The New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association (NJNLA) announced New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher as its 2020 Green Industry Advocate of the Year award recipient. According to an announcement, Fisher has promoted and advocated for the green industry through their support of legislation and other initiatives.
“Secretary Fisher works not only for ALL of agriculture, but he especially works tirelessly for the green industry. The Secretary has been instrumental in keeping the green industry open and working during the pandemic,” the statement said. “From advocating for retail garden centers to safely serve the public to providing support and information to the NJNLA, Secretary Fisher's assistance has proven to be invaluable during this time”.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently updated its Plants for Planting manual to include a section on the United States – Canada Nursery Certification Program (NCP), which is a bilateral export certification program for nursery-grown plants shipped between Canada and the continental United States.
The NCP information added to the manual in Chapter 4 covers the inspections at customs, entry requirements, phytosanitary certificate requirements, commodities excluded from the Canadian Nursery Certification Program (CNCP), eligible plants, eligible plant taxa, authorized facilities, regulated pests, specific provincial requirements and instructions for Customs and Border Protection on how to handle CNCP shipments.
NCP uses a systems approach to mitigate pest risk and requirements are applied equivalently in the United States and in Canada.
MANTS attendees were able to search exhibitor profiles via the virtual tradeshow floorplan.
Matt McClellan
MANTS goes virtual; still means business
The trade show took place Jan. 6-8 and included a virtual exhibit hall and educational webinars.
The 51st annual Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show was different than any that preceded it. More than 550 green industry suppliers registered for the MANTS Business Hub, the venerable January trade show’s answer to the virtual exhibition hall. If you registered for the online MANTS Business Hub, it will remain open for 90 days.
More than 1,000 attendees and buying companies registered for the virtual event, which took place Jan. 6-8 and included opportunities to set up business meetings, have casual or serious conversations, or view educational webinars from exhibitors. Of those registered attendees, 94% were final decision-makers or influenced purchasing decisions.
“We’ve got really high-quality buyers on the hub,” said Vanessa Finney, executive vice president of MANTS.
On Jan. 6, Hoffman Nursery presented the first of three “Chat with the Breeder” sessions. John Hoffman spoke to breeder Dave MacKenzie of Hortech about his selection, Andropogon gerardii Karl’s Cousin. MacKenzie says he was traveling along a highway when he caught a glimpse of the big bluestem. It got its name after MacKenzie heard someone say, “It’s the ‘Karl Foerster’ of big bluestem. Karl’s Cousin has a tight, upright habit. Basal foliage begins as green-blue, with stems, leaves and flowers turning shades of purple-blue as the season progresses. With the plume, it grows up to 7 feet tall and resists flopping. It’s hardy in Zones 4-8.
Corbett Falgout of Senninger Irrigation reviewed some irrigation system management tips such as how to select the core components of a system, including pumps, piping, pressure regulators, and sprinklers. Next, he introduced Corey Lambert of Buckhorn Nursery in Zolfo Spring, Florida who explained how Buckhorn has reworked sections of the nursery for improved performance by replacing sprinklers, lowering system pressure, and finding the right mix between overhead irrigation and drippers.
Rosarian Ping Lim provided an update on the True Bloom rose program, available through Altman Plants. Lim and his team are breeding for attributes such as disease and insect resistance, fragrance, hardiness, vigor and ease of propagation. Lim says of the roses in the program, “All of the beauty and none of the drama.” He highlighted the varieties new for this year including Lion King, Tea Time, Tropica and Vigo.
Laura Robles of Walters Gardens explains the improvements in ‘Banana Cream II' during the MANTS new product showcase.
Finney presided over a new product showcase on Jan. 7, in which four panelists presented intriguing new products for the industry. Rick Watson president and manager of The Perennial Farm introduced several plants, including Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’ a deer-resistant cultivar of the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year. Morgan Rider, a co-founder of Thriving Design, showed the C-Bite Garden Clips, which easily snaps to garden stakes to allow gardeners to build their own trellises, cages or other plant supports. J. Holland Jordan, vice president of marketing and business for The Whole Gardener, LLC’s Plant Nutrient Kit, showed the IGC-friendly flagship product, a kit that includes four nutrient products, a recipe book with “recipes” for 200 plants, measuring cups and an applicator. It’s designed to be a total package for the gardener, who can use the recipes and the included nutrients to create a custom fertilizer blend to meet the needs of whatever plant they want to grow. Lastly, Laura Robles, regional product manager at Walters Gardens, introduced several new plants, including ‘Edge of Night,’ the most compact hibiscus in the SUMMERIFIC line and the improved Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream II.’
Arnulfo Hinojosa, vice president with the Federation of Employers & Workers of America, provided an update on H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs during a Jan. 7 informational chat. Webinar attendees were able to ask questions about the program, including predictions for how a new administration will impact the processing of visas.
MANTS also hosted a series of webinars from the Syn-RG group, which consists of five founding nurseries: Prides Corner Farm, Overdevest Nurseries, Willoway Nurseries, Saunders Brothers Nursery and Sheridan Nurseries. On Jan. 7, the Syn-RG group invited Michael Dirr to introduce his new hydrangeas. The three macrophylla species are Froggie, Azure Skies and Rock-N-Roll. Froggie is a mophead type with flowers that emerge green and turn pink. The larger, thicker sepals persist and hold color in heat and drought. Azure Skies flowers from May to June and again in September to October. Rock-N-Roll features a rich saturated pink without aluminum and periwinkle blue with aluminum. It’s highly resistant to mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.
In its second of three “Chat with the Breeder” sessions, John Hoffman met with Piet Oudolf about Panicum virgatum ‘Purple Tears’. Oudolf discovered this switchgrass in Hummelo, Netherlands. He selected it for its narrow, upright habit and the soft-gray flowering spikes and purple seed heads.
