Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Satisfying in small spaces

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Trees, conifers and weepers that fit the bill with beauty, versatility and easy maintenance Smaller yards haven’t changed homeowners’ need for shade or beauty. But, they have changed what will fit into a yard, which has changed the market and by extension, growers’ business focus. We asked growers to share favorite selections of small trees, […]

Lessons from a rebrand

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Tillamook Creamery — and the cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter it produces — is an Oregon Coast institution with international reach. Its products are available around the globe. I’m passionate about Tillamook cheese. It’s the only cheese I will buy, and their ice cream is a treat. Recently, in celebration of their 110th anniversary, […]

The technology race

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On July 20, the nation will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Apollo 11, led by Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, set in motion a technology era with their successful mission in 1969. Less than eight years earlier, President John F. Kennedy had […]

OAN goes to Washington, D.C.

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I traveled to Washington, D.C. along with our OAN executive director, Jeff Stone, and the chairwoman of our Government Relations Committee, Leigh Geschwill of F & B Farms & Nursery. We were there to represent the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and to lobby for the needs and priorities of Oregon’s nursery industry. This was my […]

Willamette Chapter raises $6,013 for education

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The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) Willamette Chapter Plant Sale raised $6,013 at its annual plant sale, held April 27 and 28 as part of the Oregon AgFest at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. It is the chapter’s second best year for total sales. Proceeds of the sale go to four participating event partners: the […]

Farwest Show offers tours of garden centers, sustainable businesses and wholesale nurseries

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The 2019 Farwest Show, August 21–23 in Portland, Oregon, will offer three tours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20. Every year, Farwest tours explore the dynamic facilities of Portland’s thought leaders in the green industry. This year’s three tracks will look at retail garden centers, sustainable business processes and procedures, and […]

June 2019

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We explore how ornamental edibles are changing the rules of landscape design. Plus, we share recommended steps to take if you receive an unsolicited offer to purchase your business, and some best practices for testing for Phythophthora in irrigation systems. Mike Darcy also checks in on spring sales at Portland-area garden centers. In this issue: […]

Testing the waters

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How to test your irrigation system for the presence of Phythophthora By Neelam R. Redekar and Jennifer L. Parke Phytophthora is a fungus-like organism — called a water mold — that can infect a wide variety of nursery plant species. One of the ways it can spread is through irrigation water. Depending on size, a […]

When a buyer comes knocking

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Steps to take if you receive an unsolicited offer to purchase your business Mergers and acquisitions are commonplace these days, buoyed by strong industry interest and performance, availability of capital, and low interest rates. In this world, it is not uncommon for nursery owners to receive unsolicited offers to purchase their company. These can come […]