In 1888, the Oregon Agriculture College (OAC) established a horticulture department with sights on building a single greenhouse and creating its own laboratories to conduct experiments. In the subsequent 132 years, OAC became Oregon State University (OSU) and the horticulture department has grown. When I graduated from OSU in horticulture 20 years ago, there were […]
Search engine optimization: Helping customers find you
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Previously, I offered some tips on putting your website to work for you. This month, I’m back to help make sure your website can be discovered by search engines, such as Google, which is vital to helping both customers and other businesses find you on the internet. The primary goal of search engine optimization (SEO) […]
America needs our vote
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At a time of national challenge, we can either look at what divides us or what unites us. Our nursery community is a critical ingredient in the great American experiment. We are a blessed and privileged few. America is only as strong as her citizens. Our nation is a cauldron of different perspectives, ideologies and […]
OAN takes a financial hit
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I miss baseball. Due to concerns related to COVID-19, the start of the Major League Baseball season was postponed. I’m hopeful there will be some baseball games before the end of summer. I’m not a die-hard fan by any means, but I played a lot growing up. Summer was a time for batting gloves, infield […]
Seeding the need to garden
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Nothing about the spring 2020 garden season has been ordinary. From March onward, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many facets of the garden industry in ways no one could have predicted. Six months ago, if you had described a scene where shoppers and workers were wearing masks and standing six feet apart, no one would […]
Becoming a Zoom Jedi master
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced me to work at home, isolated in what I have started calling “the 64th Avenue Bunker.” As a result, my family has gained a deeper understanding of my severe technological deficits. They commonly hear me uttering phrases like, “I just want it to work!” I am not quite to the […]
Guides along life’s journey
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Throughout life, we run across people who affect us in positive ways. Teachers, coaches and friends can all have an influence upon us that lasts a lifetime. Within the nursery industry, mentors can be found just about anywhere. They can be bosses, co-workers, or even competitors down the road. They can also be family members […]
The first employee people see
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Imagine you hired an employee who, when asked about your inventory, could only tell people what you used to sell. Or when asked where an item could be found, could only inexplicably point to empty space or not answer at all. Simply put, a single interaction with this employee might lead your customers to assume […]
Director’s Desk: We have your back
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Gardening is not canceled. Oregon’s nursery, greenhouse, retail and supply chains are open for business. Our state and governor could have mandated full closures and declared our businesses non-essential. The fact they didn’t do this is a credit to the OAN’s leadership and its advocacy team. They were the perfect picture of vision, pure effort […]
President’s Message: Into the unknown
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Spring is a hectic time. Add in a worldwide pandemic with economic uncertainties, and it can be a recipe for disaster. The most unnerving aspect is the unknown. As an industry, we are accustomed to unpredictable weather. We see damaging frosts, rainy weekends, and hot, dry summers stressing the growing season. These are all hiccups […]
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