Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc. welcomes new board member

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Blueberry plant breeder and grower Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc. (Lowell, Oregon) has added Kevin Murphy to its board of directors, the company announced. Murphy became the company’s fifth board member outside of the founding Brazelton family. The company said it wants to incorporate diverse business perspectives as it explores growth opportunities and strategies. […]

J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. appoints Ben Rough as CEO

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J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. nursery (Boring, Oregon) has appointed Ben Rough as its new chief executive officer (CEO), the company announced April 2. Rough brings more than 20 years of green industry experience to his new post, climbing up from an entry-level customer service position to several executive leadership appointments.  He most recently […]

April 2020

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Wholesale growers share their experiences with jumping into direct-to-consumer sales after making practical decisions to align their supply chains. April’s issue also holds the first of a two-part series on white blooming plants. Researchers also study using ultraviolet light to control powdery mildew in a greenhouse setting. In this issue: Visions of white: A series […]

OBC Northwest appoints new VP of sales and marketing

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Melanie Miller-Gonzalez has been promoted to the position of vice president, sales and marketing at OBC Northwest, Inc., according to a release by the company. She has been with the company since 2009 and will supervise the sales and marketing division of the nursery and greenhouse equipment supplier, which is based in Canby, Oregon. Raymond […]

Seeing the light on powdery mildew

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Testing the efficacy of using ultraviolet spectral lights to protect greenhouse tomatoes By Kristine R. Buckland, Cynthia M. Ocamb, Lloyd Nackley and Ann L. Rasmussen Widespread outbreaks of powdery mildew have been occurring in fresh market tomato crops in western Oregon over the past decade. Disease incidence and severity tend to be greater in tomatoes […]

Visions of white

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These white-blooming plants brighten up landscapes Part 1 of 2: This month: Perennials, groundcovers, bulbs, vines, edibles and Hydrangeas. June: Woody trees and shrubs. Blooms come in all variations of color and hue, but there is a special place for white blooms in a garden or landscape. “White goes with everything,” said Justin Hancock, senior director […]

Up, down and all around

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Sometimes popular phrases never really disappear. They just go dormant and then come back again.  We might refer to them as being recycled, but I prefer using the word “dormant” since this is a garden column. The phrase “up, down and all around” was commonly used in garden training sessions in the 1970s and 1980s, […]

Lending our future a hand

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The nursery industry as a whole is mutually supportive. We help each other out. There is always someone willing to assist a fellow nursery or talk with someone looking to start a career in this great industry. One of the ways Oregon Association of Nurseries members help each year is to promote horticultural education through […]

Mastering the merge

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Nurseries share the benefits of integrating wholesale and retail in one operation It was 38 years ago and Grace Dinsdale had just launched Blooming Nursery, a wholesale nursery in Cornelius, Oregon; just west of Hillsboro. Her goal from the get-go had been to operate as a wholesale nursery that could supply the industry with a […]