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Darcy added to OSU agricultural Diamond Pioneer Registry

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Oregon-based gardening writer and broadcaster Mike Darcy, who writes a bimonthly column in Digger, has been inducted into the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences Diamond Pioneer Registry. The registry honors living people over the age of 74 who have made significant lifetime contributions to agriculture, natural resources, and either the people of Oregon, […]

May 2023: The Sustainability Issue

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The May 2023 issue of Digger explores the myriad ways the nursery and greenhouse industry of today is implementing sustainable measures and building on the legacy of pioneers in sustainability, such as Mahonia Nursery owner John D. Miller and agricultural inventor Heping Zhu, who developed the technology that would become the Intelligent Spray Control System. […]

Answering nature’s challenges

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On October 17, 1989, the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants assembled to battle it out in game 3 of the World Series. Then, an hour before the first pitch, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked northern California. There were reported 3,700 injuries, 63 deaths and over $6 billion in damages reported. The series was postponed […]

Member Profile: Mahonia Nursery

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Founded: 1983 by John D. Miller Mahonia is a native plant species that plays an important role in Oregon’s ecosystems. These hardy, evergreen shrubs were used extensively by Native American tribes ­— as a food source, as a natural dye for textiles, and as medicine to treat a variety of human aliments, from digestive problems […]

Natives shine on

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Thanks to climate change, sales of drought-tolerant, pollinator-loving native perennials are enjoying their time in the sun Concern for the environment and pollinators is inspiring gardeners to add native plants to their landscape. At the same time, climate change is driving an ongoing increase in demand for heat- and drought-tolerant natives. Sustainable landscaping with native […]

Spraying sustainably

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An intelligent spraying system can help growers reduce pesticide use, save money and better manage their crops Until about six or seven years ago, Hans Nelson and Sons Nursery in Boring, Oregon, would apply standard pesticides to its roughly 150 acres of shade and flowering trees using traditional air-blast sprayers. The sprayers, used throughout the […]

Remixing soil mixes

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More sustainable alternatives to carbon-sequestering peat moss are entering into the planting media equation Amid growing international concerns about the environmental impacts of depleting and permanently damaging peat bogs, a movement is underway to ban or restrict the sale and use of peat moss — a nonrenewable resource that takes thousands of years to form. […]

Fall Creek promotes Amelie Aust to executive board chair

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Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc. has announced the promotion of Amelie Aust to executive chair of the family-owned blueberry breeding and nursery company’s independent board of directors. She has served as the company’s executive vice chair of the board since 2020, formerly served as co-CEO, and is a second-generation owner. Aust succeeds her father, […]

The tribulations of big trees

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Growing bigger trees that will flourish in a changing climate takes a long-game approach For decades, tree-lined streets across the country — largely in the Southeast — would erupt in the bright white blossoms of Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) every spring. Affordable, fast-growing and easily shipped, the trees had become the darlings of landscapers, […]