Meet the Next Gen: Nick Volesky, Utah State University Extension

Growing up, Nick Volesky spent countless hours outdoors learning to identify the ornamental plants surrounding his suburban Nebraska home. When his family moved to a newly built house, his dad let him plan the landscape. He designed a vegetable garden and selected native species to plant around the property. “Early on, that was how I fell in love with horticulture,” Volesky says.

As he now pursues a career in the field, Volesky is sharing his deep-rooted horticultural knowledge and hoping to spark a passion for plants in the next generation of growers.

Volesky earned bachelor’s degrees in horticulture and applied science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where his father works in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. After graduating, Volesky accepted a position with Utah State University Extension’s Integrated Pest Management program.

His responsibilities include scouting vegetable and cut flower farms for signs of disease and pest damage while collaborating with growers to identify and manage issues. He also creates content for seasonal pest advisories and conducts outreach to keep farmers apprised of IPM best practices.

“I love working with the cooperative extension,” says Volesky, citing his father’s role at Nebraska Extension as a huge inspiration. “It’s so critical because it helps bring evidence-backed research from the university to stakeholders, helping them effectively apply that knowledge.”

Researching cut flower production

A couple of years into his extension role, Volesky began pursuing a master’s degree in the Department of Plants, Soils & Climate at USU. His master’s research focuses on high tunnel and field production of delphinium and larkspur cut flower crops, evaluating how different growing systems impact bloom timing, yield and stem quality to determine optimal transplanting times.

By starting delphinium in the greenhouse in January and transplanting into a high tunnel by late March, Volesky says, “we’ve been able to extend the season by several weeks compared to field planting. Using protected cultivation systems for staggered planting, farmers can extend the duration of their harvest from early June all the way through October.”

Besides extending the growing season, he says, protected cultivation systems also improve plant quality and yield, producing the long stems that florists prefer. “We’re able to get longer stems in high tunnel systems because we’re able to optimize cool temperatures earlier in the spring,” Volesky says, “while protecting plants from wind, snow and pests.”

Investigating IPM practices

Volesky is merging his cut flower research with his extension role by collecting information about the pests and diseases affecting cut flower production in the Intermountain West. Since most IPM recommendations target large growers on the coasts, he’s helping USU Extension compile a database to guide local growers.

Specifically, many cut flower growers in Utah operate small microfarms, so Volesky is “figuring out economically viable ways for them to manage pests at that level,” he says. “A lot of growers are interested in more cultural, biological and mechanical control options,” such as row covers and organza bags to protect against common pests like grasshoppers.

After he completed his master’s degree in April, Volesky now plans to work as an extension educator, where he can continue leveraging his experience and regional knowledge to support local growers.

Exploring the potential of cut flowers

Cut flower production is a relatively new industry in Utah, where the number of flower farms exploded from fewer than 20 in 2018 to more than 135 in 2022, according to research from USU Extension. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of florists in Utah sourcing more than half of their flowers from local growers nearly doubled.

Volesky sees these trends continuing as “the preferences for floral design are shifting to more local production, where you can get a lot more diverse flowers and colors,” he says, compared to imported products, which are limited to a few varieties that ship well, like roses and chrysanthemums.

“The expansion of cut flower farms in Utah, along with the rising demand for these crops, have been driving factors behind my research,” Volesky says.

These trends are also guiding his career aspirations. In addition to working as an extension educator, Volesky plans to start a farm with his wife, applying his expertise to grow cut flowers and vegetable crops.

Shifting grower demographics

Volesky emphasizes the importance of recognizing these changing dynamics as more young farmers like him pursue flower production, either as a commercial venture or a personal hobby. “Employers, especially extensions, should be aware of these shifting demographics as younger people are starting to farm on a smaller scale, shifting away from large agronomic crops to more specialty crops like cut flowers,” he says.

As part of this shift, “more people are turning to online platforms, social media and short-form content for quick gardening tips, instead of calling their extension office the old-fashioned way,” he says. “It’s so important that our programs shift with the times, because horticulture is always changing.”

Brooke Bilyj owns and operates Bantamedia, a national award-winning content, PR and SEO firm based in Cleveland. She is a frequent contributor to GIE Media’s horticulture publications.