A sense of optimism and excitement prevailed at the 2024 Farwest Show as the exhibitors put their best foot forward, forged new customer connections, and strengthened existing relationships.
“This year’s Farwest Show floor had great energy with over 4,000 in attendance and more than 300 exhibiting companies representing many segments throughout our industry,” said Allan Niemi, director of events for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the show. “The show also experienced 8% more grower exhibit booths and over 15% more grower attendees. We heard many positive comments from exhibitors excited about the leads, sales and connections they achieved during the show.
“Overall, the Farwest Show provided strong value for buyers, sellers and industry professionals looking for innovative ideas, products and services to grow their business.”
“It’s the 51st Farwest show and it’s gone really well,” said longtime exhibitor Chris Robinson, co-owner of wholesale grower Robinson Nursery Inc. (Amity, Oregon). “It’s a good opportunity to network with our neighbors and customers far and wide. This year we had a tree in the new variety showcase and we were blessed that it won Best in Show and Retailers’ Choice Award. But what’s really the most important thing to me is that … we brought 55 people to the Farwest show so it gives an opportunity for all the people that are working hard on our farm year in and year out to come here and learn new things and network with like-minded individuals and come home and make the nursery even better.”
“It’s always a good show. The exposure means a lot to us,” said Kevin Martel, co-owner of Martel’s Nursery Inc.(Salem, Oregon), a wholesale rootstock nursery which has been exhibiting for more than 30 years. “You never know when there’s going to be a customer that just stops in and find what they need from your booth. We like to support the OAN, they do a lot for the industry, so that’s part of it as well.”
“We find it’s important to have a chance to connect with our customers face to face. Lots of time we’re doing business with people across the country and its electronic — phone calls and emails,” said Greg Brice of Alpha Nursery Inc. (Salem, Oregon), a wholesale grower and longtime exhibitor. “It’s important to put a face to the name in this business and thank them for their business in person.”
The show made a special effort to welcome new exhibitors as well as attendees, with floor signs designating first-time exhibitors to encourage attendees to stop by. A star on name badges of first-time attendees made them more visible and encouraged exhibitors to start conversations with them.
Samuel Hoefler of Etera (Forest Grove, Oregon), a Sedum grower and supplier of pre-vegetated tiles for green roof plantings and first-time exhibitor, said they decided to exhibit after attending the show previously. “The show has been great, we’ve met with a lot of people and a lot of people are interested in our product,” Hoefer said. “It’s a good audience and we do a lot of business with landscapers and nurseries as well so it’s good to meet people and put names to faces and try to meet people locally and beyond.”
Angus Junking of Botaniworld (Farmingham, Mass) appreciated the organization of the show and the clear communication he received as a vendor. “It’s an excellent show and very well organized. We’re debuting a unique hand tool for fine gardening and landscaping, and we’ve had a lot of interest and a great crowd here. We’ll definitely be back.”
Teresa Holmes of Mary Lou’s Flower Cart and Greenhouse drove nine hours from Burley, Idaho to attend Farwest for the first time. “It’s been very informative. I love seeing the variety. Bringing all the growers in one spot instead of you having to go out and visit them individually saves time. You try to meet people that can provide you with product and there’s a vast array of products here. We’ve met several people who could become our suppliers.”
The educational component provided by the seminars and nursery tours were also important aspects of Farwest.
“The feedback from attendees at this year’s Farwest Show seminars has been incredibly positive,” said Events and Education Coordinator Jamie Moore. “Participants were enthusiastic about the valuable insights and practical takeaways from each session. As for my own experience, I found this year’s seminars to be both engaging and thought-provoking, showcasing the depth of knowledge and passion within our industry. It was truly rewarding to see such engagement and to be part of an event that drives meaningful conversations and growth.”
Larry Espinoza of Luis Nursery (Visalia, California) participated in the retail nursery tour this year. “We’ve always done private driving tours on our own, nothing organized,” he said. “But this is our first time we came on the retail tour. We’re rebuilding our retail nursery and we’re trying to make it a destination nursery and I saw the different places we were going to visit so it made sense.”
At the first stop, Sebright Gardens, Espanoza was wowed by the demonstration garden. “This is problably the best first stop because I want to make a garden walk. This is exactly what I’m looking for so I can’t wait to get back to start some drawings. The animals here (peacocks and other rare birds) were a big surprise,” he said.
“We buy lots of plants from nurseries in McMinnville, Tennessee and they get their plants from Oregon so we wanted to come and see ourselves and maybe get the plants from the source instead of the middleman,” said Mike Wadlington, owner of Wadlington Nursery & Landscape in Sturgis, Kentucky. It was his first Farwest Show and he and his son, Michael Nash Wadlington, signed up for the grower tour. While Mike was admiring the plant material at their stop at Monrovia, Michael was amazed at the demonstration of drones being used at Monrovia for plant inventory.
“And that’s what Farwest is all about,” said OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone. “It’s all about getting people connected in the industry, getting buyers to come see our products for themselves, see exhibitor booths filled with lush plant material, and see our nurseries. Because of the concentration of our growers, you can travel just a few miles and see several nurseries.”
From the September 2024 issue of Digger magazine | Download PDF of article
