HILA Update: Dan Batson of GreenForest Nursery

Last summer we applauded Dan Batson, owner of GreenForest Nursery in Perkinton, Miss., for his many contributions to the nursery industry.

We recognized his help in getting a USDA research laboratory – the Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Laboratory in Poplarville, Miss. – established in 2005.

But Batson seems to be even busier since receiving his Horticultural Industries Leadership Award from the GIE Media Horticultural Group. His current charge is attempting to raise $100,000 for nursery research and adding 40 acres of container production to his current 140-acre production facility.

He’s the current president of the Horticultural Research Institute, an organization that funds scholarships and research projects across the country. In honor of HRI’s 50th anniversary, Batson launched the GreenForest Gulf States Endowment. His goal is to raise $50,000 in donations from industry members and he will match these donoations, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000.

“We’re hoping to get more people connected to HRI. We need more participation, particularly in the South,” Batson said. “Once they learn more about HRI, hopefully they will continue to support it.”

Yes, expansion.

Hearing of major nursery expansion projects is rare in today’s market. But that’s exactly what GreenForest is planning. The company will add 40 acres of container production during the next 5 years.

The project is designed to produce more shrubs to go along with the company’s traditional line of container trees.

“It’s more of a complementary production that we’re expanding on. We’re seeing the market change with our customers wanting to get everything at one place. So we’re expanding our lines into [1- and 3-gallon containers] for our landscape customers so they can get everything at one time,” Batson said. “We basically have been a tree or large container grower. We start at 15s and go up to 30s, 45s and 65s. So we’re going down instead of up.

“We’re hoping that [producing in smaller containers] will be easier. There are some definite challenges with larger containers – standing up pots, production time, and that kind of thing. But we know there are challenges to the other shrub lines.”

If you work with someone who has shown outstanding leadership qualities at the business or in the community/industry, and would like to nominate him or her, please e-mail your choice with a brief testimonial about the person to editor Kelli Rodda at krodda@gie.net.