Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Judge places Columbia County measure on hold

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Columbia County’s controversial Measure 5-190, approved by that county’s voters in November, was supposed to take effect today. The measure would have penalized businesses that employ undocumented immigrants. However, Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted Grove ruled on Friday that the measure cannot be enforced until legal questions surrounding it have been sorted out. Plaintiffs […]

Seattle, San Francisco garden shows ending

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Duane Kelly, chairman of Salmon Bay Events, made an announcement this morning that surprised many people in the industry — that the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, and the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, will both end with their 2009 editions, unless he can find a buyer for them. From the official […]

Short notice

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We received this information today, and although it’s very short notice for most folks, it still is worth passing along: Do you have old pesticides you want to get rid of? There will be a FREE collection event (PDF flier) on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m.-3 for Marion and Clackamas county residents. This is […]

State of Perfection Tour IV

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Stop four on our State of Perfection Tour was at Alpha Nursery in Salem, Ore., a multi-generational family business. As always, we asked them about a favorite plant and Josh Zielinski identified a Photinia fraserii variety that happens to be the nursery’s only patent (so far): Come back next Friday for the final installment in […]

Chemeketa announces spring hort, landscaping offerings

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Chemeketa Community College has announced its spring offerings in horticulture, landscaping and pesticides. Registration begins March 10 and spring term runs March 30-June 12. New courses include “Identification of Herbaceous Plants 1,” “Nursery and Greenhouse Business Management,” “Success in the Nursery and Greenhouse Workplace,” and “Hop Cultivation.” To see the full listing of offerings, browse […]

Card check fight heads to airwaves

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With a new Congress now in session, pro-union advocates are taking to the airwaves with a campaign promoting the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). This proposal, often called the “card-check bill,” would allow union organizers to represent workplaces in which they can get 50 percent plus one of the employees to sign a card favoring […]

Do ask, do tell

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Metal thefts long have been a concern for nurseries and growers. The thieves target irrigation pipes and other pieces of equipment, and then sell them anonymously to scrap metal dealers for cash (often to fund drug habits). That’s why the Oregon Association of Nurseries has been among the strongest voices asking for greater enforcement and […]

Emergency Conservation Program available to storm-damaged nurseries

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The following press release was issued on Friday: The USDA/Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Oregon has announced that the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) is available to assist nurseries and other farm operations that suffered damage during the ice and snow storms in late December. The Emergency Conservation Program provides emergency funding and technical assistance for […]

State of Perfection Tour III

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Stop three on our State of Perfection Tour was at JLPN, Inc. – that stands for Johnathon Lee Propagation Nursery – where owners John and Crystal Lewis specialize in, what else, propagation. As with our other stops, we asked John to talk about a favorite that he grows at his nursery, and his was a […]