Greenhouse Grower: History, Meister Media Profile, Content and Editors
Profile updated November 2026
Greenhouse Grower has covered the business of growing plants under glass and plastic since 1983. Published by Meister Media Worldwide, it serves producers of floriculture crops and vegetable transplants, and it calls itself the leader in profits, production and education for greenhouse growers.
| Launched | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Founding editor | Jane Lieberth (1983-1993) |
| Publisher | Meister Media Worldwide, U.S. Horticulture Group |
| Audience | Floriculture and transplant vegetable growers |
| Signature list | Top 100 Growers |
| Editor | Brian Sparks |
| Official website | GreenhouseGrower.com |
History of Greenhouse Grower
Meister Media, then Meister Publishing Company, launched Greenhouse Grower in 1983. Jane Lieberth, who had joined the company in 1977 as an editor for American Vegetable Grower, built the new title with Richard T. (Dick) Meister, horticulture professor Will Carlson and Gary T. Fitzgerald, now Meister's chairman and CEO.
Lieberth led Greenhouse Grower from its launch until 1993. She made the California Pack Trials a fixture of the magazine's coverage, created the Medal of Excellence Awards program and championed recognition of women's contributions to the greenhouse industry. A University of Dayton graduate from Wadsworth, Ohio, she died on October 24, 2020, at age 69.
The magazine grew with the industry it covers, adding benchmarking features such as its Top 100 Growers ranking, and in 2024 its parent company widened its scope with CEAg World, a separate brand for greenhouse food crops and indoor farming.
Greenhouse Grower Today
Greenhouse Grower says it has served the industry for more than 40 years. Alongside print and digital issues, it runs webinars, Digital Deep Dives, reports and a Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, and its Second Cup video series offers short industry conversations.
Meister ties the brand to events, including GreenhouseConnect, the BioSolutions Conference and the Evening of Excellence at Cultivate. The magazine's podcast and Top 100 coverage have been named finalists for editorial awards, and in 2026 Greenhouse Grower was named a regional silver winner in the Azbee Awards.
What Greenhouse Grower Is Publishing Now
Top 100 Growers
An annual ranking and profiles of the largest greenhouse operations in the U.S. and Canada, a reference point for the industry.
Production and technology
Lighting, climate control, automation, plant nutrition and pest management, with Tech Briefs on new equipment.
Business and management
Labor, marketing, trials coverage and data such as the USDA Census of Horticultural Specialties, which reported $18.3 billion in 2024 horticulture sales.
Greenhouse Grower Editors and Staff
Greenhouse Grower's staff page lists:
- Brian Sparks - Editor
- Kristin Zeit - Group Content Lead, Greenhouse Grower and CEAg World
- Marisa Reyes - Content Specialist
- Nick Matysik - Multimedia Specialist
- Karen Gerome - Group Commercial Lead
- Jane Lieberth - Founding editor (1983-1993), died 2020
Sparks has been with Meister Media since 2000 and focuses on greenhouse technology and production; Matysik joined in 2024 to handle analytics and digital strategy.
Who Reads Greenhouse Grower
Readers are owners, growers and managers at floriculture and young plant operations, plus breeders and suppliers. The 2024 USDA Census of Horticultural Specialties counted 23,060 horticulture operations, with California, Florida and Oregon leading in sales, and those operations are the core audience Greenhouse Grower serves.
Greenhouse growers control light, heat and water to the decimal point, but nobody controls a spring bedding plant rush. farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor for people who live by the climate computer, with ranch humor for the outdoor crowd. Its farm jokes are a good fit for a break between Mother's Day shipments.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
Greenhouse Grower Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Greenhouse Grower: About and staff - the magazine's editorial team and programs.
- Greenhouse Grower: Remembering Jane Lieberth - the founding editor and the 1983 launch.
- Greenhouse Grower: 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties - the $18.3 billion industry snapshot.
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - the federal census program behind horticulture data.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - searchable floriculture and nursery statistics.
Greenhouse Grower FAQ
When was Greenhouse Grower founded?
Meister Media launched Greenhouse Grower in 1983.
Who was the first editor of Greenhouse Grower?
Jane Lieberth, who led the magazine from 1983 to 1993.
Who edits Greenhouse Grower now?
Brian Sparks is editor, with Kristin Zeit as group content lead.
What is the Greenhouse Grower Top 100?
An annual ranking and profile series of the largest greenhouse growing operations.
More than four decades after Jane Lieberth's first issue, Greenhouse Grower remains the trade magazine of record for the business under glass.