Every year, when I try to come up with a column topic for the month of May, my tendency is to focus on labor. This year’s May issue of Digger is focused on sustainability, and that only leads me to an angering paradox. Many things about the nursery industry are sustainable — but our labor […]
Putting a new spinney on an old word
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Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might say that they are going to “shoot” in a garden, but the word “shoot” in this connotation does not refer to a gun, but instead […]
Blessed to be part of this industry
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It took my legendary predecessor, Clayton Hannon, to notify me that I now stand as the longest serving executive director in the history of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. I thought this couldn’t possibly be correct, but as it turns out, as normal, Clayton had his facts straight. Over the last 12 years, I have […]
Democracy in action
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Recently, I had the awesome privilege to visit our nation’s capital. Every year, the Oregon Association of Nurseries sends representatives to Washington, D.C. with a specific mission: to represent the growers of Oregon and ensure our concerns and needs are being heard. I was fortunate enough to join President-Elect Amanda Staehely (Columbia Nursery), OAN Government […]
Water right transfers
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The future of water allocation in Oregon In this year’s water issue of the Digger, you’ve had an opportunity to read about the importance of this vital resource. In recent years, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) has come under intense pressure from the press and Secretary of State’s Audits Division to better manage the […]
The lifeblood of our industry
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The Water Issue is one of the most pertinent Digger efforts to serve our membership. We hope that how we lay out the issues makes sense and provides some context of the dynamics we are facing at the state and federal levels. Our industry stretches the water resource farther than most of those involved in […]
Finding new answers
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Have you ever tried catching an octopus? On the small island of Tonga, octopus is a delicacy. To catch the octopus, local fishers use a lure called a “makafeke.” This lure is simple in design, with only a round stone and a couple large seashells that are fastened to a rope. As the fisher paddles […]
Perpetuating the popularity of pollinator plants
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We are now into the second month of a new year, and a reflection into the past year reminds us just how unpredictable the weather is — and how much the garden business depends upon the weather. Looking back at 2022, there were many weather extremes. Parts of western Oregon had snow in March, then […]
Everyday things matter
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As Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, he was reportedly asked what kind of government the founders would propose. He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” This phrase has resonated through American history. It has been tested through a civil war, world wars, and even the toxic sludge of political discourse we are […]
Speaking for the trees
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Recently, I found myself thinking about the classic children’s book “The Lorax,” written by Dr. Seuss. In his typical writing fashion, Dr. Seuss weaves profound lessons within the book’s fun and whimsical pages. In this story we meet two polarizing characters: the Once-ler, a greedy industrialist who made a living by cutting down beautiful truffula […]
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