AmericanHort Connect December 2019

An AmericanHort Member Benefit

2019:December

A KNOWLEDGE RESOURCE FOR OUR INDUSTRY

IN THIS ISSUE

Year in Review AmericanHort is proud to look back and celebrate the accomplishments of 2019— and we look forward to 2020 and all of the ways we will help our members perform better, grow faster, and prepare for the future.

FEATURES

HRI & ADVOCACY UPDATES

The Battle for Boxwood Health

2

Tips for a Successful Training Program

4

Building Horti-‘Culture’ is a Labor of Love

6

HRI Sets New Strategic Research Focus

UPCOMING EVENTS The Quarterly Advocacy Brief IV 15 8

Advocacy Year-inReview 10

Cultivate’20 15

BOXWOOD BLIGHT © Yonghao Li, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

The Battle for Boxwood Health What shrub can compare with boxwood?

Everything was going great until…

Boxwoods were introduced to the US during colonial times, brought from Europe, but have a much more storied history.

Boxwoods have been used in cultivated landscapes for thousands of years. The American Boxwood Society cites that ancient Egyptians even planted boxwoods as decorative plants as early as 4000 BC and call it “man’s oldest garden ornamental.”

In 2011, boxwood blight came to the US. To be fair, the disease was likely present in the US for years. When the ideal weather conditions materialized—it just happened to be an active hurricane season—boxwood blight reared its ugly head in North Carolina and Connecticut. Since then, this disease has been confirmed in 28 states and has rocked boxwood production and maintenance in the landscape.

It’s not hard to see why; this is one versatile plant. They are used in both formal and informal settings, hedges, topiaries, screens, and even bonsai. Boxwoods are native to North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia and include over 90 species and hundreds of cultivars worldwide. They thrive in numerous climates and range from 1’ to 20’ tall. In general, they are slow-growing with glossy leaves, but some varieties have variegated leaves.

Boxwood blight on the right (white) and Volutella blight on the left (pink). © David L. Clement, University of Maryland 2 | AmericanHort.org

States in the US where boxwood blight has been reported. © Michigan State University Extension

Boxwoods are the number one broadleaf evergreen shrub in the US, valued at over $126 million according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Prized attributes such as deer resistance and being evergreen year-round help ensure its popularity among consumers, but boxwood blight has created a few impediments in production and landscape management. So, the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the

AmericanHort foundation, became involved to help preserve this important piece of the industry.

HRI established an initiative dedicated to boxwood research in 2012. The primary focus at the time was to help identify crop protection tools to quickly mitigate damage, but boxwood blight raged on. At the request and support of the industry, the initiative was expanded in 2018. At that time, HRI trustees directed funds to be set aside to conduct boxwood variety evaluations. Additional support was received from three state associations: Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association; Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association; and West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association.

HRI is using the re-established Boxwood Fund to help develop a standardized testing protocol to gauge cultivar tolerance.

Previous research has shown potential variability among results. For example, a variety may show high tolerance in one site but moderate tolerance at another site.

Ultimately, HRI hopes to endorse a labeling system indicating a variety’s tolerance level to guide better choices by nursery growers, retail customers, and landscape managers.

Dr. Jim LaMondia from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station began some of the cultivar testing in summer 2018; this research continues today. HRI has supported additional resources to be directed from the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative, administered by USDA ARS, for additional cultivar testing to be conducted by Dr. Marc Cubeta, North Carolina State University, and for surveys of nursery production in the PNW led by Dr. Jerry Weiland, USDA ARS. Updates will be coming soon.

What’s next?

In September, HRI hosted a webinar for eight researchers to provide quick updates.

The webinar was full of useful information and served to start a conversation about the need to update current best management practices (BMP’s). HRI will next work to develop BMP’s tailored towards landscape management and closely evaluate the current production BMP’s. The current BMP’s were developed with input from industry, the research community, and the National Plant Board.

HRI is invested in helping the industry understand the complex nature of boxwood health. To aid growers, we’re partnering with the Oregon Association of Nurseries to host a one-day workshop in February 2020.

The workshop will emphasize scouting, management practices, include updates on the cultivar testing research, insights from the production community, and a regulatory perspective. Visit HRIResearch.org for details.

HRI proudly supports scientific research and students for the advancement of the environmental horticultural industry. HRI was established by industry leaders on the premise that no one could better direct needed research to advance horticulture than the very people who work in it, day in and day out.

