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. […]
Plants on the move: An oasis for the road
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Nurseries provide hospitality for drivers cut off from usual resources The open road has been lonely for truckers in 2020. That’s according to Matt Frederick, operations manager for of K&M Distribution Inc. (Rogue River, Oregon), which serves the nursery industry. When moving a nursery stock shipment in a refrigerated truck, a driver headed to the […]
COVID-19 lessons from plant societies
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In this unprecedented period of a COVID-19 pandemic, several forest fires with lingering air pollution, and a very dry summer that has stressed all our plants, garden centers have also had to make many adjustments to retain their current customer base. On top of that, they also need to attract new customers. Some garden centers […]
Nor Cal trade show canceled due to COVID-19
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The Nor Cal Landscape & Nursery Show, scheduled for February 25, 2021, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show committee met July 16 to discuss how to produce a show that will be safe for all exhibitors and attendees, while the nation continues to grapple with feasible ways to hold large events. […]
Nurseries, COVID-19 and the economy
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Earlier this spring, all signs suggested that the nursery industry might be in for a rough ride. In early March, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 had become a global pandemic. Soon thereafter, states began declaring emergencies, closing schools and limiting large gatherings. Then came the stay-at-home orders and the closure of non-essential businesses, […]
COVID-19 testing site locator goes live
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The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has published a COVID-19 Test Site Finder map to help people find local information about where testing is available, according to a release by the agency. The OHA is partnering with Google, Castlight and local public health authorities to update the site which is available in both English and Spanish. […]
OAN postpones Hawaii convention to 2021
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The Oregon Association of Nurseries has postponed this fall’s planned OAN Annual Convention in Hawaii. The get-together had been planned for November 12–14, 2020 at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui, but with travel to Hawaii uncertain at best due to COVID-19, holding the convention in Hawaii this year was untenable. A one-day virtual version […]
Nurseries report a profitable spring despite pandemic
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The greenhouse and nursery industry continues to predict high profits during the pandemic, according to the latest market snapshot by Northwest Farm Credit Services. In a straw poll, container and B&B growers in the Northwest reported a 12.05% increase in sales in 2020, although most of the gains were reported by the container growers — […]
Seeding the need to garden
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Nothing about the spring 2020 garden season has been ordinary. From March onward, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many facets of the garden industry in ways no one could have predicted. Six months ago, if you had described a scene where shoppers and workers were wearing masks and standing six feet apart, no one would […]
May 2020: Coping with COVID-19
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The COVID-19 pandemic has upended business-to-business relationships and the entire retail marketplace for the green industry. From navigating social distancing requirements on the worksite to offering services to quarantined customers, nurseries and greenhouses explain how they are doing their best in this issue. Plus, researchers describe how mycorrhizae amendments add to plant efficiency, and scientists […]