User:Joaocosta

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for some of the positive messages, i am thankful for all of them. My name is Joao Santos Costa, i am from Portugal and i am the new responsible for the management and administration of Palmpedia and connected resources. Palmpedia as been over the years a fundamental and unavoidable tool, an endless source of information to the palm growing hobby. I am forever thankful to Dean, Ed Vaile, and all people who have contributed immensely to the creation of this incredible resource.

My path with palms started more than ten years ago, when i wanted to create a big garden around my former residence in Lisbon, and wanted to have some privacy from all the neighbours, together with the perpetual feeling of evasion and "vacations feeling" every-time i would step home. Likewise many of you the inicial humble idea of planting a few palms turned out to be an incurable addiction, that month after month started to influence where we would spend the weekends, to where we would go for vacations. From a nice garden the things escalated quickly and i ended up with a full size jungle with dozens of mature specimens, I got hooked.

I loved every bit of the new lifestyle, this garden could provide, so did my children and my wife. From late night barbecues, to tiki jacuzzi parties, to bird watching with my toddler, was a fantastic experience that forever change my mindset on the "art of living".

Professionally, i have responsibilities in a group of companies with ranging activities from managing real estate portfolios, to construction and hospitality businesses. Few years ago, i started the acquisition of multiple agricultural investments and have turned my hobby into a full size business operation.

Currently we have 3 state of the art productions facilities, manufactured entirely in double glaze polycarbonate, biomass heating, evaporative cooling, and full climate control, where we are fully devoted to the germination of palm trees. We are also establishing plantations in Sao Tome and Principe, and Mauritius for the more tropical varieties. As of today we hold several tens of thousands of 2-3 year old palm seedlings of around 237 varieties and growing. I am focused in creating top quality plants. Our aim is to introduce recently discovered or unusual palms in the ornamental market, after all i guess we are all tired of finding the same options for sale in the conventional garden center!

I have quite ambitious plan for the new Palmpedia, and i hope to have you all along for the journey, but i also understand that i will not be able to be a very consensual and accommodate everyone requests, but i will try!

In what concerns the future of Palmpedia, our plan is to keep the entire structure in the wiki platform like was originally intended and allow edition, inputs, and submission of pictures and content. We are currently working in the log in and users platform to allow people to sign in and edit the content of the pages, i believe in the next few days will be operational.

Also i understand that there are several scientific revisions that need update, and we are currently compiling with the help of fellow forum members the list of updates needed to perform. So if you have a suggestion or topic requiring update we are thankful to receive them by email to [email protected].

Palmpedia will remain a free and open "go to place" for palm information, independently where you are in the globe.

Regarding our plans on the comercial front. We are currently testing the new online marketplace, that will be made available on the website. This will be a multi vendor online shop, (much like amazon) and will allow verified nurseries, brands, individual growers, and hobbyists to sell their palms, and their seedlings. With a very simple and user friendly platform will allow every nursery to have equitable online exposition and a simplified online sales spot. If you know a nursery let them know that we are working in order they can soon list their palms and exotics stock in the world leading marketplace we are creating.

I strongly believe in this model because because is the only way to provide a truly global service without the limitations of phytosanitary regulations. In other words, depending on the place you are and will access the online shop, the assortment you see available to purchase is within your geographic range to be delivered without need of phytosanitary certificate.

I am always available at [email protected]

I hope to have all of you along,

Best Regards,