Dr. Jill Calabro Research and Science Director, AmericanHort JillC@AmericanHort.org

g in iv G f o n o s a e S e th is T There is no better time of year to show your passion and support of the horticulture industry. Contributions to the Horticultural Research Institute go towards funding important research and scholarships that help move our industry forward.

Text HRI2019 to 44321 and

! y a d o T e t a n o D

2019:December | 3

TRAINING

We all acknowledge the importance of training employees. Training can increase retention rates, employee efficiency, and profits all while decreasing costs. But that doesn’t mean that building a successful training program is an easy task.

A common mistake that businesses make is creating trainings that don’t set their new employee up for long-term success. Training needs to be so much more than just giving the new employee the handbook, touring the facility, and introducing them to the people they will be shadowing – building a successful training program starts long before any of your new employees arrive.

It is vitally important to have a training plan in place, have all documents collected and reviewed, and have existing staff briefed and on board before any training can begin.

For most employers in the horticulture industry, winter is the best time to sit back and take a hard look at your training programs before your seasonal employees arrive in the spring. Here are our top tips to keep in mind while you are building and revising your training programs this winter.

Figure out what your training needs are before you plan anything.

It sounds simple enough, but figuring out what your needs are before you start creating a training program is a crucial step. Start out with a list of each task the employee will be expected to perform and then determine the training, documents, and materials that they will need to learn their job. Laying out all of your needs ahead of time will let you more easily develop the training that each task will require.

4 | AmericanHort.org

Emphasize the Whys.

Traditional training focuses on how to accomplish a task—with good reason— there is no point in a training program that doesn’t teach your employees how to do their new jobs. However, it is almost as important to focus on why that task is important. Most employees want to know that what they are doing has an impact. They feel more satisfaction in their job if they know what they are doing is important—they won’t be as invested in a job that feels inconsequential.

Let’s use watering as an example. Training seasonal employees on how to water is always a surprisingly difficult task— especially if they have no prior experience with horticulture. This is because watering is a deceitfully challenging job. However, starting off by explaining “Why watering is difficult” and “Why excessive or insufficient water is bad” can go a long way towards your employees understanding and being more careful with how they water.

Plan for beyond the first few days.

This is one of the most common steps skipped when creating a training program— but it is key to making sure that your employees are happy as well as letting you continue to improve your training program.

After your new employees have completed their training, make sure to set up time to

EE OS K&

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Tips for a Successful Training Program

Say you are hiring on for a dock position.

Do you have someone that has been working in your warehouse for the past 10 years? Longer? These people are extremely valuable resources as your put together new training programs or revise your old. Before your even begin to work on the training plan, meet with those employees and ask them questions. Ask them what they wish they knew when they started. Ask them what training strategies that they have seen work the best over the years. Not only will this help you create a better training program, but your existing employees will also be more invested in the program once it rolls out since they were part of the creation—which in turn will make the program more successful in the long-run.

G

FI

Learn from your experienced staff.

Seek & Find !

In each issue, we’ll be “hiding” a new small graphic. When you find it, email us at ConnectSeekAndFind@AmericanHort.org, and tell us where you found it.

(For example, “bottom left corner of page 5.”)

When you respond by the 1st of the month after the publication is issued, you’ll be entered into a drawing for an AmericanHort super prize pack.

For this November/December issue, respond by January 1.

Congratulations

Congratulations to the following AmericanHort member who found September/ October’s icon in our Seek & Find and are winners of our drawing for AmericanHort swag!

Jane Riffle Ball Tagawa Growers, Arroyo Grande, CA

check in with them. In fact, it’s a good idea to check in with them multiple times both during and after training. During these meetings, talk about what is going well, give them constructive feedback, and ask if there is anything that will make the training program better. Making sure that your training programs have room to continue to grow and change is how to keep your training program successful in the long run.

Katie Gustafson Marketing Communication Specialist, AmericanHort KatieG@AmericanHort.org

2019:December | 5

HORTI‘CULTURE’ There are a number of alternative compensation options and customizable plans to evaluate for each business, including: •

Deferred Compensation Tactics: used as an incentive plan; awarded to officers, key managers, key employees • Cash-based deferred compensation • Phantom stock plans • Stock appreciation rights

•

Qualified Retirement Plan Options: motivates and rewards employees; tax deferment tactic

outsourcing team. “There’s a real impact happening here—providing new options to tackle age-old business challenges: rewarding key employees for better retention, optimizing cash flow for greater flexibility, increasing the value of the company through higher performance, and attracting top talent with a competitive advantage.”

