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You are here: Home / Archives for Columns / President's Message

Where the lessons are

By Todd Nelson — Posted September 5, 2023

I once heard a story of a man who had a lifelong dream of sailing the Mediterranean on a cruise ship with his wife. After she passed away, the man decided that if he didn’t go now, he never would. So for a year, he saved whatever he could in order to have enough money to purchase a ticket. 

Filed Under: Columns, President's Message Tagged With: OAN, OAN Members

An immersive experience

By Todd Nelson — Posted July 26, 2023

Last month, Las Vegas showcased its newest attraction. The Sphere at The Venetian Resort was turned on for the very first time. The sphere is 366 feet high and 516 feet wide. With a total of 875,000 square feet, it will be the largest spherical building anywhere in the world. The exterior uses 1.2 million […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Farwest, OAN Members

Connecting with optimism

By Todd Nelson — Posted June 21, 2023

Graduations, family gatherings, cookouts and fireworks. These are events, celebrations or things that make the transition from spring to summer the best. During this time our extended family from all over the country comes together to eat good food, stay up too late, laugh until it hurts as we celebrate Independence Day, birthdays and family […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Farwest, OAN, OAN Members

Keeping our world ‘Wonderful’

By Todd Nelson — Posted May 31, 2023

SpaceX recently conducted an orbital test flight of their Starship spacecraft. The tallest, most powerful spacecraft ever constructed, “designed to both carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond,” according to SpaceX. The test lasted four minutes and the starship self-destructed before it was able to make it into orbit. Was […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members, Plants

Answering nature’s challenges

By Todd Nelson — Posted April 20, 2023

On October 17, 1989, the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants assembled to battle it out in game 3 of the World Series. Then, an hour before the first pitch, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked northern California. There were reported 3,700 injuries, 63 deaths and over $6 billion in damages reported. The series was postponed […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members

Democracy in action

By Todd Nelson — Posted March 24, 2023

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 […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members, Politics

Finding new answers

By Todd Nelson — Posted February 24, 2023

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 […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members, Plants, Wholesale Nurseries

Speaking for the trees

By Todd Nelson — Posted January 30, 2023

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 […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members, Plants

Looking forward with impact

By Todd Nelson — Posted December 27, 2022

The holidays are always a wonderful time. It all starts with Thanksgiving, a time for reflection. We pause our busy lives and take time to experience the power of gratitude. This clears the lens of how we view the world, allowing us to see more fully. With clearer vision, the holidays transition to Christmas, a […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members

The collaborative spirit of Oregon

By Todd Nelson — Posted November 29, 2022

The pioneer spirit is truly the heartbeat of the Oregon nursery industry’s growth. In 1847, Henderson Luelling and his family loaded their wagons with personal possessions — including two wooden boxes filled with a composite mixture of charcoal and rich soil for over 700 grafted tree seeds — and departed west. Reading excerpts from explorer […]

Filed Under: President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN Members

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NURSERY NEWS

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

Eason Horticultural Resources is now employee-owned

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

Building trust is key to establishing clientele base for new nurseries

Five owners share their experiences on what it takes to start a nursery businesses

Bailey hires new CFO and chief HR officer

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

May 2025: Sustainability Issue

April 2025: The Tree Issue

March 2025: The Perennial Issue

February 2025: The Greenhouse Issue

January 2025: The Retail Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

$250,000 shifted to P. austrocedri research

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Sense of excitement prevailed at Farwest as nursery industry ‘Meets the Future’ 

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Hopper Bros. wins Best in Show booth award at 2024 Farwest Show   

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins Judges’ Best in Show at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

Meet the leader: Sam Pohlschneider

OAN honors the industry’s best

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

More member stories

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