Director’s Desk

Growing a vision for the future

By Jeff Stone — Posted January 1, 2020

Many of us grew up watching Hollywood’s idea of what the year 2020 might look like. “Back to the Future” (1985) thrilled us with 21st Century visions of flying cars and hovering skateboards, while “Blade Runner” (1982) took us into a bleak world, populated by synthetic humans working on colonized planets. Now that we’ve arrived […]

Cumulative impacts have consequences

By Jeff Stone — Posted November 22, 2019

The nursery and greenhouse industry is once again Oregon’s top agricultural commodity by value, according to a sales estimate for 2018. High-quality plants and green goods continue to be in demand here and abroad. With this momentum at our back, we now must turn the page to 2020. The new year promises a tumultuous presidential […]

Turning protectors into producers

By Jeff Stone — Posted October 23, 2019

Veteran’s Day is our yearly opportunity to thank all those who have served in our armed forces. OAN members have proudly served our country, and those in my family have done so as well. Originally known as Armistice Day, it is a day dedicated to honoring those who have served in the United States Armed […]

Your success is OAN’s mission

By Jeff Stone — Posted September 26, 2019

I have served as your executive director for more than nine years now and have been a steadfast advocate for the best people I have ever met. If you include my time as your government relations director prior to that, I have seen 14 years of ups and downs in our industry. When Kristin VanHoose […]

Labor at a crisis point

By Jeff Stone — Posted September 4, 2019

Marking the transition from summer to fall, Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics, barbecues and festivals. For many, including the Stone family, the day signals that children will head back to school. My oldest daughter will enter her junior year at Western Oregon University and my youngest will kick off her senior year at […]

Where plants, growth and networking thrive

By Jeff Stone — Posted July 26, 2019

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a treasure trove of rich and vibrant soil, clean water and a climate that is perfect for growing nursery stock. Growers of all sizes have brought the Oregon nursery and greenhouse industry from mostly a local enterprise to national and even global prominence. That’s not bad for an industry that arrived […]

The technology race

By Jeff Stone — Posted June 24, 2019

On July 20, the nation will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Apollo 11, led by Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, set in motion a technology era with their successful mission in 1969. Less than eight years earlier, President John F. Kennedy had […]

Elections have consequences

By Jeff Stone — Posted May 24, 2019

I am privileged and honored to serve an Oregon nursery industry that is hardworking, honest and committed to excellence. Our association sets an example for others around the country on how to approach turbulent issues, such as the environment, education and workforce development. We stake out moderate views on taxation and employer regulations. We are […]

Celebrating Mom

By Jeff Stone — Posted April 26, 2019

During the month of May, I usually write about our industry’s labor needs. Normally, I express my dismay that Congress is kicking the immigration reform can down the road yet again. But on a personal level, it’s really Mother’s Day that defines the month of May for me. Mothers play a central role in molding […]

Part of the climate change solution

By Jeff Stone — Posted February 25, 2019

Someone has done the calculations, and it turns out that Oregon is responsible for 0.14 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. This means that 99.86 percent comes from outside of our little slice of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is abundant in natural resources. Timber, food and nursery production reign. It is no accident that we […]