Over the past two decades, Oregon’s nursery and greenhouse sales have skyrocketed, climbing from gross sales of $315 million in 1990 to a peak of more than three times that — almost $1 billion — in 2007. Recent years have seen a decline, to $676 million in 2010, largely due to the housing crash and […]
Oregon nursery sales down 9 percent
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During 2010, Oregon nursery and greenhouse growers had less money coming in for the third consecutive year, according to statistics newly released by the USDA-Natural Agricultural Statistics Service, Oregon Field Office. The numbers are added up from a survey that is sent to every nursery and greenhouse grower in the state. For 2010, the results […]
Jobs bill may improve nursery markets
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Leaders with the Oregon Association of Nurseries were among those sitting at the table when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Portland on Tuesday morning. Incoming OAN President Jerry Simnitt, incoming OAN Treasurer Leigh Geschwill and Executive Director Jeff Stone were invited to the exclusive gathering. Vilsack has been on tour promoting the American […]
Slow housing market continues
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If you are a nursery grower and you depend on new home construction for a big chunk of your market, you might want to cover your eyes for this next one. Then again, you probably don’t need to, because you know what we’re about to say. In all-too-familiar news, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) […]
Oregon nursery group reacts to minimum wage hike
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Oregon’s minimum wage will go up by 30 cents per hour at the end of the year, state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced today. The new amount will be $8.80 per hour, starting on Jan. 1, 2012. The hike matches a 3.77 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index since last August, as mandated by […]
Tree prices on the rise?
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Are tree prices about to increase significantly? John Barbour of Bold Spring Nursery in Hawkinsville, Ga., believes the answer is yes. He explains why in this must-read blog post. Short version: it’s all about supply and demand. Nurseries cut their production due to the subprime lending crisis and resulting recession. Now, demand is about to […]
Housing starts decline nationwide in February
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In what may be disappointing news for nursery growers, homebuilders across the United States pulled back from their planned new home production levels during February, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. “Total housing starts declined 22.5 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 479,000 units, the second-slowest pace on record,” the National […]
Growers reporting signs of recovery
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Nursery growers in Oregon are reporting signs of recovery from the sour economy, according to Mateusz Perkowski of the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.). Consumers are more confident, and as a result, retailers are placing their orders earlier in the season. However, there’s still some concern that independent garden centers are understocking their shelves, and missing […]
A positive report from Baltimore
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MANTS, the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, is considered the biggest of the winter nursery industry trade shows. Held in Baltimore each year, it just concluded today. Several Oregon growers were in attendance, along with the OAN itself. One of the growers was Van Essen Nursery Co. of Lebanon, Ore. Sales Manager Ken McVicker posted on […]
Washington businesses challenge minimum wage hike
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We reported back in October that the minimum wage is going up in Oregon and Washington, effective Jan. 1, 2011, according to officials in each state. Not so fast, say business leaders in the Evergreen State. They’ve sued to roll back Washington’s proposed 12-cent minimum wage hike from $8.55 per hour to $8.67 per hour […]