This is my 126th column as your executive director, and a lot has happened in the last  10½ years. As a history nerd, I went back to find the oldest version of Digger I could. I was able to locate Issue #2 (ever), from June 1956. The Oregon Association of Nurserymen, as it was known […]

In the nursery and greenhouse industry, we have always had to follow and understand consumer trends. Otherwise, we will never be able to build business models capable of enduring countless shifts in behavior. The changes in preferences and mores also influence a government that is tone deaf at times, more concerned with shaping behavior than […]

As we turn the page to 2021, many people take a moment around this time to reflect and rekindle the embers of a fresh start. Our natural surroundings can serve as a reminder of this process. Sprouting plants and budding trees signal new beginnings. Our industry plays an important role in that process. Many trees […]

An adage says ‘behind every great man is a great woman,’ but it seems archaic to bring up these days with the budding ascension of so many women as national leaders. My two politically-active and college-aged daughters have watched Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris of California become a viable national force in real […]

At a time of national challenge, we can either look at what divides us or what unites us. Our nursery community is a critical ingredient in the great American experiment. We are a blessed and privileged few. America is only as strong as her citizens. Our nation is a cauldron of different perspectives, ideologies and […]