Greenhouse Success Stories Podcast Por Trina Semenchuck arte de portada

Greenhouse Success Stories

Greenhouse Success Stories

De: Trina Semenchuck
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Tune in every week as we share conversations with growers, operators, and innovators from around the world, providing insight into what’s working in their greenhouses. We discuss firsthand experiences and provide insights into how these farms are succeeding and thriving. Hosted by Founder of Little Greenhouse That Could, Trina Semenchuk.Copyright 2025 Trina Semenchuck Arte Ciencia Comida y Vino Economía Historia Natural Naturaleza y Ecología
Episodios
  • 9: Why High-Quality Supplier Partnerships Hold the Key to Fresh, Reliable Salads
    Jan 9 2026

    📺 Watch, Subscribe, Follow on YouTube & Spotify

    Thanks to Our Sponsor

    Harnois Greenhouse

    Website - https://harnoisgreenhouse.com/

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SerresHarnoisGreenhouses

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harnois.ghs/

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/serres-harnois-greenhouse/

    “You can't run a business if you have to refund people for bad cucumbers,” says John Karwacki, founder of Inspired Go, who appears on Greenhouse Success Stories to reveal how fresh produce supply chains are truly the backbone of any food delivery operation—and why relentless focus on quality has driven Inspired Go’s explosive growth across North America.

    From launching with office deliveries to pivoting during COVID and forging a deep partnership with Dominick DiMucci at Haven Greens, John Karwacki pulls back the curtain on the logistics and data that keep your salad fresh on day five, while Dominick DiMucci shares the real story behind controlled environment agriculture’s glossy image and the hard work it takes to build consistency customers crave. If you think greenhouse-to-buyer partnerships are simple or automated growing is a breeze, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew—and show what it really takes to deliver perfection from greenhouse to doorstep.

    Key Takeaways
    1. Don’t build a greenhouse and then search for a market—start relationships with buyers before you ever break ground.
    2. Let quality drive your decisions. Obsess over your product, and put the plant’s needs first every single day.
    3. Invest in the right people upfront—team strength and early collaboration fuel lasting success.
    4. Make your operations customer-focused. Gather direct feedback, track retention, and adapt your offerings to what people actually crave.
    5. Approach technology as a servant to the plant—not the master. Use automation and innovation only when it strengthens output and flavor.

    Memorable Quotes"Our job is to provide the plant what it needs to succeed and thrive, not try to force it down a different path for our own reasons. At the end of the day, the plant comes first.""I think it’s important that we’re transparent about the industry. Controlled environment agriculture is often wrapped up in a nice bow, but it’s a lot of work and difficult to execute on a daily basis. Despite things being controlled and sterile, it’s not hard to unsuccessfully operate a greenhouse.""Investing in the team early is something that, at least for Haven Greens, I think has led to us having so much velocity in year one. People are the drivers for your business, and putting the right people in the right places early really sets you up for success."Connect with Dominick & Haven Greens

    Dominick's LinkedIn:

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    51 m
  • 8: Why Year-Round Growing Holds the Key to Sustainable Farm Income With the Help of Harnois Greenhouses
    Dec 19 2025

    📺 Watch, Subscribe, Follow on YouTube & Spotify

    Thanks to Our Sponsor

    Harnois Greenhouse

    Website - https://harnoisgreenhouse.com/

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SerresHarnoisGreenhouses

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harnois.ghs/

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/serres-harnois-greenhouse/

    “One of the things that we grow year round is actually celery. So I think we're going into the third or fourth year of growing celery nonstop year round. So a lot of people, you know, we kind of become known as the, you know, celery people at market,” says Andrew Phelps, co-owner of Phelps Farm in Guttenberg, Iowa, and this week’s featured grower on Greenhouse Success Stories.

