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You are here: Home / Archives for Columns / 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 […]

Filed Under: Columns, President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN, OAN Members, Presidents Message, Welcome to Nursery Country

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

Filed Under: Columns, President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Presidents Message

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 […]

Filed Under: Columns, President's Message Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Presidents Message

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 […]

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