Digger magazine

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Hired help

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What it takes for nurseries to find the workforce talent they need Working in the nursery industry is not easy. Laborers in the fields endure harsh weather conditions and strenuous work that can test their physical endurance. Drivers spend long hours on the road away from their families. Growers and production staff have to constantly […]

The grassroots of research

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The nursery industry plays an important role funding and vetting beneficial research projects Universities and colleges, in Oregon and elsewhere, don’t merely provide nurseries and greenhouses with well-trained, knowledgeable and conversant employees. They also provide research-proven knowledge and best practices, so growers can produce a better crop and run a more profitable business. These institutions […]

The framework of the future

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Growing minds: Part 2 Industry-funded scholarships provide essential support for tomorrow’s leaders It might not seem like much, but for Justin Schulze, plant breeder for Bailey Innovations, a division of Bailey Nurseries, the money he was able to cobble together through college scholarships was critical to launching his career. “Those scholarships can allow us to […]

The foundation of learning

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Growing minds: Part 1 Oregon’s higher horticulture education programs feed the pipeline of nursery talent When Ryan Contreras, associate professor at Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon, talks to students with an interest in plants and the horticulture program, one point inevitably rises to the top. “I can guarantee you a job in the […]

Feeling the heat

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Greater efficiency in greenhouses can reap big rewards Jay Cushman has been in the nursery and horticulture industry for a long time. Not only did he graduate from Oregon State University with a degree in ornamental horticulture and spend more than 15 years with companies such as Sun Gro Horticulture and McConkey Company, but he’s […]

Cultivating the curious

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How retailers can engage with a flourishing generation of new gardeners As the pandemic gripped the world in early spring 2020, toilet paper, yeast and canning supplies weren’t the only products disappearing off shelves. Plants flew out of many garden centers at an unprecedented, or at least unexpected, pace. All of a sudden, everyone in […]

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

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Growers advise flexibility as they anticipate shortages, substitutions and sustained demand for 2021 In 2020, North American nurseries experienced a rollercoaster ride of escalating dread, stomach-churning twists and unexpected thrills. There was uncertainty in the early spring due to COVID-related shutdowns in the U.S. and Canada, but nurseries were allowed to stay open, resulting in […]

Plants on the move: Freight with uncertainty

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COVID-19 threw nursery shipping for a loop, but things settled and stayed strong Gary “Bert” Bertleson used to have it pretty good in the summer. The head of nursery over-the-road sales for Integrity Logistics, a freight shipping and trucking broker in Wilsonville, Bertleson would regularly take an entire month off in the summer. He was […]

Plants on the move: Making room for safety

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On nursery loading docks, COVID-19 changed everything Uncertainty and panic about the COVID-19 pathogen quickly took hold of shipping companies and nursery loading docks across the United States earlier this year. “It was the third week of March — that Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,” said Matt Frederick, logistic coordinator and operations manager of K&M Distribution Inc. […]