What's New!
MVG Co-Sponsors Local Environmental Education Program
MVG is proud to be among the sponsors of a new locally produced environmental education program.
WTOL11 is beginning the show, named EcoTrack 11, in February 2008.
View a short video about the EcoTrack 11 program
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click here to go to the WTOL 11 EcoTrack 11 web site.
Videos produced by EcoTrack11:
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Reduce your carbon footprint
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Start your garden now
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Flower Power
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Buy Local
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Promotional Videos Featuring MVG
| Produced by Buckeye CableSystem: | |
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Shop Local #1
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Shop Local #2
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Israel Extension Service Officals Visit Ohio Greenhouses
Last month's green industry mission to Israel by eight Ohioans, including three from Northwest Ohio (OSU Extension’s Beth Fausey, Maumee Valley Grower Theresa Hoen, and Paula Ross from the University of Toledo Urban Affairs Center), was balanced last week with a tour of the Ohio green industry by two officials from the Israel Extension Service.
Omar Zeidan, Director of the Israeli Extension Service’s Vegetables Division, and Schlomo Israel, the agencies’ Floriculture Specialist, accompanied by Jim Chatfield, Horticulture Specialist from the OSU Extension Service, spent a day and a night in Northwest Ohio. They witnessed a great (10 to 3) Mudhens victory and enjoyed the hospitality of the Mansion View Inn before a full day of greenhouse and industry visits.
After attending the April meeting of the Maumee Valley Growers, the group, including Fausey and Ross, toured research labs at Toledo Botanical Garden and the University of Toledo. Lunch at Hoen’s Greenhouse was followed by a visit to Michigan’s 4 Star Greenhouses, the developer of the Proven Winners brand. Twenty-five acres of greenhouses, including state-of-the-art "flood floors" and extensive use of high-intensity electric lights to extend the growing season, were impressive to Israelis and Ohioans alike.
The Ohio-Israel exchange was sponsored by the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative, a project of the Negev Foundation and Ohio State University. The groups are discussing follow-up projects, perhaps including joint research into integrated pest management and other ways in which the green industry can minimize its environmental footprint.
 Flood floors at Proven Winners |
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 Beth Fausey at Hoen's Greenhouse |
 Beth Fausey, Omar Zeidan, & Schlomo Israel at TBG's lab viewing lettuce trials |
 Lunch at Hoen's Greenhouse: Joe Perlaky (MVG Project manager),
Sarah Horwitz (Negev), Beth Fausey, Teresa Hoen, Omar Zeidan, Jim Chatfield, Schlomo Israel |
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 Proven Winners greenhouse |
 Proven Winners plants |
Maumee Valley Growers Join Statewide Organizations
In an effort to reach other regions of Ohio and southeast Michigan, the MVG’s have recently joined the greenhouse grower associations located in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit. Program Manager Joe Perlaky and Palmer Energy consultant Kirk Mizerek plan on attending as many of their meetings as possible to explain the benefits of the natural gas program. The strength of the grower led collaboration is the pooling of financial resources for the purpose of lowering individual company’s energy costs.
Further information about each organization is available below:
Maumee Valley Growers Gain Information, Inspiration from Israeli Visits
“Little ol' boy in the Panhandle told me the other day you can still make a small fortune in agriculture. Problem is, you got to start with a large one.”
—Jim Hightower
Some things are the same throughout the world, and as members of a March 8th–16th Ohio Green Industry Mission to Israel, Maumee Valley Growers’ representatives found that Israeli farmers, greenhouse growers, and green industry members had much in common with growers in Northwest Ohio. In Israel, as in Northwest Ohio, clusters of growers are working with researchers to solve problems and strengthen their industry. While some of the challenges are different, the rewards of collaboration are universal.
Beth Fausey (OSU Extension ABE Center), Theresa Hoen (Hoen’s Greenhouse) and Paula Ross (UT Urban Affairs Center) traveled throughout much of the country as a part of a delegation of eight, sharing ideas with growers and researchers and, in turn, gaining inspiration and useful information. The trip was sponsored by the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative, a project of the Negev Foundation and Ohio State University.
In April, two members of Israel’s Agricultural Extension service are expected to make a reciprocal visit to Ohio.
A few images from the trip ...
 Israeli greenhouses |
 Growing Kangaroo Paws |
 Packaging chives |
 Viewing the seedling |
The Maumee Valley Growers Tarta Bus - watch for it around town!
»More news about the MVG can be found in our News Archive«.
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