Business – Page 4

Putting a new spinney on an old word

By Mike Darcy — Posted March 24, 2023

Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might say that they are going to “shoot” in a garden, but the word “shoot” in this connotation does not refer to a gun, but instead […]

Blessed to be part of this industry

By Jeff Stone — Posted March 24, 2023

It took my legendary predecessor, Clayton Hannon, to notify me that I now stand as the longest serving executive director in the history of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. I thought this couldn’t possibly be correct, but as it turns out, as normal, Clayton had his facts straight. Over the last 12 years, I have […]

March 2023: Water Outlook 2023

By Peter Szymczak — Posted February 24, 2023

The March 2023 issue of Digger takes a deep dive into the nursery industry’s use of water, the essential input for the propagation and growth of plant material. Columns: Growing Knowledge, an ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the USDA and in partnership with OAN. Download a PDF of this issue. Please […]

High times for low-water plants

By Tracy Ilene Miller — Posted February 24, 2023

Retail garden centers increasingly turn to drought-tolerant varieties that beat the heat The summer of 2015 was a turning point in the Northwest, which suffered the longest heat wave in 75 years. Portland had more days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit than any other year in recorded history up to that time. That year marked a […]

A farmland boom

By Daniel Bigelow — Posted February 24, 2023

Despite soaring interest rates, farmland values in Oregon show no signs of slumping After a record sales year for nursery growers in 2021, the economic outlook for the industry remains mostly positive (McClellan, 2022). One of the main economic issues facing producers is the increasing cost of labor, as general price inflation and a tight […]

Water right transfers

By Steve Shropshire — Posted February 24, 2023

The future of water allocation in Oregon In this year’s water issue of the Digger, you’ve had an opportunity to read about the importance of this vital resource. In recent years, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) has come under intense pressure from the press and Secretary of State’s Audits Division to better manage the […]

Finding new answers

By Todd Nelson — Posted February 24, 2023

Have you ever tried catching an octopus? On the small island of Tonga, octopus is a delicacy. To catch the octopus, local fishers use a lure called a “makafeke.” This lure is simple in design, with only a round stone and a couple large seashells that are fastened to a rope. As the fisher paddles […]

February 2023: Greenhouse Issue ’23

By Peter Szymczak — Posted January 30, 2023

The February 2023 issue of Digger takes a look at the people, products and processes that make Oregon the gold standard of greenhouse production today. Columns: Growing Knowledge, an ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the USDA and in partnership with OAN. Download a PDF of this issue. Please send your comments […]

Low-water lawn alternatives

By Kym Pokorny — Posted January 30, 2023

Miniclover, ecolawn and a variety of groundcovers grow landscapes that are green and drought tolerant Expansive lawns in Europe and the rising popularity of golf in the late 1900s launched America’s obsession with a perfect plot of grass. The invention of the rotary mower and the development of climate-adapted grass varieties made a landscape of […]

Perpetuating the popularity of pollinator plants

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 30, 2023

We are now into the second month of a new year, and a reflection into the past year reminds us just how unpredictable the weather is — and how much the garden business depends upon the weather. Looking back at 2022, there were many weather extremes. Parts of western Oregon had snow in March, then […]