OAN Willamette Chapter raises $7,800 for horticulture education

The OAN Willamette Chapter Plant Sale raised $7,800 at its annual plant sale, held in early May as part of the Oregon AgFest at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

Proceeds go to four participating event partners: the Gervais High School Future Farmers of America (FFA), the McKay High School (Salem) FFA, the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation School Garden Program, and the Chemeketa Community College Horticultural Program.

Plants were donated by several nurseries and augmented by 30 annual flowering baskets grown by Chemeketa horticulture students. At least three students were in the booth at all times and were paired by volunteer sales staff, to learn firsthand about the plants, their growth habits and their exposure, as well as proper sales and customer service practices. Meanwhile, FFA students were there to deliver plants curbside and help customers load their purchases.

A special thank you from the Willamette Chapter goes out to the plant donors: Alpha Nursery Inc., AF Nursery LLC, A & R Spada Farms LLC, Bailey Nurseries Inc., Heritage Seedlings & Liners Inc., Holden Wholesale Growers Inc., Kraemer’s Nurseries Inc., McKinnon Nursery, Schreiner’s Gardens, Scheidler Family Nursery Inc., St. Christopher Nursery LLC, T.K. Nursery LLC, Van’s Nursery Inc., Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas Inc., and Youngblood Nursery Inc.

The event was also made possible with the help of booth volunteers Bruce Colman, Robert Van Klaveren, Kyle Fessler, David Malcolm, Joy Bierley, Brenda Knobloch, Kathi Ray, James Fisher, Gary Caswell, and co-chairs Val and Joanne Tancredi. In terms of extra help, Alpha Nursery Inc. acted as a drop site, Van’s Nursery Inc. and St. Christopher Nursery LLC provided trucking help, and Holden provided hand trucks and wagons for the event.