Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Urban trees boost price of rental housing

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Homeowners value trees. That much has been shown in studies performed by researchers at the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. But now it turns out that renters value trees, as well. A new study by Geoffrey H. Donovan and David T. Butry concluded that the presence of a lot tree raised the rental […]

Oregon nursery sales down 9 percent

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During 2010, Oregon nursery and greenhouse growers had less money coming in for the third consecutive year, according to statistics newly released by the USDA-Natural Agricultural Statistics Service, Oregon Field Office. The numbers are added up from a survey that is sent to every nursery and greenhouse grower in the state. For 2010, the results […]

Plant patent holder delivers a knock out blow

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We’ve been talking about plant patents a bit recently, and the coming changes to the patent system. In light of that discussion, it’s helpful to realize that plant patents don’t enforce themselves. The holder of the patent must take enforment action if they discover a violation. Conard-Pyle recently did exactly that, forcing a New Jersey […]

OSU publishes gardener’s guide to invasives

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Oregon State University has published a new guide aimed at helping gardeners prevent the introduction of invasive plants. “Invasive Species: What Gardeners Need to Know” is a free, downloadable PDF. “Biologists estimate that between 30 and 80 percent of invasive plant species introduced to the United States originated as garden plants,” said Linda McMahan, one […]

Jobs bill may improve nursery markets

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Leaders with the Oregon Association of Nurseries were among those sitting at the table when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Portland on Tuesday morning. Incoming OAN President Jerry Simnitt, incoming OAN Treasurer Leigh Geschwill and Executive Director Jeff Stone were invited to the exclusive gathering. Vilsack has been on tour promoting the American […]

Mexico tightens Christmas tree regulations … again

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In case you missed it … Mexican officials have tightened regulations on American Christmas trees entering that country, according to the Capital Press and reporter Mateusz Perkowski. Trees must be sprayed with pyrethrin, an insecticide, three to six weeks before harvest. They must be free of dead needles or branches, and they must also be […]

E-Verify mandate advances in U.S. House

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The U.S. House Judiciary Committee this week recommended, on a 22-13 vote, that House Bill 2285 (full text) be advanced to the House floor. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and 41 other representatives (but none from the Northwest), would require that all U.S. employers use the E-Verify system to check worker eligibility. […]

OAN Energy Pilot wins $80,000 USDA grant

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Less than a year ago, the Oregon Association of Nurseries announced an ambitious goal to reduce industry energy usage by 25 percent in 10 years as part of its Energy Pilot program (PDF). Last week, the program scored a major victory when USDA Rural Development awarded the OAN an $80,000 grant (see press release): Oregon […]

Greenhouse growers can save money, energy with cash incentives

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Greenhouse controllers are a great way to save both money and energy, but as with any improvement, there’s the upfront cost to consider. The Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people be energy efficient, announced last week that it is rolling out an incentive for greenhouse growers. This could go a long […]