Transporting nearly a billion-dollars’ worth of Oregon-grown plant material takes trucks and trains — and lots of them. Droves of railroad cars, dry and refrigerated (refer) vans are needed to move shipments of plants across the state and to faraway places across the continent. Growers ship their plants to market with the help of transportation […]
November 2017 – The Transportation Issue
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Just as with water to grow crops and labor to transform them, there can be no nursery industry without transportation to deliver products to paying customers. In this special issue, we explore the facets of transportation that can make or break your bottom line. In this issue: Paving the way to market: Nurseries depend on a […]
Preparing the load for shipment
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The majority of wholesale growers in the United States sell a variety of types of material in a variety of sizes and formats. In terms of shipping the material, that presents challenges, but each nursery is different. While all growers must pay attention to the cost and availability of freight, as well as the labor […]
Paving the way to market
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The U.S. nursery industry is responsible for shipping nearly $14 billion worth of products every year, including nearly $1 billion from Oregon alone, according to the most recent USDA Census of Horticultural Specialties. Whether these plants, trees and shrubs are destined to live for a season or a century, they must make their way along […]
Potholes on the road to recovery
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A failing transportation system could be a roadblock to economic recovery for the nursery and greenhouse industry.
Obama dispatches labor secretary to resolve port labor dispute
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President Barack Obama is sending his labor secretary to California to meet with both sides in a contract dispute that has affected the flow of goods from Asia into West Coast ports. Secretary Tom Perez’s mission is to meet with the parties — the International Longshore and Warehouse Union on one side, the Pacific Maritime […]
Ag groups urge an end to West Coast port labor dispute
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Oregon agriculture and forest products groups have written a letter urging the state’s congressional delegation to help bring an end to a long-running labor dispute affecting 29 West Coast ports, including the Port of Portland.
Judge sides with growers in ‘hot goods’ issue
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A federal judge has confirmed an earlier ruling that two Oregon blueberry farmers were coerced into signing a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor over alleged labor law violations. According to the ruling, the farmers had little choice but to sign the agreements, because the department had impounded “hot goods.” Without an immediate settlement, […]
Travel firm organizing nursery tour of Brazil
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CORRECTION: Initially this post listed the incorrect year for the tour. The tour will be taking place Oct. 19–28, 2014. We apologize for any inconvenience. Anglatin Travel Ltd. is organizing a guided and hosted tour of Brazil for nursery professionals this coming October. The group will visit nurseries, botanical gardens, flower markets, greenhouses, rain forests, […]
Website educates public on invasive pest threats
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Although the agriculture community is well aware of invasive pests and pathogens — including the emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, the giant African snail, the citrus psyllid, the Asian longhorned beetle and many others — agriculture cannot fight them alone. These pests can be transported unwittingly by the general public; therefore, public awareness is needed to […]