President’s Message

What sets Oregon apart

By Josh Robinson — Posted December 20, 2021

The Nursery Country issue of Digger is quite possibly my favorite edition of the magazine each year. We get an in-depth look into the nursery and greenhouse operations that make our members world-class. With COVID-19 still in effect and tours being tough to come by, this issue is the best thing short of a tour […]

With purpose comes passion

By Josh Robinson — Posted November 28, 2021

Fall has arrived and is running its course. The deciduous trees have progressed through their show of fall color and have dropped their leaves. In the plant grower’s world, this turns the page to harvest season. At the mention of the words “harvest season,” a litany of tasks runs through my mind — all associated […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Stop and smell the roses

By Kyle Fessler — Posted June 28, 2021

The annual chaos of spring has slowed down a bit the past few weeks here in Nursery Country. It’s almost a mirror image of the chaos curve we see in the Fessler household each year. Flower season has its big push through Mother’s Day. The weekly yardwork around the house is in full effect at […]

Smart stewardship

By Kyle Fessler — Posted May 27, 2021

It’s tough to think about the future when we’re trying to keep up with solving the problems of the day. This is something we face nearly every spring, when the most important thing is getting plants out the door to our customers. We do, however, need to set aside time to strategically plan for the […]

Knowing what we don’t

By Kyle Fessler — Posted April 21, 2021

Some of the smartest people I know have one thing in common: They know what they don’t know. Years ago, I was fresh out of college and back in the industry, and I didn’t have a clue how much I really didn’t know. I had the opportunity to attend a multi-day conference put on by […]

Brighter days ahead

By Kyle Fessler — Posted March 23, 2021

This past month marked the one-year anniversary of our lives getting flipped upside down by COVID-19. What began as a passing phrase on the news ticker quickly turned into what some expected could be the Great Recession 2.0. Uncertainty became the norm. Expectations changed by the day. We were all in need of direction, and […]