C. Raker & Sons starts MPS-ABC certification program

Young plant producer C. Raker & Sons in Litchfield, Mich., has begun the MPS-ABC certification process. General manager Paul Karlovich is looking forward to using the MPS program to better understand how the company compares to other growers, including European operations.
“Although we have done a lot to make our business more sustainable over the years, the MPS-ABC program will validate how we compare and challenge us to continue to improve”, Karlovich said. “A third party certification gives us an unbiased review of our operations, and I particularly like the fact that MPS began as a program for floriculture growers, specific for our industry.”
Karlovich and other team members started the MPS program last fall and he said it was fairly simple to get started. With the assistance of a MPS regional coordinator, the company has begun to register its use of energy, water, fertilizer, crop protection agents and to document the recycling efforts it has been participating in.