Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

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One industry, one voice

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Welcome to the Advocacy Issue of Digger. We have devoted most of this issue to showing you how the Oregon Association of Nurseries gets involved in policymaking and advocacy on behalf of the members. We wanted to take you “inside” and show you our mindset as well as the process and methods we follow. We […]

The silver linings of COVID-19

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When the pandemic started, it threw our businesses and lives into chaos. It was difficult to follow as scientists continually discovered more about the disease, and we all had to adapt. Social distancing slowed many of our plant production processes, and trips to the grocery store became infrequent. As we come into September and the […]

Augmented reality app allows New Varieties Showcase voting

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Augmented reality is the next best thing to being there — at least where the hottest new plant introductions are concerned. Nursery professionals can view, and vote on, 2020 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase selections using the new HipEngager™ augmented reality feature from showcase sponsor Hip Labels. They simply scan any plant photo from the […]

Growing with the industry: Farwest memories

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Kathy LeCompte My husband Dave and I started Brooks Tree Farm in 1980, so we’re celebrating our 40th year in business this year. Our first year in the show was actually 1982. My mother and father had a booth with Drake’s Crossing Nursery, where I’d grown up on the farm. We developed a really unprofessional sales […]

Building the stems of the next generation

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The Oregon Association of Nurseries and the Oregon Nurseries Foundation congratulate each of these students on their impressive accomplishments thus far and wish them the best of luck as they continue towards building the future of a strong nursery industry. Please join us in congratulating the 2020-21 ONF Scholarship Award Winners. Students were evaluated based […]

Reflections on Farwest

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world’s social and economic norms with shelter-in-place orders and social distancing. Unfortunately, it has also turned the business of large events upside down — including the Farwest Show. That’s why you’re holding a Farwest Edition of Digger without a show to attend this year. Oregon growers define the show The […]

Meet the Leader: Tom Brewer

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HC Companies OAN member since 1991 1991-2010 Greenhouse Chapter 2010-2013 Sunset Chapter 2013-2020 Clackamas Chapter OAN 2013 “Distinguished Member of the Horticultural Allied Trades Industry” Award OAN roles/positions: OAN Board of Directors, 2013–present (current Associate Member representative) Member, Government Relations Committee, 2013–present President, Clackamas Chapter, 2014 Vice chair, Government Relations Committee, 2016–2017 Chairman, Oregon Nurseries’ […]

An important partnership

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In 1888, the Oregon Agriculture College (OAC) established a horticulture department with sights on building a single greenhouse and creating its own laboratories to conduct experiments. In the subsequent 132 years, OAC became Oregon State University (OSU) and the horticulture department has grown. When I graduated from OSU in horticulture 20 years ago, there were […]

America needs our vote

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At a time of national challenge, we can either look at what divides us or what unites us. Our nursery community is a critical ingredient in the great American experiment. We are a blessed and privileged few. America is only as strong as her citizens. Our nation is a cauldron of different perspectives, ideologies and […]