Field Trip: ASCFG Regional Conference Part One

When I first started my cut flower business in 2022, I joined the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). This organization was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers, and being a member has been invaluable to me as I navigate the ins and outs of flower farming. In mid-July, I had the pleasure of attending the ASCFG Regional Conference in New Jersey. This two-day conference was jam-packed with tours, educational classes, and opportunities to meet other cut flower growers in my region. It was so jam-packed, in fact, that I’ll be splitting my field trip experience at the conference into two separate blog posts, each dedicated to an individual tour. In this week’s post, I thought I’d take you along and share my experiences on our first conference tour at Kube Pak wholesale greenhouse.

Kube Pak is a wholesale greenhouse owned and operated by the Swanekamp family in Allentown, New Jersey. They have been in business for over 50 years and supply plugs, bedding plants, flowering potted plants, hanging baskets, and herbs and vegetable plants to garden centers, greenhouse growers, landscapers, and farmers. They grow annual and perennial potted plants, including hardy and flowering mums in the fall and poinsettias for the holidays.

When we arrived, we got our name tags and joined the other members in the loading dock, which had been converted into a welcoming area with seating and beautiful plants. We were welcomed by ASCFG administrators and Mr. Swanekamp, who later gave us our tour. Before our tour began, there was a brief introductory presentation and a chance to get to know the other ASCFG members in our group. Seeing so many enthusiastic growers in one place was wonderful, and meeting some of my floral heroes was priceless. Speaking to these farmers in person, from whom I had taken virtual classes, read their books, and had been following and admiring on Instagram, was terrific. And they were just as lovely and down-to-earth as they appeared to be virtually! In my experience, the flower farming community is a beautiful group of individuals who are always willing to share knowledge freely. I feel grateful to be a part of this supportive community.

It was time to go on the tour once I got over being star-struck by all my floral heroes. The first thing that surprised me as we began the tour was the sheer scale of the Kube Pak operation. They have 865,000 square feet (20 acres) of double-poly greenhouses, all gutter-connected, and a six-acre outdoor growing area. As we walked, there were greenhouses and plants as far as the eye could see! We passed aisle upon aisle of potted plants, including mums, poinsettias, and strawberries.

We watched as workers cut strawberry seedlings from the runners hanging down from thousands of hanging baskets, later to be planted and sold. They gently placed each seedling in baskets around their waist and moved on to the next hanging basket.

Later, my mouth fell open as I gazed upon thousands of potted mum and poinsettia plants in a perfect grid pattern on the greenhouse floor. They grow tens of thousands of these plants for their customers. The scale was, quite literally, jaw-dropping. We were told that they have seen a decline in poinsettia sales over the past few years. They used to grow and sell over 250,000 poinsettia plants, and now they grow around 55,000.

Besides the sheer size of the operation, the other aspect of the tour that amazed me was how mechanized it was. Machines precisely measured soil mixes, filled pots with soil, planted seeds, watered plants, and rearranged plugs. I watched in awe as mechanized waterers, fitted with yellow sticky traps, ran back and forth, moistening the soil while simultaneously catching fungus gnats. I was impressed with the ingenuity in accomplishing two tasks at once.

I was especially mesmerized by one specialized machine that popped plugs that hadn’t germinated out of trays and replaced them with healthy plants, so the trays were full before shipping. The technology used to complete this task was impressive. Conveyor belts moved trays from one site to the next, manned by skilled workers who completed the process from planting to shipping. I was in awe of how all these moving parts worked together to create the finished product.

Our exclusive access to the entire operation, from the greenhouses to shipping stations and germination chambers, was a unique learning opportunity. We delved into their pest management, growing, and shipping practices, witnessing firsthand how they were implemented. This was my first exposure to growing on such a large scale, and I was fascinated by how Kube Pak managed to grow hundreds of thousands of plants each year. The experience left me feeling more informed and inspired in my own flower farming journey.

I am grateful for the opportunity to see this wholesale greenhouse through the ASCFG and Kube Pak. I hope you enjoyed tagging along on the field trip. I will soon post part two of our trip to the ASCFG Regional Conference, including our tour of Moonshot Farm.