Get Green with the MVG: Andy Keil Greenhouse
May 6th, the Maumee Valley …
It’s not easy to be a small, independent family farmer in Northwest Ohio. As
in many places throughout the world, customers’ needs and wants are changing,
the regulatory climate is tightening, and large chains are dominating the
market. But throughout the world there are still many who choose to remain in
agriculture as independent, small scale businessmen and businesswomen. In
Northwest Ohio, many of these family businesses center on greenhouses which
produce bedding plants, hanging baskets, and a full range of gorgeous
floricultural products. Several also grow produce for both wholesale and retail
markets. One such business belongs to Andy Keil and his wife, Kathy.
Maumee Valley gardeners who shop at farmers markets know Andy Keil: For many
years, Andy has been the helpful, friendly guy in the red shirt selling bedding
plants and hanging baskets in the spring, cut flowers and fresh vegetables all
summer, and late season vegetables until past Thanksgiving. On Saturdays, he’s
often joined by grand-daughter Lexi.
In recent years, Andy has expanded his offerings in response to customer
interest: heirloom tomato plants are available now and will be followed later
this season by heirloom tomatoes. His plant list includes 24 heirloom
varieties, from moneymaker and tommy toe to zapotec pleated and mortgate
lifter. Andy has also expanded his presence to include the new farmers markets
springing up in the community: You’ll find Andy Keil Greenhouse on Tuesdays in
Waterville, on Wednesdays at Westgate, and on Thursdays in Perrysburg. Cut flowers,
which are the special province of Andy’s wife, Kathy, will be available at all
these venues and at the farm as well.
This year Andy has planned for an extended season, beginning with
greenhouse-grown lettuces, herbs, chard and spinach for opening day, soon to be
followed by the season’s earliest tomatoes. Plants for later harvests, as well
as cut flowers, are in the fields.
For those who can’t wait for market day, Andy Keil Greenhouse is located at
2215 Wilkins Rd in Swanton; reach Andy at 419-350-6965 to arrange a visit.
»Click here to see more profiles of MVG growers«
Maumee Valley Gardeners Spring into Gardening with First Annual Daytrip
Thirty Maumee Valley gardeners recently participated in the first annual
“Spring Into Gardening” daytrip sponsored by The Ohio State University
Extension. The trip offered great gardening ideas, previews of new plant
varieties, and, at each stop, tips and techniques provided by industry experts,
all Maumee Valley Growers.
The day began at Wardell’s Farm Market, where owner Tom Wardell welcomed
daytrippers and provided fascinating insight into the rewards and the
challenges of creating and growing a green business in Northwest Ohio. Guests
enjoyed a midmorning breakfast including delicious homemade cinnamon roles
prepared by Kathleen Johnson, who also led a demonstration on herb gardening
following tours of Wardell’s greenhouses and display garden.
Next, daytrippers headed to Bowling Green to visit Wolf’s Blooms and Berries
where they enthused over Sue Wolf’s hanging baskets and mixed containers and
relaxed over lunch in her new Gathering Room. Wolf shared slides and tips
assembled gathered on her own recent garden tours.
The final stop of the day was at Hoen’s Greenhouse and Garden Center. Theresa
Hoen gave hands-on advice on the art of container gardening, guests shopped for
seasonal annuals and perennials, and everyone indulged in the day’s final treat
- homemade desserts.
Most of those who participated in the trip were passionate gardeners. Many were associated with the Master Gardener Program. All were excited about the trip and eager for a repeat. Trip organizer Beth Fausey, Director of the Agricultural Business Enhancement (ABE) Center in Bowling Green, has already started planning for next year’s Daytrip!
Local Farmer's Market News
Toledo Farmer's Market Teams with Waterville
The Farmer’s Market Association of Toledo is proud to announce that they will be teaming up with the Waterville Area Merchants to operate the new and improved Waterville Farmer's Market. Click here for more information.
Augsburg Lutheran Church Farmer's Market
Augsburg Lutheran Church is opening their Community Farmers’ Market every Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm beginning May 6th and continuing through October 28th. Senior Nutrition Coupons and WIC are accepted.
Augsburg Lutheran Church is located at 1342 W. Sylvania Avenue in Toledo.
Flower Day 2008
This message comes to us from Dan Madigan, Manager of the Farmer’s Market.
The Toledo Farmer's Market has announced it's plans for this year's annual Flower Day on May 24 through May 26. Through the years, this event has grown to become what is now a weekend event as well as one of Toledo’s finest traditions. Click here for more information.
Maumee Valley Grower Specials
Maumee Valley Growers is an industry-based association committed to working together to strengthen our local greenhouse industry.The industry includes more than fifty individual Maumee Valley growers, alike in offering top-quality local plants but distinct in location, product mix, and focus. Learn more about what you can find at these individual locations by visiting our specials page.
MVG Visited by British Economic Researchers
With the help of researchers from The University of Toledo and others, Maumee Valley Growers have recently tuned in to lessons learned around the world by clusters of businesses in the same industry who have banded together, with academic and government support, to increase their collective competitiveness.
Over the last several years, the Northwest Ohio “greenhouse cluster” has greatly benefited from a USDA-funded grant which has provided economic, technical, and strategic support to dozens of the area’s core green businesses.
Successes of this approach are of interest to other clusters as well, and recently two visitors from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Mike Taylor and John Bryson, joined UT Urban Affairs Center Director Neil Reid and Research Associate Paula Ross on a visit to three Maumee Valley Growers. Taylor and Bryson have done extensive research on cluster-based economic development in their home region of the West Midlands in the UK.
At Klotz Floral Garden Center in Bowling Green, third-generation owner Gene
Klotz has expanded and adapted the business begun by his grandfather, Frank
Klotz, who started by selling tomatoes and other vegetables from the open sides
of his truck in 1918. Today, Klotz likes to refer to his business as
“Northwest Ohio's Most Complete Floricultural Shopping Experience.” Other
family members active in the business include his sister Nancy, wife Rita and
son Eric. While touring the greenhouse and garden center, Taylor and Bryson
talked with Klotz about the challenges and the rewards of an independent family
business as well as the benefits of collaboration as a part of Maumee Valley
Growers.
Just up the road at Bostdorff Greenhouse Acres, the visitors met another family
team, Dick Bostdorff, his wife Mary Ann, and daughter Alicia. Bostdorff
stressed his appreciation for increased access to technical information and
other opportunities for collaboration provided by the Maumee Valley Growers,
including help with energy efficiency and the opportunities for pooled
purchasing.
Although they were shortly to head home and couldn’t pack hanging baskets, containers, or flats, Taylor and Bryson could not fail to be tempted by the high-quality flowers available from Klotz and Bostdorff.
The day’s final visit was to Lakewood Greenhouse, a wholesale operation where
owner Walt Krueger grows spectacular annuals and perennials for a range of
regional retail outlets. Krueger talked with Taylor, Bryson, and Reid about
rapid changes in the industry. Local growers, who will soon be placing orders
for the summer of 2009, must anticipate gardeners’ tastes in color, form, and
specific varieties. Through Maumee Valley Growers, this year they hope to
gather useful information about the preferences of area gardeners.
Download the Latest MVG Calendar
Click here to download the 2008 MVG Calendar (a PDF file, about 3M in size).
Download MVG Wallpaper
Download a Maumee Valley Growers calendar picture from the list below. Choose the one
that best fits your screen size (bigger numbers = a larger image); each picture will be displayed
in a new window. When the picture is displayed,
right-click on the picture (command-click on a Macintosh) and select the menu choice that
saves the picture to your computer.
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