AmericanHort has entered into an agreement with K·Coe Isom to provide services to our members. To evaluate which non-monetary compensation options would be beneficial for your business, contact MemberServices@AmericanHort.org.

An expert advisor can lead you through the process, provide in-depth financial analysis and assessment, and help with implementation and employee education.

2019 :Dec

Building Horti-‘Culture’ is a Labor of Love According to a 2015 USDA study, nearly 58,000 jobs become available each year in agriculture-related fields, but only 61 percent are filled by qualified graduates. North Carolina State University’s associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, John Dole, has stated that the University has more employers calling them than they have students to fill the jobs.

While a tight labor market in the green industry isn’t exactly new news, what is making headlines is the necessity for businesses to come up with creative strategies to address the ultimate drawback of this labor shortage: the poaching of key employees by competitors.

Let’s face it, establishing a winning, healthy culture that your employees love takes continuous effort and investment, and the employee reward and incentive programs are often the first things to face cutbacks.

For some businesses, the traditional retention methods of performance goals and reward systems can deplete cash needed for debt commitments and survival.

For others, freeing up cash flow can help invest into an expansion, transition, or major technology or equipment upgrade.

Whatever the reason, companies are looking for ways to manage and increase cash flow flexibility, without taking a hit to employee salaries, incentives, and employee morale and retention.

6 | AmericanHort.org

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) An advisor can help to assess the advantages and disadvantages, applicability, timing, and tax strategy that will best meet a company’s objectives.

“These incentives are changing the way HR departments are handling employee compensation structure,” says Danielle McCormick, partner for K·Coe Isom’s HR

ember

An Ame

A KNOW

Don’t forget to pass along your Connect Issue!

IN TH IS

LEDGE

RESOU

ricanHort

Many companies have started to evaluate the use of incentive compensation—that is, the portion of an employee’s salary that is related to performance, but not necessarily rewarded in money. These alternative compensation incentives provide the value that rewards select employees and maintains high performance levels, without the need for a cash payout.

Benefit

RCE FO R OUR INDUS

Year in Review ISSU

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Americ anHort is proud celebra to te and we the accomplis look back and hment look forw s of 201 ways we ard to 9— 202 will help better, our mem 0 and all of the gro bers per prepare w faster, and form for the future.

FEATUR ES The Batt le Boxwood for Health Tips for a Training Successful Program Building Horti-‘Cu is a Labo r of Love lture’

2 4 6

HRI & ADV UPDATE OCACY S HRI Sets New Stra Research tegic Focus Advocac y Year-inReview

8 10

UPCOM ING EVE NTS The Qua rterly Adv Brief IV ocacy Cultivate 15 ’20 15

New Compensation Methods to Incentivize Employees and Create Cash Flow Flexibility There are new ways to establish or maintain a competitive advantage, but without the drain on precious cash flow often disbursed in the traditional forms of bonuses, spot awards, and profit-sharing funds.

Member

We Made an Impact on Washington This September, AmericanHort took your issues to the Hill during the 2019 Impact Washington Summit. The Summit was a resounding success with 108 attendees from 26 states, over 90 hours spent face-to-face with lawmakers, and 5 powerhouse speakers like US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Andrew Garza.

Thank you to all who attended!

2019:December | 7

TRY

HRI UPDATE

Priorities for a Thriving Industry HRI Sets New Strategic Research Focus

By J. James Owen, Jr., Virginia Tech; Anthony LeBude, North Carolina State University; Jill Calabro, HRI; Jennifer Boldt, USDA-ARS; Jennifer Gray, HRI; and James Altland, USDA-ARS

Horticulture is a key player in specialty crops and agriculture as a whole. In fact, our industry generates one third of not only all specialty crop revenue, but its workforce.

Yet, our industry receives only 12% of federal funds earmarked for specialty crops from USDA Agricultural Research Service and USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) recognized this disparity and sought a means to bring federal funding levels more in line with our economic contributions.

HRI realized the industry lacked a unified, strategic vision of research needs to provide a roadmap for future priorities that can be used to better leverage federal funds while, at the same time, guide its own research funding decisions.

