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Lessons of the pandemic

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Every business sector has had to adapt to the pandemic. The various trade associations representing these sectors also had to navigate the same challenging environment, but they had a double responsibility. They had to steer their industry through the pandemic, as well. Nurseries did fairly well after an uncertain start to the pandemic. Other economic […]

April 2021 – The Greenhouse Issue

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From selling arrangements in high quality containers and keeping customers coming back, to discovering the latest technology for efficient greenhouse heating, the annual Greenhouse Issue has the best tips for you. We also meet the people who grew Spring Creek Gardens from a small fruit stand, to a big box store wholesale grower. This issue […]

Spring Creek Gardens Inc.

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Founded: 1984 by Brent and Becky Skiles Production: 100% Greenhouse Known for: High quality, wholesale bedding plants, vegetables, herbs, containers, and baskets, grown with an environmental ethic OAN member since 1995 Key personnel: Brent and Becky Skiles, owners; Renee Phelps, chief operating officer; Zach Phelps, transportation and projects manager; Jen Skiles, finance and human relations […]

Brighter days ahead

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This past month marked the one-year anniversary of our lives getting flipped upside down by COVID-19. What began as a passing phrase on the news ticker quickly turned into what some expected could be the Great Recession 2.0. Uncertainty became the norm. Expectations changed by the day. We were all in need of direction, and […]

Flowering cherry trees then and now

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Flowering cherry trees remain popular, from old mainstays to new selections, with more on the way It’s March, and soon showy displays of Japanese flowering cherry trees will trumpet their annual announcement that spring has arrived. Thus, consumers will be prompted to head to garden centers with hopes of adding the ephemeral beauty of these […]

Meet the Leader: Ben Verhoeven

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PresidentPeoria Gardens Inc.OAN member since 2012 OAN roles/positions:• OAN Board of Directors Executive Committee – member at large Tell us about yourself As a second-generation nursery owner, I grew up on a farm my father, Tom Verhoeven, started in 1983. My first job was filling flats for pocket change. Agriculture was just one my interests […]

Making every step count

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Every family has traditions. In the Fessler family, we have one time-honored tradition that dates back long before my time. Each winter — typically on a cold, wet winter Saturday — our extended family gathers in Grandpa’s shop to make sausage. It’s taken decades of practice, but the process has evolved over the years into […]

Going halfway to understand the new buyer

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In the nursery and greenhouse industry, we have always had to follow and understand consumer trends. Otherwise, we will never be able to build business models capable of enduring countless shifts in behavior. The changes in preferences and mores also influence a government that is tone deaf at times, more concerned with shaping behavior than […]

Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace postponed due to winter storm damage

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Organizers have made the decision to postpone the Nursery Guide LIVE virtual marketplace due to widespread power outages and winter storm damage. The show now will take place four weeks later, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 17–18, 2021 at www.NurseryGuideLive.com. It originally had been scheduled for February 17–18, but this was before an ice storm […]