Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Study indicates QR codes can drive purchases

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Do you use QR codes to help market your business? A new study by Chadwick Martin Bailey indicates they may be gaining some traction. About half of the people surveyed reported they had scanned a code, while 18 reported they had made a purchase after scanning. Of those who scanned, 70 percent said it was […]

USDA to hold meetings regarding FSA office closures

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Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to close hundreds of offices nationwide, including four in Oregon. Three are Farm Service Agency offices. FSA issued this press release today announcing meetings where officials will take public comment on the proposed closures: USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced that Lynn Voigt, state […]

State of Perfection Video 1: Crispin’s Creations Nursery

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Welcome to the first of our State of Perfection videos for 2012. This one features Crispin’s Creations Nursery in Molalla, Ore. and owner Crispin Silva, who has developed several unique plants with outstanding features. Such plants include his patented Fragrant Fountain snowbell, as well as his patented Summer Gold dogwood. Watch the video to see […]

USDA to close 250 offices nationwide

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced yesterday that the USDA is closing some 250 offices across the country, including 131 Farm Service Agency offices. The closures will save $150 million per year and are part of the across-the-board federal budget cuts. “We must innovate, modernize and be better stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars,” Vilsack […]

Enjoy Oregon: The State of Perfection

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When it comes to nurseries, Oregon is The State of Perfection. That’s why the January issue of Digger is dedicated to four of Oregon’s outstanding wholesale nurseries. The issue takes you inside four top growers so you can see how and why Oregon’s nurseries excel at what they do: Crispin’s Creations Nursery in Molalla, Robinson […]

Scientists ID possible cause for honeybee colony collapse

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For five years, scientists have puzzled over the origin of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is believed responsible for a decline in the honeybee populations that many agricultural producers depend upon. Now it appears that a scientist at San Francisco State University may have discovered one possible culprit quite by accident. He uncovered an insect […]

Over-extended agents dwindle in numbers

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They’re called extension agents, but these days, maybe “over-extended” agents would be more appropriate. The Capital Press reports that extension agents who retire or take on different duties aren’t being replaced as often as they used to be. Meanwhile, some are being asked to take on double duty as both regional extension administrators and experiment […]

Box blight webinar set for Thursday at 8 a.m. PST

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Cylindrocladium buxicola, a fungal blight afflicting boxwood shrubs, recently has been detected in several East Coast states. Experts believe it came over from Europe on infected plant material. At 8 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday morning, Jan. 5, Kelly Ivors of North Carolina State University will hold a free webinar to address this disease threat. […]

Quarantines that outlive their utility

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Most agree that from time to time, plant quarantines are needed to protect against invasive species, pests and pathogens. But what happens when a quarantine is no longer needed, or it no longer conform to the best available practices? According to Dan Hilburn, plant division administrator at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the answer, all […]

Anderson Die & Manufacturing names new president

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Rick Anderson (left) has been named the new president of Anderson Die & Manufacturing, the Portland-based maker of injection-molded nursery containers and band pots, effective Jan. 1, 2012. He takes over from his father, George Anderson (right), who founded the company in 1954 and will continue to serve as chairman. From the official announcement: Rick’s […]