With these goals in mind, HRI set to work. The result was a professionally moderated, two-day stakeholder meeting, where attendees shared their collective understanding of industry challenges, trends, and opportunities. Delegates representing all segments of horticulture and regions of the country gathered for a face-toface summit to listen, learn, and share their insights with each other. Participants were encouraged to expand their reach by engaging in conversations with their peers in advance of the meeting to widen their perspectives. During the summit, the moderator led the group through a series of discussions that culminated in a consensus on four, key research priorities.

Through these efforts, HRI identified research priorities to tackle the challenges, capitalize on the trends and opportunities, better direct our research investments, and leverage federal funding.

Quantifying Plant Benefits Research that quantifies and validates the benefits of plants on ecosystems, on 8 | AmericanHort.org

human health, and on society creates value propositions that boosts sales of horticultural products and services and increases interest in horticultural careers.

Our industry benefits when society understands how plants contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and their ecosystems, as well as the resources plants produce that are often overlooked or taken for granted. New research regarding plant benefits needs to be aligned with industry priorities to maintain environmental horticulture at the forefront of providing sustainable green solutions for the world.

Creating Innovative Solutions Research that creates or adapts biological, mechanical, and technological systems making practices and processes more efficient and productive assists horticultural businesses of all segments and sizes to increase profits.

Our industry continually needs improved systems to produce new or improved crops with less labor, water, nutrients, time, and/or pesticides in a safe work environment while adding value to quality plants that thrive during shipping, marketing, and consumer use. Whether in the supply chain, current inventory, or on the road to end-users, crops and inputs need to be traced, evaluated, ordered, managed and/or improved upon to provide cost effective solutions for producers to integrate into existing production practices. This would include (but not be limited to) advances in plant breeding, crop production and protection, software, automation, mechanization, and logistics. Recognizing and addressing barriers to adoption will be crucial.

Gathering Consumer Insights

to improve sustainability and profitability.

Research that evaluates consumer behavior, consumer preferences, and consumer trends empowers horticultural businesses to optimize products and services and leads to industry-wide profitability and growth.

Disruptive, ongoing, emergent issues that challenge short-term profitability and success of environmental horticulture will continue to rise. Therefore, providing solutions to these challenges must remain a research priority for funding agencies.

Consumers are responsible for the health and prosperity of our industry. Therefore, producers need to understand ongoing changes in consumer demographics and behaviors. Examples include emerging market preferences, relative purchasing power, and general gardening confidence.

Markets, consumers, and the products they desire interact and change over time. To adapt, industry producers need information that considers all this, yet is easily understandable and crafted for various segments of the industry. Research on consumer preferences, attitudes, needs, motivations, and purchasing behaviors for our industry’s products and services will help companies make better business decisions by capturing what consumers want.

Producing Practical and Actionable Solutions

HRI has adopted these four key research priorities and will use them to guide future HRI funding and leveraging decisions.

For more information, look for the Research Roadmap Executive Summary at HRIResearch.org HRI, the AmericanHort foundation, supports scientific research and students for the advancement of the environmental horticulture industry. HRI was established by industry leaders on the premise that no one could better direct needed research to advance environmental horticulture than the very people who work in it. We adhere to that same vision today: we fund and guide environmental horticulture research efforts with direct input from industry professionals.

It is the strong foundation upon which to build the industry.

Research that tackles ongoing and emergent industry challenges in production, resource management, or pest and disease management provides practical and actionable advice for horticultural businesses

Landscape Operations INDUSTRY TOUR

That’s a Wrap!

Thank you to those who joined us for the Landscape Operations Tour!

Attendees toured 7 world-class companies while networking with industry peers and learning strategies around sustainability, management, and operations.

2019:December | 9

FROM THE HILL

A D V O C A C Y U P DAT E

Year-in-Review: Advocacy A good friend often says, “It’s okay to look back, just don’t stare.”

With that advice in mind, here’s a brief review of progress on key 2019 advocacy priorities for AmericanHort.

First and foremost, it takes a team. We have five dedicated professionals—Tal Coley, Jill Calabro, Jennifer Gray, Tristan Daedalus, and myself—shepherding our advocacy and research priorities forward, each and every day. And, we have aligned key outside legal and strategy resources to augment the strengths of our team. No other horticulture industry association makes this level of investment in advocacy. Our leaders highly prioritize advocacy among the many things AmericanHort does to unite, connect, and advance the industry.