The Horticultural Research Institute hosted the tHRIve winter garden party Thursday evening, and emcee Harvey Cotten announced the annual donations to the various funds, including the Paul & Tatum Saunders Research Fund, the Overdevest Nurseries Research Fund and the Oregon Nursery Industry Endowment Fund. The newly established Pleasant View Gardens Scholarship Fund and the Dennis Walters Scholarship Fund were introduced, and Dan and Kathy Batson of GreenForest Nursery established the GreenForest Nursery/Gulf States Fund in honor of their twin grandsons. Brian Decker, president of Decker’s Nursery, challenged his fellow nursery owners to a $1,000 donation match in honor of the nursery’s 100-year anniversary. Several nurseries responded, including Scarff’s Nursery in memory of Peter Scarff and Willoway Nurseries, which multiplied the match by four. In total, HRI received more than $300,000 in donor gifts during the reception.
The new logo and tagline
Emily Bibens Chung, the executive director of Syn-RG, LLC, debuted the new logo and tagline for Handpicked For You in a Jan. 8 webinar. Aside from the reveal, she explained the program, which is a collaboration between growers and IGC retailers to tests and evaluate new plants, with the goal of awarding only the best tested and most trusted new plants the Handpicked for You® trustmark.
“We believe the IGC channel is the best channel to get the best plants to consumers,” she said. “That’s why you will not find the Handpicked For You trustmark at big-box stores.”
Attendees were able to search exhibitor profiles via the virtual tradeshow floorplan, alphabetized exhibitor list, or dive into more specific sections of the Hub to explore featured and new product information, images, and videos. Attendees were also given an allotted number of emails and appointments they could use to reach out and schedule conversations with exhibitors.
When the trade show is able to take place in the Baltimore Convention Center, as it does in a normal year, it’s a sight to behold. For its 50th anniversary in 2020, MANTS had 968 exhibitors and more than 12,000 total registrants (including exhibitors).
After a year of events going virtual, attendees and organizers alike expressed hope that they’ll be able to gather in person again soon.
“The MANTS show is a show that being there and meeting people is what it’s all about,” Rick Watson, said.
MANTS 2022 will take place Jan. 5-7, 2021.
A true plantsman, Matt was highly respected in the floriculture industry for his deep knowledge and being a trusted partner in addition to his unwavering commitment to quality and service.
Photo courtesy of Vaughan’s Horticulture.
Vaughan’s Horticulture announces the passing of Matt Willoughby
Willoughby, 45, was a sales representative for the Carolinas and Tennessee, and a member of the company’s key account team.
Vaughan’s Horticulture has announced the sudden passing of Matt Willoughby, 45, a sales representative for the Carolinas and Tennessee, and a member of the company’s key account team.
A kind and loyal friend to many, Matt grew up in the horticulture industry. As an Alabama native, he learned at an early age by working in his father’s greenhouses and retail garden center. Matt earned his B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. He then worked for leading industry growers like Layman and Hines Horticulture where his responsibilities included sales among other things.
Matt found his true calling as a broker sales representative in 2011 at Henry F. Michell before joining the Vaughan’s Horticulture team in 2018. Along the way, he helped countless customers with his out-of-the-box thinking, created personal connections and built long-lasting friendships.
A true plantsman, Matt was highly respected in the floriculture industry for his deep knowledge and being a trusted partner in addition to his unwavering commitment to quality and service. His passion for horticulture was virtually unmatched and his relationships with breeders, customers and vendors were all built upon his sincere desire to help others.
“Matt will be missed by many in our industry, both in North America and internationally,” said Nathan Lamkey, president of Vaughan’s Horticulture and McHutchison. “His passion for floriculture and ability to build relationships allowed him to quickly establish a reputation for being a creative thinker who loved to develop new opportunities for his customers and vendors. We have already received many personal notes about Matt from customers, coworkers and peers all sharing how they will miss his guidance and friendship.”
Matt leaves behind his loving wife of 19 years, Jennifer, and three children including his son Samuel and his daughters Mason and Connor.
“As we mourn for a life taken too early, we need to focus on the family that Matt has left behind,” said Lamkey. “We have created a GoFundMe page as a platform to raise money for the Willoughbys, and we are asking our industry to help support Matt’s young family by making donations.”
In a press release, Bailey announces the promotion of Shane Brockshus and Alec Charais to the newly-created positions of Chief Operations Officer and Chief Marketing & Product Development Officer, respectively. Marc McCormack will continue leading company-wide sales direction and sales leadership development, now as Chief Sales Officer. Additionally, Ofelia Wegley has joined the Bailey organization as Chief Human Resources Officer.
“We are looking forward to having Shane, Alec, and Ofelia in their new positions, contributing to setting direction for the future of our company,” shares Bailey’s Chief Executive Officer Terri McEnaney. “Shane and Alec have been with Bailey for 20 years and have continually shown themselves as strong leaders who bring creative, thoughtful, and impactful ideas to the table and make them happen. Ofelia joins our company with two decades of experience within and outside the horticulture industry, bringing our human resources team great insight and direction.”
“As we developed long-term strategic plans, it became evident that these positions and individuals were the right fit,” adds McEnaney. “Having the right voices at the table is important for future success, and we are grateful and excited to have Shane, Alec, Ofelia, and Marc share their expertise. They will have a positive impact on the Bailey organization and bring a well-rounded vision of customer advocacy to ensure that our customers continue to be at the forefront of our decision making.”
These new roles are effective immediately, with Brockhus continuing to work at the company’s West Coast facilities for the immediate future before relocating to Bailey’s headquarters
Posted by Chris Manning
