March 28, 2006

In addition to writing the new discussion groups, I wrote the first posts for each, just to get things started. I could not think of much, except for an article that I read in New Scientist or Nature (I forget which) that described the effects that antibiotics excreted in urine and manure of livestock had on microbial communities and plants in the soil that the manure sludge was applied to (This posting can be found in Agricultural Issues in Field Crops). Look for more in the other two discussion groups involving greenhouse and hydroponic crops.

Additionally, I identified a few areas (in Ontario) in which the Life Sciences Division of GCI could make an impact in. I did a lot of reaserch during my M.Sc. and Ph.D. with various independent operations in Leamington, Ontario (which is the largest growing area for greenhouses and hydroponic operations in the entire expanse of North America... the amount of produce from hydroponic crops in Leamington accounts for more than the entire corresponding U.S. industry!)

As such, many of the independent operators I came into contact with, whether part of my research or not, would be pleased to have my continued interest and input in their operations. The thing about me, and which I hope to instill within the working environment of the Life Sciences Division of GCI, is that every contact should feel like they came out of the meeting with something that will benefit their organization, even if it's just a first meeting. I view consulting as a "give-and-give" situation in which the client has the first and last word on everything - the consultant is merely incidental, and guides the client to their own business solution. True, the framework, guidance, and actual solution and its implementation may represent the work of the consultant, but ultimately the credit belongs with the client for first identifying the need, then initiating the work.

Thus, the true key to a successful operation is the ability to recognize that certain task and work needs to be delegated either to a subset of your own employees, and where that experienced subset does not exist, to an outside source. By providing the experience base located within the Life Sciences Division of GCI, we know we will be able to dispense not only clear advice, but also a plan to implement this advice, and the manpower to oversee and implement it through from start to finish.

I know that this must be beginning to sound like an advertisement! I have to admit that it is, of a kind, but it is also an indicator of the conviction, determination, and confidence of the kind of experience that we have, and will be able to provide to you.