March 2020 - 6

EDITOR'S LETTER
Time for a Tour
I've been spoiled living in
western Pennsylvania this
winter. As I write this in
February, we've only just gotten
our first real taste of winter with
a 5-inch snowfall overnight and
more falling throughout the day.
As usual, it closed most of the
schools in the county, tied up
traffic and shut down most of
the smaller local stores.
So naturally, my mind has been drifting to thoughts of
summertime and industry events to look forward to.
Boston Bound
Coincidentally, Garden Centers of America just released the
itinerary for their 2020 GCA Summer Tour, taking place June
22-25 in Boston, and it includes some pretty amazing stops.
Among them are four IGC Top 100 Retailers: Mahoney's
Garden Center, ranked ninth at $38.5 million; Weston
Nurseries, ranked 43rd at $14.25 million; Russell's Garden
Center, ranked 68th at $9.35 million; and Briggs Garden &
Home, ranked 98 at $6.7 million.
A couple non-garden-center stops are included as
well: The 281-acre Arnold Arboretum, a National Historic
Landmark founded as a public-private partnership
between the City of Boston and Harvard University; and
Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston and one of my favorite
places to find out-of-the-ordinary gifts and amazing food.
Expanded Offerings
I'll be interested to see how many are diversifying their
offerings by including pantry items in their stores.
Garden centers are the perfect demographic for any
natural, private-labeled food items, says Megan Dillman,
marketing director at Dillman Farms, a regional canned
goods wholesaler and private label company located in
Bloomington, Indiana.
Dillman Farms also offers their customers the
opportunity to private-label their products in a completely
customized way, providing each garden center with a
unique product that is an extension of its brand.
To learn more, turn to " It's in the Pantry, " beginning on p. 16.
Does your IGC stock pantry items? What's been the
most or least successful? I'd love to hear about it. Shoot
me an email at tmcpherson@greatamericanpublish.com.
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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GREEN GOODS EDITOR
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Tim Hodson, 616.520.2161
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Teresa McPherson, 616.520.2163
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Bob Wasson
Crystal Cady
Kate Terrell
John Karsseboom
Pamela Baker
Lisa LeFevre
Stan Pohmer
Christina Salwitz
Wasson Nursery
Sunflower Acres Farm & Garden
Wallace's Garden Center
The Garden Corner
Baker's Acres Greenhouse
Distinctive Gardens
Pohmer Consulting Group
The Personal Garden Coach
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6 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | MARCH 2020
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March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2020