Columns

Celebrating Mom

By Jeff Stone — Posted April 26, 2019

During the month of May, I usually write about our industry’s labor needs. Normally, I express my dismay that Congress is kicking the immigration reform can down the road yet again. But on a personal level, it’s really Mother’s Day that defines the month of May for me. Mothers play a central role in molding […]

Knowing our customers

By Mike Hiller — Posted April 26, 2019

Last fall, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Bridget Behe, a professor of horticulture at Michigan State University. She was giving a presentation on her research into the marketing of edible and ornamental horticultural crops, which is her area of expertise. If you are not familiar with Dr. Behe’s podcast, “Connect 2 Consumer,” I […]

Standing up for the industry

By Mike Hiller — Posted March 27, 2019

On Valentine’s Day, our group of about 15 OAN members and professional government relations staff visited the Oregon State Capitol. We split up into three groups of five to have meetings and meaningful conversations with our state senators and representatives in their offices. The annual OAN Advocacy Day has been one of our most effective […]

A genus fit for royalty

By Mike Darcy — Posted March 27, 2019

Strange as it may seem, plants and clothes have some traits that make them parallel to one another. Clothes are fashionable. New styles appear every year, but there are always some holdovers from previous years. A parallel can be drawn here with plants. Some become more fashionable in gardens, while others fade away. Hellebores and […]

Start here: your marketing budget priority list

By Ian Doescher — Posted February 25, 2019

Wouldn’t we all love to have the advertising budgets and marketing teams of Nike or Apple? Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards for most of us. Generally, small- and medium-sized business owners must prioritize their time and money. Are you wondering where to start, or whether you’ve covered the most important things? Here is my […]

Part of the climate change solution

By Jeff Stone — Posted February 25, 2019

Someone has done the calculations, and it turns out that Oregon is responsible for 0.14 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. This means that 99.86 percent comes from outside of our little slice of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is abundant in natural resources. Timber, food and nursery production reign. It is no accident that we […]

Couldn’t stand the weather

By Mike Hiller — Posted February 25, 2019

Legendary Texas bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan famously sang that he “Couldn’t Stand the Weather.” Here in Oregon, enduring the weather is one thing. As I suspect they do in Texas, we’re just trying to figure out what’s going on from one moment to the next. While the rest of the United States was suffering under […]

Gardeners discuss goals and plans for 2019

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 25, 2019

With the new year upon us, I thought it would be interesting to hear what other gardeners are planning for 2019. I talked to a diverse assortment of gardeners in and around the metro area. These are not professional gardeners, but people who enjoy their garden and are always trying to make it better. There […]

Flowers, hearts and decapitations

By Jeff Stone — Posted January 25, 2019

Valentine’s Day is a day to show affection for our loved ones, but it also happens to be one of the most profitable holidays of the year. Although the giving of flowers makes up only a small part of the spending, far behind Christmas or Mother’s Day for our retailers, it still brings in customers […]

Don’t fall into the trap of history repeating

By Mike Hiller — Posted January 25, 2019

The holidays and the grueling trade show season are over. Sports are in a lull. The days of cold, wet and dark are getting tiresome. We are all waiting on better weather — or at least seeing the sun. Depending on your segment within the nursery industry, you have either completed your digging for the […]