LEDs are helping nurseries gain all kinds of new efficiencies A mid-January morning in Hillsboro, Oregon: It’s gray, it’s drizzly and, most depressingly, it’s dark. Dark enough that 10:30 in the morning feels like dusk, which at this time of year comes far too early for most; dark enough that the region would be lucky to […]
Nursery Operations
H-2A for nurseries
The guest worker program offers a labor option, but has its challenges Oregon nurseries are facing pressing labor shortages. Several have turned to mechanization, but the industry still needs human hands. In recent years, those hands have not been adequately available. Many nurseries are considering the H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program as a potential […]
Maximizing your natural resources
Soil and water conservation districts are here to help landowners, not regulate them What is an SWCD — and what can it do for you? Let’s start with the acronym. SWCD stands for “Soil and Water Conservation District.” The goal of conservation is to use resources efficiently, not prohibit their use. SWCDs help you make […]
Plant Features
Small, tall and packed together
The trend toward smaller spaces drives intensive use of perennials and grasses The midcentury ranch house with the huge yard is a thing of the past. Replacing it is the tall house with a small yard — and that’s changing the shape of home landscaping. Everywhere across the country, homebuilders are squeezing as many new homes […]
A houseplant awakening
Growers and retailers tap into a renewed interest in indoor plants Lisa Eldred Steinkopf is addicted to houseplants and has a huge collection to prove it. She recently published a 272-page hardback book on the subject, Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing and Caring for Indoor Plants. “If I had only paid a dollar […]
Growing under the lines
Growers and researchers seek short, tidy and tough trees that can coexist with utilities When the power goes out in a storm, daily life halts abruptly. Our TVs go dark; we can’t cook our food or keep it cold, much less brew coffee, charge our many electronic devices or turn up the heat. We are […]
The Value of Membership
Green trade groups adapt to the changing landscape
Nonprofit nursery associations continually adapt to help their members succeed Like many large nursery associations in the United States, the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) has a big, broad spectrum of members it represents: nursery stock growers, commercial flower companies, landscape design firms, irrigation companies, arborists, lawn care business, mom-and-pop shops, massive agriculture operations […]
Measuring return on investment of OAN membership
OAN member benefits are designed to save members money and improve business outcomes Any experienced grower or supplier will continually evaluate the performance of their business. From measuring the intake of supplies for production or calculating the costs for off-loading inventory, a successful business makes continuous adjustments to streamline their operation. The Oregon Association of […]
