FACILITIES

The GardenGenetics™ research farm is located on a 20 A parcel in Centre County, Pennsylvania, about 5 miles from the campus of Penn State University. The farm is located mostly on Hagerstown silt loams, a limestone-origin soil series designated as "prime agricultural soils" by the USGS. The site is flat to gently rolling, with good air drainage. The GardenGenetics™ research farm has been maintained as an organic farm for the past 8 years, although it is not certified. Almost all of the farm's acreage is maintained either in production fields or fenced pasture.

As of late Fall, 2007, the GardenGenetics™ research farm began to be developed.  The site was extensively graded, and the greenhouses erected.  To see pictures of our progress, go to http://gardengenetics.blogspot.com.

Our greenhouses became fully operational in June, 2008.  The initial greenhouse range (Nexus) has ca. 20,000 SF under glass, connected to a 6,000 SF headhouse.  The greenhouse sidewalls are twinwall polycarbonate, while the roof is tempered glass.  We use a hybrid heating system (TrueLeaf) with about 80% of our requirements provided by a propane-fired boiler and circulating hot water in the concrete pad.  The balance of our heating needs will be from standard overhead propane heaters.  Cooling is via pad-and-fan evaporative cooling, with all air entering the greenhouse through a thrip-screened lean-to.  All environmental controls are managed with an Argus Titan system. 

TECHNICAL STAFF

As a start-up, GardenGenetics™ is only as good as its principals and staff. We believe that we bring a unique combination of professional expertise and professional management skills to the ornamental horticulture industries.

Mike Uchneat, PhD
General Manager

Mike is a professional plant breeder, and had been employed immediately prior to the creation of GardenGenetics™ by Pan American Seeds as a breeder and station manager of Pan Am’s Elburn, IL research facility. Mike’s experience as a breeder ranges from vegetables to herbaceous perennials to both seed-propagated and vegetatively-propagated annuals. He bred and/or project-managed a significant number of Pan American's most successful recent product introductions, including the Wave and Easy Wave petunias, Dragon Wing begonias, Snapshot and Solstice snapdragons, and Fiesta double impatiens. Mike obtained his MS from NC State, and his PhD from Penn State.

Rick Grazzini, PhD
Executive Director

Rick is a PhD plant breeder, and has spent the past 17 years of his career providing contract research services to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, first as Director of Business Development for Centre Analytical Laboratories, then as President of Exygen Research (created when he and a partner acquired Centre Analytical). Rick’s hands-on breeding experience includes vegetables, herbaceous perennials, and vegetatively-propagated annuals. His seed trade experience includes helping Gary Grimes reposition and grow the former H.G. German Seed Company during the late 1980s into what is now Grimes Seeds. Rick’s MS is from Purdue, and his PhD from Penn State.