The year ahead could turn out to be a defining one, both economically and politically. The perception around the state and nation is that we are a people divided. We are urban and rural. We are conservative and liberal. And we are using social media as a tool for derision and conflict. We certainly have […]
A homegrown connection for the holidays
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Every household has a holiday tradition, as does every culture. In Mexico, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12) is a public holiday. It is a Catholic feast to celebrate the belief that a man encountered the Virgin Mary, Mexico’s patron saint, in Mexico City on December 9 and 12, 1531. St. Lucia Day, […]
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 […]
Honoring the past and charting the future
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The Oregon nursery industry was built with the sweat of our earliest growers. Blessed with some of the best soil in the country, their hard work transformed unknown markets into opportunities. There is an old photograph that is at the OAN office, and I pass it every day. It looks to be in the mid-1930s […]
No sanctuary from anger
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As the fall campaign season ramps up during September, voters will be learning more about the candidates running for various leadership positions. U.S. Congress, the Oregon Legislature, county commissioners, city councils — they’ll all be on the ballot. Oregon also has a long history of citizen initiatives. In the past, voters have had the opportunity […]
The Farwest Show is the place to be
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I hear a lot about the beginnings of the Farwest Show. It started because an emerging agricultural sector decided to reach out beyond Oregon’s borders. Growers wanted to show off their quality plants and give tours of the beautiful nursery and greenhouse operations in the fertile Willamette Valley. Just as in the beginning, the plants […]
Don’t sleep on the WPS
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During the administration of Barack Obama, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expanded the rules for agricultural operations to protect workers from pesticide exposure. These rules make up the Worker Protection Standard (WPS). With a new administration, the same rules apply. While not passed by Congress, these rules are very real and the nursery and greenhouse […]
A team effort for your success
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It was my great privilege to serve as president of the Nursery and Landscape Association Executives (NLAE) of North America for the past two years. I am the third Oregonian to serve in that role. Merv Belknap was the first in 1969-70, followed by Dan Barnhart in 1989-90. The NLAE is a team of committed […]
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. […]
This should be our month
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What is the true meaning of Earth Day? And what about Arbor Day? The answers really depend on one’s personal perspective. I think of parades with causes on big poster boards, and a mix of environmental advocates, students, and parents with baby strollers. I asked my daughter and her two friends, all sophomores in high […]
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