Columns

The start of a beautiful journey

By Josh Robinson — Posted October 26, 2021

Hello everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Josh Robinson. Alongside my parents, Rick and Roxanne, and brother, Chris, I am a co-owner of Robinson Nursery in McMinnville, Oregon. Mom and Dad started the business in 1984. I consider myself blessed to have been raised on the farm and as […]

Let’s address a dry topic

By Mike Darcy — Posted September 22, 2021

In the August issue of Digger, I discussed some of the effects of the very dry summer season, not only in the Pacific Northwest, but in much of the western United States. Many readers and other gardeners commented about the article. As a result, I looked more closely at the surrounding neighborhood, as well as […]

Ag is united in the face of adversity

By Jeff Stone — Posted September 22, 2021

The fall season signifies a change. Colors explode on our trees, while crisp mornings and the precious opportunities for a warm day combine for a special time in Oregon. While I am a boy of summer, the fall has always been my favorite time of year. My two daughters are away at college, the hard […]

Working for future generations

By Kyle Fessler — Posted September 22, 2021

When I look back on this past year, countless emotions come to mind. There is one in particular that I keep circling back to, and that is gratitude. For those of us in the nursery industry, we have much to be thankful for. While many sectors were hit hard by the pandemic, ours experienced rejuvenation […]

Sitting at the virtual table

By Marika Sitz — Posted August 27, 2021

During spring 2021, I spent my final semester of law school as legal extern with Jordan Ramis PC. This gave me a chance to spend focused time working on the OAN Government Relations (GR) Team for the 2021 session of the Oregon Legislature. For 13 weeks starting on January 11, I shadowed OAN Executive Director […]

A more perfect union

By Jeff Stone — Posted August 27, 2021

On September 17, 1787 — 234 years ago this month — the Constitution of the United States was signed. This year, as every year, scores of our youth will sit in classrooms learning about democracy’s sustaining win, as well as its noble cause — the creation of “a more perfect union.” But what does that mean? The […]

Overcoming adversity

By Kyle Fessler — Posted August 27, 2021

Fall is near here in Nursery Country. After a long, hot, dry summer, there is much hope and anticipation for cooler weather and plenty of that famous Oregon rainfall. Likewise, September brings about my favorite pastime: football. I spent nearly two decades of my life on the gridiron, participating as a player, coach, and occasional […]

In the heat of the garden

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 29, 2021

It is definitely time for a reprieve from the events of the past year and a half. That’s true for garden centers, customers, the plants they buy and grow, and the plants in our gardens. We are living through a pandemic; we suffered devastating forest fires with smoke conditions that were hazardous to our health; […]

Road trip to the City of Roses

By Jeff Stone — Posted July 29, 2021

The pandemic has been a not-so-welcome roller coaster ride for the past two years. Just over a year ago, in the teeth of uncertainty and a virus outbreak that dominated public life, the OAN Board of Directors made the decision to push the 2020 Farwest Show into 2021. This was the right call. We had […]

Weathering the storm

By Kyle Fessler — Posted July 29, 2021

August has always been a month I look forward to. As summer draws toward an end, it’s a big time of transition for our family. Between football practices, trying to squeeze in one more trip to the lake, and scrambling to find last-minute school supplies, there is much to accomplish before Labor Day hits. On […]