Gardening columnist Carol Savonen’s newest installment in the Salem, Ore. Statesman Journal concerns native plants, and how they can make a garden more attractive and easier to care for at the same time. But there’s an important bit of advice in there: This doesn’t mean that you can just plant them and walk away. “Many […]
OAN legislative agenda
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The Oregon Association of Nurseries announced its federal and state legislative agendas for 2009. On the federal level, the top priority continues to be comprehensive immigration reform, which includes border security, an adjustment of status for workers currently in the United States, and a visa system that is flexible and provides for a future flow […]
Oregonian asks, ‘Is your Christmas tree green?’
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More positive publicity for real, Oregon-grown Christmas trees. In this one, Mark Rohlfs of Santa & Sons talks about the misconceptions some of his customers have, and what the industry is doing to counteract them.
More trees = less CO2
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It may seem like a “well, duh” kind of statement, but word is getting out that planting trees is a sustainable thing to do, according to this article from Salem Monthly/WillametteLive.com. Several eco-minded growers are mentioned in the piece, including Fisher Farms, Yule Tree Farms and Northwoods Nursery.
REAPing the rewards of green energy
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Oregon growers such as Northwoods Nursery (Molalla, Ore.), Harts Nursery (Jefferson, Ore.) and McKenzie Valley Bamboo Nursery (Springfield, Ore.) have already made the commitment to install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects (such as this efficient in-ground heating system) with help from the USDA Rural Energy for America (REAP) grant program. If you would like […]
Conference judged a success
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The recent Sustainability Conference at Chemeketa Community College – which had support from SPROut and the OAN – got some ink.
Chemeketa offers native plant class among winter offerings
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Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., has announced its winter term offerings in horticulture, landscaping and pesticides. Registration begins Dec. 8, and classes run Jan. 5-March 21, 2009. The offerings include a new class titled “Native Plant Propagation and Use.” Others cover plant propagation, greenhouse production/management, woody plant identification, soils/media/nutrition, viticulture, landscape design, landscape irrigation, […]
Compost rule changes are on forum agenda
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Nick Andrews, extension agent at NWREC, wrote (via Robin Rosetta) to tell us about an upcoming forum that will be of interest to nursery growers who do composting: As you know, DEQ is drafting new Rules for Composting Facilities in Oregon that will impact on-farm composting. In response to critical public comments after they released […]
A shout-out to SPROut
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SPROut — the Sustainable Plant Research and Outreach Center — has a brand new Web site up and running, and it’s a beauty, so head on over there and check it out.
Greener by nature
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Registration is still open for the 2008 Sustainability Symposium for the Horticulture Industry, which will be at Chemeketa Community College, Building 34, in Salem (directions). This all-day conference (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) plus trade show is presented by CCC, OAN and the Sustainable Plant Research and Outreach Program (SPROut program), and it offers a packed agenda. […]