    After a career pivot from IT, Andrew Phelps and his wife Amy transformed her family’s farmland into a thriving, small-scale year-round vegetable operation—earning a reputation for consistency, niche innovation, and direct-to-consumer success. From overcoming devastating storms and infrastructure challenges to pioneering unique offerings like customizable CSA boxes and introducing farm-fresh beef, eggs, and honey, Andrew Phelps shares how strategic grants, tech tools, and a hands-on approach turned adversity into opportunity. Discover how this farmer’s market staple is setting a new standard for small growers aiming for year-round production and direct sales.

    Key Takeaways

    You want to build a thriving year-round farm business—take these actions to accelerate your greenhouse journey:

    1. Start where you are—launch your farmers market booth or CSA with whatever you can grow now, and build from there. Progress and consistency beat waiting for perfect conditions.
    2. Invest in robust infrastructure. Upgrade to stronger, automated high tunnels or greenhouses before extreme weather forces your hand—your crops and sanity will thank you.
    3. Apply for grants and cost-share programs early and often. Tap into resources like USDA EQUIP to slash upfront costs and fuel your reinvestment cycle.
    4. Prioritize education and mentorship relentlessly. Attend conferences, connect with extension specialists, and enroll in proven master classes—knowledge and support are your biggest growth multipliers.
    5. Build a direct-to-customer sales strategy: Embrace CSAs, markets, and farm stores to control your margins, build your brand, and stay nimble as you scale.

    Memorable Quotes"We invest quite heavily in education and learning new things. If you’re a new greenhouse grower, figure out your local resources—whether that’s a university extension, conferences, or online master classes. Having someone in your toolbox who can help with problems is a huge asset.""One of the things that we grow year round is celery. I think we're going into the third or fourth year of growing celery nonstop. A lot of people, we kind of...
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    47 m
  • 7: The Importance of Customer-Centric Thinking in Growing a Successful Plant Business
    Dec 12 2025

    📺 Watch, Subscribe, Follow on YouTube & Spotify

    Thanks to Our Sponsor

    Harnois Greenhouse

    Website - https://harnoisgreenhouse.com/

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SerresHarnoisGreenhouses

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harnois.ghs/

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/serres-harnois-greenhouse/

    “My goal is not to be the biggest. My goal is to be the best houseplant vendor here, especially here on the west coast in the North Pacific Northwest,” says Andrej Suske, owner of Cascade Tropicals, who joins Greenhouse Success Stories to share how relentless focus on quality, efficient systems, and deep-rooted passion for plants fuels his thriving business. From selling cut flowers on Berlin street corners at age ten to leading a cutting-edge, lean-driven greenhouse operation, Andrej Suske reveals a journey filled with hard-won lessons, innovations in forecasting and logistics, and insights on surviving both booms and market contractions. For anyone curious about what it really takes to build a standout horticulture business—and why a sense of ownership and love for growing are the keys to long-term success—this episode is not to be missed.

    Key Takeaways
    1. Know your customer and forecast demand relentlessly—success hinges on meeting needs at the right time with the right product.
    2. Prioritize lean principles—train your team to eliminate waste and boost efficiency, so every hour and every square foot counts.
    3. Obsess over top quality—if your plants aren’t best-in-class, level up or step out; average isn’t good enough.
    4. Embrace mistakes as growth—screw up, learn fast, and adapt, but never repeat errors. Progress comes from curiosity and self-ownership.
    5. Make ordering and fulfillment seamless—streamline your system until retailers think of you first, every single week.

    Memorable Quotes"My goal is not to be the biggest. My goal is to be the best houseplant vendor here, especially on the west coast in the North Pacific Northwest. When a store needs houseplants, the first thing I want them to think of is, 'I place an order with Cascade, and I have it by Friday before the weekend.'""I found out when I was a kid that I love growing plants and I love looking at plants. If I can do what I like doing, then I'm already having a big piece of being successful.""Screwing up is something that needs to happen—if we do a lot of work, we’ll also mess up a lot. We shouldn’t be making the same mistake over and over, but otherwise it’s okay to fail, learn, and get better."Connect with Andre

    Andre on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrej-suske-22060a201/

    Cascade Tropicals LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cascade-tropicals/

    Website - https://www.cascadetropicals.com/

    Instagram -

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    50 m
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