Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

November issue of Digger is out!

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Green roofs are the cover story (PDF) in the November issue of Digger magazine. In it, we observe that the market for green roof plants isn’t limited to succulents and drought-tolerant species. “Intensive” rooftop gardens are considered people places and can include a variety of plants and trees. The issue also includes a story on […]

Shady trees discourage shady characters

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We in the nursery industry know that “trees are the answer.” Here is another piece of evidence. Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service did a study in Portland, Ore. and found that homes with large street trees out front have a lower incidence of crime. From the abstract of the study: The authors estimate the […]

Rule altered to protect supply of nursery growing media

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture appears to have responded to nursery industry concerns about the proposed Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), according to Craig Regelbrugge, vice president of government relations and research at the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA). The program, first announced in the spring, would provide farmers with incentives for growing certain […]

Oregon State University looks to stakeholders for support

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Oregon legislators have told officials at Oregon State University (OSU) to expect a 25 percent reduction in funds in the 2011-13 budget cycle, including at the College of Agricultural Sciences. That daunting forecast has the college reaching out to stakeholders to help fund OSU’s 11 agricultural branch experiment stations, according to an article by reporter […]

Noxious weed grants available to private forest owners

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Owners of private forestlands may apply for grant funds to control noxious weeds, under a program organized and funded by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Grant applications are due Dec. 8, 2010. For all the program requirements and the grant application, log on to the program web page. There’s also a similar program for watershed, […]

Oregon, Washington increase minimum wage for 2011

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Oregon’s minimum wage will increase by 10 cents per hour to $8.50, effective January 1, 2011. The 10-cent increase mirrors a 1.15 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index since August 2009, according to a press release (PDF) issued by State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. Inflation-based minimum wage hikes, rounded to the nearest 5 cents, […]

ODA plans meeting on brown marmorated stink bug

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With a common name like “brown marmorated stink bug,” one wouldn’t expect Halyomorpha halys to be a very pleasant insect to deal with – and it isn’t. The bug from Asia has become a major agricultural pest in the United States over the past 14 years, since arriving in Pennsylvania in 1996. It arrived in […]

Hines declares second bankruptcy since 2008

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A 90-year-old giant of the nursery business is headed for a second round in bankruptcy court. Hines Nurseries LLC announced today that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to Bloomberg News and a company press release. The press release blamed a weak market for the filing: “The Company noted that it has […]

OAN board sets industry-wide goal for energy efficiency

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Oregon’s nursery industry will work together over the next 10 years to improve energy efficiency by 25 percent, according to a goal adopted recently by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) Board of Directors. The energy savings will be realized through OAN members’ participation in a voluntary energy efficiency program. The program will be organized […]

Dig in to the October issue of Digger

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Have you read your October issue of Digger yet? If you didn’t receive it in the mail, you can still download some of the articles right from this page: A healthy appetite for succulents (PDF) — Both tender and hardy varieties offer exotic beauty at a low cost, while demanding little in the way of […]