Michigan poinsettia growers hope sales will bring them Christmas cheer

From Crain's Detroit Business: To growers like Jim Tuinier, poinsettias are more than attractive holiday plants. They also help to keep greenhouse businesses in Michigan running and employees working at an off-peak sales time.

"It's one of those crops that fills in, right after garden mums," said Tuinier, vice president and co-owner of Post Gardens of Battle Creek Inc. and Post Gardens Inc. in Rockwood. Com-bined, the two businesses employ about 55 full-timers.

The economic importance of the plant is one of the messages of a campaign, now in its second year, to promote live, Michigan-grown poinsettias and Christmas trees. The "Make It a Real Michigan Christmas" campaign, supported by a $75,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture specialty-crop grant, is an effort by the Michigan Christmas Tree Association, Michigan Floriculture Growers Council and Michigan Floral Association, in conjunction with the AgBioResearch department at Michigan State University.

Michigan ranks seventh in the U.S. in poinsettia production, with nearly 2.2 million plants grown in 2011. But industry sales have slid in recent years during the economic downturn, which tightened consumers' discretionary spending. Michigan poinsettia sales had a wholesale value of $8.5 million in 2011, down from nearly $9 million in 2010 and $10.7 million in 2009, according to USDA data.

John Mischel, owner of Mischel's Greenhouses Ltd. in Williamsburg near Traverse City, said poinsettias represent about $55,000 of the $450,000 total annual sales at the wholesale and mail-order greenhouse where he, his wife and two other employees work.

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