three
years. Growers are making
money. And production is nowhere near the market capacity.
"It’s not just a few niches, either," Thomas said.
"It’s herbs, ground
covers, shrubs, vines, trees, cuttings, bedding plants,
perennials — there are thousands
of niches."
Taken together, "green industry" firms sell
Georgia’s seventh-largest farm
product, with more than $200 million in yearly sales.
"It’s the fastest-growing commodity in Georgia, running
neck-and-neck with
cotton," Thomas said. "And it doesn’t take but an acre
of ground to get into
this business."
The workshops March 19 and March 20-22 are designed to show
people how to grow plants,
how the industry works, what sells, how it sells and where it
sells.
The March 19 workshop requires pre-registration by March 15.
A $150 fee covers
equipment, supplies, books and plants. The first 40 to register
may attend.
The fee for the March 20-22 workshop is $125 before March 15.
It’s $145 after that. The
fee covers refreshment breaks, two lunches and materials.
To learn more about the workshops or get a registration form,
contact the county
Extension office. Or call 1-800-884-1419 or (706) 542-2134.
