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You are here: Home / Archives for Columns

Where the lessons are

By Todd Nelson — Posted September 5, 2023

I once heard a story of a man who had a lifelong dream of sailing the Mediterranean on a cruise ship with his wife. After she passed away, the man decided that if he didn’t go now, he never would. So for a year, he saved whatever he could in order to have enough money to purchase a ticket. 

Filed Under: Columns, President's Message Tagged With: OAN, OAN Members

We exist to serve members

By Jeff Stone — Posted September 5, 2023

It is easy to get disconnected from your trade association during the sprint of shipping, not to mention dealing with weather and labor challenges. However, we all know the great unseen threats that loom over the industry, starting with state and federal regulations. Your volunteer leaders on the OAN Board of Directors and Government Relations Committee serve as your voice and your defense.

Filed Under: Columns, Director's Desk Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members

50 years of growing Oregon’s brand

By Jeff Stone — Posted July 26, 2023

As I write this column, I am at Cultivate’23 in Columbus, Ohio, where Oregon is well represented. More than 60 OAN member companies are exhibiting, dozens of them are walking the show floor, and Oregon’s own Nancy Buley (J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.) and Ryan Contreras (Oregon State University) are cornerstones of the educational […]

Filed Under: Director's Desk Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Farwest, OAN, OAN Members

Open season for open gardens

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 26, 2023

Visiting gardens is a great way to see how other gardeners use plants in unique combinations, and also for socializing with other gardeners. But probably my favorite reason to go is to see and learn about plants that are new to me. Fortunately, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) offers members like me the […]

Filed Under: Mike Darcy Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Plants, Wholesale Nurseries

An immersive experience

By Todd Nelson — Posted July 26, 2023

Last month, Las Vegas showcased its newest attraction. The Sphere at The Venetian Resort was turned on for the very first time. The sphere is 366 feet high and 516 feet wide. With a total of 875,000 square feet, it will be the largest spherical building anywhere in the world. The exterior uses 1.2 million […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Farwest, OAN Members

Connecting with optimism

By Todd Nelson — Posted June 21, 2023

Graduations, family gatherings, cookouts and fireworks. These are events, celebrations or things that make the transition from spring to summer the best. During this time our extended family from all over the country comes together to eat good food, stay up too late, laugh until it hurts as we celebrate Independence Day, birthdays and family […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Farwest, OAN, OAN Members

The bottom line on agricultural overtime

By Peter Hicks — Posted June 21, 2023

Oregon’s new law requiring overtime pay for agricultural workers went into effect January 1, 2023. If you are not already complying with the overtime requirements, you need to do so immediately! The law, enacted as House Bill 4002, establishes mandatory overtime pay for agricultural workers, with a four-year phase-in period: The law applies to “agriculture,” […]

Filed Under: Legal Access Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Labor, Legal Access

The shining city on the hill

By Jeff Stone — Posted June 21, 2023

Only the stoutest of political nerds would recall that President Ronald Reagan’s farewell address to the nation invoked a 1630 sermon by Puritan pilgrim John Winthrop. White House speechwriter Ken Khachigian tapped into Reagan’s long-held North Star of America, defining his vision of “the shining city upon a hill.” Looking back from where we were […]

Filed Under: Director's Desk Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, Politics

My chat with ChatGPT

By Jeff Stone — Posted May 31, 2023

I had a conversation a few months ago with Steve Shropshire, the association’s legal counsel from Jordan Ramis PC, about the emergence of ChatGPT and the open-source abilities. I found it fascinating. Type pretty much anything into ChatGPT and it’ll spit out a confident, convincing response. What some have found is that its answers can […]

Filed Under: Director's Desk Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN

Specimen shrubs that steal the spotlight

By Mike Darcy — Posted May 31, 2023

Most gardens have a diversity of plants, usually with a representation of at least one or two categories. This would include annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and trees. In the urban gardens of many homeowners today, there may be fewer trees and more shrubs due to limited space. Sometimes the distinction between a shrub and a […]

Filed Under: Mike Darcy Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN Members, Plants

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FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Farwest celebrates 50 years in style

Farwest Show attendees choose Eclipse® Hydrangea as People’s Choice at New Varieties Showcase  

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Youngblood Nursery Inc. wins Best in Show booth award at 2023 Farwest Show  

Variegated Frydek Elephant Ear wins Farwest New Varieties Showcase Judges’ Choice award for 2023

More Updates from Farwest

NURSERY NEWS

Darcy added to OSU agricultural Diamond Pioneer Registry

Nursery industry tops list of Oregon ag commodities

Fall Creek promotes Amelie Aust to executive board chair

Hall of Famers give gift towards horticultural industry advocacy

Verl Holden retires from Oregon Garden Foundation Board

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

September 2023

August 2023: Farwest Show Edition

July 2023: New Varieties Showcase Preview

June 2023: The Shrubs Issue

May 2023: The Sustainability Issue

More issues of Digger

The Value of Membership

Seeding the next generation of horticulture specialists

Farwest turns 50

Member Profile: Mahonia Nursery

More member stories

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Virtual is the new reality – for now

Trade shows in the time of COVID

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

Western Nursery & Landscape Association falls victim to pandemic

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

More articles

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