On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA September - October 2017 | Page 26

H O R T I C U LT U R E
B Y E VA M O N H E I M
New Opportunities on the Horizon
At Temple University, I
work with students on
a daily basis discussing
job prospects. This
has helped me spot
trends in horticulture
that most might not
be aware of. I believe
these new oppor-
tunities will change
how we view horticulture. Students are more
creative in their approach to job expectations
and are more likely to jump onboard a new hor-
ticultural opportunity such as a start-up. Many
are likely to apply for internships knowing that
they might lead to full-time employment. And,
internships can be for any age adult with all
levels of experience—not necessarily requiring
university status as a prerequisite.
Non-majors taking horticulture classes
and acquiring certificates in food systems are
readying themselves for positions that combine
horticulture with other fields of study. There
is definitely an uptick in unique and creative
positions that include horticulture knowledge
as part of the job requirements. The impetus for
these new positions comes from the realiza-
tion that our environment has finally become
a mainstream thought rather than an after-
thought. In addition to the environment, peo-
ple are grappling with higher health care costs
that are driving the population to eat more
healthfully and make healthier life choices.
The topics below are high-growth areas that
are beginning to experience strong employ-
ment growth.
MUSHROOMS , MUS H RO O M S A N D
MOR E MUS H ROOMS
On a recent trip to Phillips Mushroom Farms
in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which I wrote
about in GWA Blog post, we heard from the
general manager that its business has doubled
in the last three years and keeps expanding
yearly. Mushrooms are not only good for eating
but they are an added-value crop for sourcing
new medications for cancer treatments. Mush-
rooms are high in vitamins, low in fat and they
can fill the void for vegans as a meat substitute.
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Students asked the manager if there were
jobs available in this industry. He said a re-
sounding, “Yes! The company is always looking
for good talent—including Ph.Ds. who can help
in the research for new mushroom substrates
and setting standards for handling and storage.”
Although the lion’s share of mushrooms
grown in the U.S. is grown in Pennsylvania (also
known as the mushroom capital of the world),
other states and countries are also expanding
this industry, especially in rural areas where the
substrate materials for growing these fungi are
readily available. Look for notable increases in
positions in every sector of this industry, includ-
ing mushroom production for the breakdown
of bio-industrial wastes.
I have one student who is working at a new
startup mushroom farm in Ambler, Pennsylva-
nia. She loves working with the owner. Local
farmers markets and restaurants are the main
distribution points for this burgeoning business.
The owner expects to hire additional help this
fall as her business continues to expand.
The relevance of mushrooms is not going
away any time soon. They were added to the
stock market two years ago.
Types of jobs: Entrepreneurs, managers,
pickers, packers, distribution specialists, PR and
marketing, Ph.D. researchers, web designers,
content providers, developers, chefs, compost-
ing specialists and the list goes on.
F O O D F OR E STS AN D CIT Y O RCHAR D
P RO JEC TS
Food forests are small microcosms of intense
plantings on open space or added to existing
woodland. They provide additional value with
locally grown foods. Creating a woodland that
is layered from top to bottom with all sorts of
fruiting plants that are edible to humans and
animals changes how we farm and how we
harvest. It also changes how we eat, what we
eat and when we eat it.
Food forests are not a new concept. They
were part of everyday life up until the early part
of the 20th century. A fine example is when
families went American chestnut picking in fall.
Due to the chestnut blight in the early and mid
part of the 20th century, picking ceased. But
now chestnut picking has come back to many
regions of the country and there is money to be
made.
In the city of Philadelphia, there is a non-prof-
it group called the Philly Orchard Project (POP),
which was started by a landscape architect.
POP has planted more than 1,000 fruiting trees
and shrubs in and around the city. The orchards
are planted on public land, cemeteries and
church properties. The plantings are usually
done in collaboration with other non-profit
organizations funded by grants and private
donations. The food stays in the neighborhoods
where it is grown—usually food deserts.
The POP model has been replicated in other
cities with similar outcomes. These organiza-
tions rely heavily on volunteers, but they also
hire key personnel as the organization grows.
Types of jobs: Volunteer coordinators, web
designers, content providers, educators, prop-
agators, developers, directors, horticulturists,
landscape architects and grant writers.
G R E E N P RO P E R T Y MANAGEMENT
One student who took my food crops course
this past spring is working toward his food-sys-
tems certificate in tandem with his architecture
degree with an emphasis in building manage-
ment. He said that as a future building manager
he needs the skills to make sound decisions
regarding the best ways to use buildings’ and
properties’ open spaces.
He plans on initiating a rooftop farm to
mitigate storm water and add food to the local
economy. In addition, he will cool the buildings’
exterior walls by growing vine crops. Interiors
will have green walls for culinary production as
well as plants used for adding oxygen to the
atmosphere.
Management of these services will take spe-
cially trained individuals; my student will be one
of the first graduating in the field of green prop-
erty management. He says that it’s a no brainer.
People need to know a little bit of everything
to make the right decisions and to manage
with the most efficiency. The knowledge he
ha s gained will also help in hiring competent
employees for the farm management and
maintenance of green spaces.