Columns

Climbing skyward

By Josh Zielinski — Posted September 25, 2018

Wow. I know it’s a cliché, but I honestly can’t believe how fast time has flown over the last year. It seems like it was just a month ago and I was scrambling to put together my very first Digger column. Funny thing is, they haven’t gotten any easier — especially after hearing people say […]

When the well runs dry

By Ian Doescher — Posted September 2, 2018

When it comes to social media, customers expect to hear from the brands they love regularly. That means you need to post multiple times a week — maybe even every day! Maintaining a good social media page — whether on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever — is often a lot of fun, but let’s be […]

No sanctuary from anger

By Jeff Stone — Posted September 2, 2018

As the fall campaign season ramps up during September, voters will be learning more about the candidates running for various leadership positions. U.S. Congress, the Oregon Legislature, county commissioners, city councils — they’ll all be on the ballot. Oregon also has a long history of citizen initiatives. In the past, voters have had the opportunity […]

A favorite ‘holiday’

By Josh Zielinski — Posted September 2, 2018

Growing up in a typical American household, we had all the usual holidays, such as New Year’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We celebrated birthdays too, just like many of the rest. But growing up in an Oregon nursery family, there was one more “holiday” — the Farwest Show. As far back as […]

Ferns … not just a fancy frond

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 31, 2018

A friend that was recently visiting my garden commented that I had quite a few containers with ferns. Until he said it, I had not really noticed. The next day as I walked around my garden, I realized that it was true. I have been gradually adding ferns into my garden. Was this just me, or […]

Brand positioning

By Ian Doescher — Posted July 31, 2018

The thing that beats price, quality, or service every time 1. Quality: “We have the best products or services around. No one can beat the things we sell!” 2. Price: “You’ll pay less with us than you will anywhere else. No one can beat our prices!” 3. Service: “We have better service than anyone else. […]

The Farwest Show is the place to be

By Jeff Stone — Posted July 31, 2018

I hear a lot about the beginnings of the Farwest Show. It started because an emerging agricultural sector decided to reach out beyond Oregon’s borders. Growers wanted to show off their quality plants and give tours of the beautiful nursery and greenhouse operations in the fertile Willamette Valley. Just as in the beginning, the plants […]

The ‘offseason’

By Josh Zielinski — Posted July 31, 2018

Sometimes I feel that people outside the nursery industry think we only really work during our harvest season, which for most of us is in the spring. The prevailing thought among my non-industry friends seems to be that after we ship the present crop and plant next season’s crop, we simply kick back and wait. […]

Five business books worth reading

By Ian Doescher — Posted June 25, 2018

I love reading in just about any genre, but I don’t love reading books about business. The writing is often dry, the information sometimes unhelpful, and the tone often a little too boastful for my taste. That said, the right book can make a significant impact on work habits, creativity, and overall outlook. Here are five […]

Don’t sleep on the WPS

By Jeff Stone — Posted June 25, 2018

During the administration of Barack Obama, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expanded the rules for agricultural operations to protect workers from pesticide exposure. These rules make up the Worker Protection Standard (WPS). With a new administration, the same rules apply. While not passed by Congress, these rules are very real and the nursery and greenhouse […]