Our September issue of Digger Magazine recaps the just-concluded 2022 Farwest Show, while also discussing the hottest new hydrangeas, the importance of retaining workers, ways you can slash waste and boost profits, and the new integrated pest management (IPM) plan coming out of USDA Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University. Let’s dig in:
Farwest:
- Nursery professionals connect at Farwest: The 2022 Farwest Show, held August 24–26 in Portland, Oregon, helped nursery professionals connect with each other, whether as exhibitors or attendees. A recap, plus scenes from Farwest!
- These 12 products had buyers buzzing at Farwest: See all of this year’s intriguing Retailers’ Choice Awards winners!
- Nightfall Snowbell sweeps top honors in Farwest New Varieties Showcase: See all the winning plants!
- Hopper Bros. booth snares top prize at Farwest: This year’s Ted Van Even booth award winners!
In this issue:
- Hot, hardy hydrangeas: Heat resistant introductions give gardeners the confidence to push forward. By Kym Pokorny.
- Retention is vital — and mentoring is key: These strategies can help employers reduce worker turnover and increase productivity. By Tracy Ilene Miller.
- Lean growers ferret out waste, boost profits: Small margins and lengthy production timelines at nurseries mean that small changes implemented with Lean production techniques can add up to less waste and better margins — while better protecting workers. By Mitch Lies.
Columns:
- President’s Message: Where the lessons are. By Josh Robinson.
- Director’s Desk: Our scholarships grow the future of nurseries. By Jeff Stone.
Growing Knowledge, an ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the USDA and in partnership with OAN.
- An integrated plan of attack: The Northwest Nursery Crop Research Center (part of the USDA- Agricultural Research Service, or USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Center) in Corvallis, Oregon recently funded the creation of the first Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategic Plan for Oregon’s ornamental nursery industry.
Please send your comments on the issue to editor Curt Kipp at ckipp@oan.org.
