Despite pervasive labor struggles, nurseries find ways to find workers There was a time, up until 2006 or 2007, when Robinson Nursery in McMinnville, Oregon would lay off at least 30 percent of its workforce every year, just after the fall season and heading into winter. Back then, the nursery industry’s labor pool included a […]
The essentials of retention
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Many growers can’t set the price of their products in the national marketplace. They are competing for business with growers from states that don’t have same high cost of doing business, which puts Oregonians at a competitive disadvantage. This means business owners must focus on collecting high-value returns on high-cost labor expenses. When compiling salaries […]
The Pacheco brothers
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Four decades ago, Doug Zielinski — then a recent Oregon State University graduate, fresh off an internship at Kraemer’s Nursery — decided to chase a dream by becoming a fourth generation farmer. Doug’s father, Ernie, had taken over the farm when he was just 15 years old, after Doug’s grandfather, Charlie, suddenly passed away. The […]
July 2018
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Growers can read about the pros and cons of creating a display garden for buyers to explore on site, or check out the colorful varieties of Agastache which are becoming a perennial favorite in this month’s Digger issue. Plus, the Farwest show is almost here! Explore the Farwest Show New Variety Showcase insert to see the latest […]
Move forward on immigration
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I’d be willing to bet most folks in our industry don’t have an elaborate tie collection. I myself own three. They rarely come out except for the occasional wedding or funeral, but this past May, I packed all of them up and headed to our nation’s capital to do some politicking on behalf of our […]
Farwest 2018 Keynote Speaker immigration advocate Ali Noorani offers new approaches to the Immigration Debate
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At the 2018 Farwest Show, August 22-24, in Portland, Oregon, Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, will deliver the keynote address on one of the most explosive issues for agriculture and the country — immigration. Noorani’s speech, “Leading the Way: A New Approach to American Immigration,” opens the show on Wednesday, August […]
Finding common ground on immigration
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The immigration system has been broken for more than three decades. Building an immigration reform package in a vitriolic political environment remains a huge challenge. Oregon’s agricultural industry is united in seeking a solution to the perpetual labor crisis. Getting from there will demand that we reconsider what a solution could look like. Washington, D.C. […]
H-2A for nurseries
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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 […]
New immigration bill would create ‘chaos for farmers’
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In January, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a new bill to reform immigration laws. But according to OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone, the bill as presently constituted would leave agriculture sectors, including nurseries, far short of the workers they need. Among its requirements, the bill would force all employers to implement the […]
A time for reasoned minds
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October is upon us — the release of summer’s long grip on our operations, leaves rapidly changing into a wonder of colors, crisp mornings and celebrations of Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving. It is difficult not to write about all the tumult happening around our great nation. It is not the first time nor the […]
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