Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette photos Student Brittany Heiser of Reserve works on the Phals orchids in the greenhouse at the Drew Mathieson Center at the Bidwell Training Center. Click photo for larger image.

Two crops are grown in the greenhouses of the Drew Mathieson Center for Horticultural and Agricultural Technology in Manchester.

The first is the Phalenopsis orchids that this division of the Bidwell Training Center sells to local stores and florists. The second is longer lasting than any orchid's bloom, the people who are trained to work in nurseries and other green industries. In the process, lives are rebuilt and jobs are generated.

Bidwell is one of Pittsburgh's best-kept secrets, says Gary Baranowski, director of horticulture technology at the school. But he is looking to change that.

The center specializes in re-training adults who have lost jobs in other sectors. In addition to the horticulture training program, there are seven other fields.

Once a student is accepted, there is no tuition. The only requirement is that you are a Pennsylvania resident and have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Of course, the students must also have a desire and willingness to work hard and learn. In return, they receive relevant job training and lifelong placement. It also gives new hope to those who have been downsized or burned out in other careers.

Take Rachel Kudrick, for instance. Originally a teacher for the deaf, the Morningside woman was downsized out of a job, then suffered some personal losses that steered her into the world of horticulture.

Noticing that she was doing her own garden design, a friend told her about the 3-year-old horticulture program at Bidwell. She applied and was accepted into the six-month program. Upon graduation, she landed the position of greenhouse assistant, which means she oversees one of the four greenhouses at the center. Eventually, she hopes to teach there.

Gay Thistle, a teacher in the Horticulture Center, and Gary Baranowski, director of the Drew Mathieson Center, in the hydrophonic greenhouse that is growing tomatoes. Click photo for larger image.

The majority of Bidwell's funding comes from the state, although private donations are also accepted. Earnings from orchid sales are plowed directly back into the hort tech program, says Ken Huselton, Bidwell's director of student services.

Almost 65 percent of the program's staff are Bidwell graduates. Many others end up working in other aspects of the green industry. The program currently has about a 70 percent placement record. According to Mr. Baranowski, graduates are well-prepared for entry- to mid-level positions at florist shops, nurseries, landscape companies and other related businesses. They generally earn between $8 and $12 per hour.

Bidwell students range in age from 18 to 65 and come from all walks of life and all income levels. The center is not a place for people who are out on the street, Mr. Baranowski stresses.

Hort tech students must take classes in botany, specialty crops, business/communication, greenhouse operations, floral and landscape design. But they also get lots of hands-on experience working in the greenhouses, says Gay Thistle, who teaches horticulture technology.

The hort program was the brainchild of Bill Strickland, who is president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corp. Strickland is also a passionate gardener who is interested in growing orchids. Phalenopsis orchids are favorites of his and have become the signature plant of the greenhouse.

Bidwell produces and sells 18,000 to 20,000 orchids a year to wholesale buyers, but the greenhouses are capable of producing much more. The program is now looking at other cash crops, says Mr. Baranowski. They are branching out into amaryllis for the holiday trade, and they've been growing potted hydrangeas for two years.

"We really listen to our customers and take a look at what the market demands," says Mr. Baranowski. "We find ourselves being able to produce some kinds of niche crops, speciality crops, things that are more difficult [for the customers] to put their hands on."

	Student Shawn Brophy trims dead leaves from the tomato plants in the hydrophonic greenhouse, which produces about 180 pounds per week. Click photo for larger image.

The amaryllis, for instance, are in bud and almost ready to flower when they are delivered.

"We are able to offer local businesses a little better quality because we don't have to deal with the transportation issues," he says, noting that many other growers must truck their delicate products over great distances.

The program is also introducing 10-12 other genera of orchids. Once they become available, local businesses became interested, creating a demand.

Bidwell is also growing Stephanotis for the cut flower trade. The school's entire stock comes from just two plants that have been propagated entirely by students.

Tomatoes are grown in a hydroponics house, producing about 180 pounds per week for sale to local restaurants and the culinary school at Bidwell.

The greenhouses are bright, new and technologically advanced, built by Pittsburghers with Pittsburgh technology. Even though the center is for teaching, the day-to-day operations are run very much like a business. The houses have graduated temperatures and the orchids are moved from house to house, to encourage flower formation.

Mr. Baranowski says that an orchid spends about six months at the center, and students are involved with them from the moment they arrive. Along the way, students are also given insights in how to function in a work environment, from getting along with others to being able to know how to find answers to questions or problems as they arise. Each student also has a mentor, who sometimes must help with problems that occur outside the classroom, Ms. Thistle says.

Students get about 780 hours of instruction and are expected to be at the center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. They must take all the courses in the program, attend class at least 90 percent of the time and maintain a minimum 2.0 grade average.

"It is not cafeteria-style education," says Mr. Baranowski, "The must take all the classes in the sequence they are laid out."

With such strict standards, the dropout rate is about 15 percent, says Mr. Baranowski.

Word is getting out that Bidwell is sending out good workers. Mr. Baranowski says calls are coming in regularly from businesses looking to hire help. And while the entry-level positions may not garner a big salary, they should be viewed as a starting point from which a person can work his way up.

So far, graduates of the program are working at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh Cut Flower, Plantscape, local country clubs, landscape contractors, retail florists and nurseries.

If industry demands change, you can expect the program to evolve right along with them, says Mr. Baranowski. What won't change is the caliber of students that Bidwell is turning out.

"We have some amazing people come through our door," he says.

Bidwell Programs

Besides horticulture technology, Bidwell also offers programs in culinary arts, pharmacy technician, clinical laboratory technician, office technology, medical claims processing, health unit coordinator and medical coder. They also conduct many academic and support programs. Information: 800-516-1800 or 412-323-4000 or www.bidwelltraining.org.