As 2019 arrived, we announced our top advocacy priority areas: Workforce, Transportation and Logistics, Plant Health and Trade, Tools and Inputs, and Research.

There is news on each of these fronts.

Workforce The year started in outright crisis for landscape businesses relying on the H-2B visa program to staff up for spring. Minutes into the new year, the Labor Department’s electronic portal for employer applications crashed under unprecedented demand for too few visas. After many rough and anxious weeks, better news came in May. The Homeland Security secretary ultimately used Congressional authorization to release 30,000 additional visas. Though late for many, these extra visas helped avert disaster.

We are now in a full court press to secure additional visas for the 2020 season.

We are also working hard to secure labor reforms for our growers. After months of negotiation, in which AmericanHort was directly involved, we now have a bipartisan House bill known as the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. While not perfect, the bill is a significant improvement over 10 | AmericanHort.org

the status quo. We will seek to improve it further if and as the legislative process advances.

We provided extensive comments on this summer’s regulatory proposal to improve the H-2A program. Hope springs eternal that the Trump administration will heed these comments and issue an improved final rule within a few months.

Beyond visa policy, AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) continue to contribute time and resources to several initiatives intended to draw young folks into horticulture as a profession.

Transportation Tal Coley has been doing great work in this space. We successfully applied pressure on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to address the opaque “agricultural commodity” definition while also getting bills introduced in both the House and Senate to fix the problem. If successful, the inclusion of horticulture in the agricultural commodity definition will allow for additional driving time as well as favorably position the industry for future regulatory efforts concerning our nation’s highways. Our progress was achieved through old-fashioned lobbying and significant grassroots pressure from our members.

“No other horticulture industry association makes this level of investment in advocacy. Our leaders highly prioritize advocacy among the many things AmericanHort does to unite, connect, and advance the industry.”

Plant Health and Trade AmericanHort exerts significant effort to keep the horticultural marketplace as fair, level, and functional as possible. On a “good news” high note, the eradication of plum pox virus, which attacks Prunus spp., from the US, was announced recently. Less uplifting, it was a tough year for boxwood blight, with numerous incidents of this threat moving on interstate shipments of boxwood. Jill Calabro and HRI are bringing leadership to a review and potential strengthening of the “best practices” developed to mitigate the threat.

We continue to make progress on several plant health-related certification pilot programs. The transition to the new USCanada Greenhouse Plant Certification Program is well underway, with a deadline one year from now. Phase Two of the Systems Approach to Nursery Certification is proceeding according to plan. And, the offshore cuttings pilot certification has been completed. We expect that program to become fully operational soon, expediting the entry of many of the roughly 2 billion annual and perennial cuttings imported each year for our growers to produce finished plants.

Tools and Inputs Crop protection is critical to producing and maintaining healthy plants and landscapes.

Our role in supporting growers’ and landscape managers’ access to the tools involves both offense (like supporting increased funding for the IR-4 program to develop data to support registration of new and reduced-risk tools) and defense (such as the glyphosate webinar we offered to provide the latest insights into the regulatory status and safety of this widelyused herbicide).

Research Research isn’t an end unto itself, but a means to solving some of our toughest challenges. We are working to fix a “matching funds” glitch that Congress made when it passed a new Farm Bill last December. This glitch affects the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, which has become a critically important research funding source for our industry.

On the proactive side, HRI held a strategic meeting last December to identify research priorities to tackle challenges, capitalize on trends and opportunities, better direct our research investments, and leverage federal funding. Four areas of strategic focus rose to the top: •

Quantifying Plant Benefits

•

Creating Innovative Solutions

•

Gathering Consumer Insights

•

Producing Practical and Actionable Solutions

Finally, building on all this progress, we had an enormously successful Impact Washington legislative summit in September.

With keynoters like Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, hundreds of Congressional visits, and a very successful inaugural AmericanHort PlantPAC dinner, the summit helped to solidify gains and build crucial relationships for future success.

Watch for details on our 2020 priorities shortly. Thank you for your continued investment of time and resources in AmericanHort advocacy.

Craig Regelbrugge Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Research, AmericanHort CraigR@AmericanHort.org

2019:December | 11

HORT SCHOLARS

EDUCATION

AmericanHort Education.

We help you perform better.

Holly VanKeuren, 2017 HortScholar Alumni

We’re committed to helping you— and the entire industry—

Thrive !

Garden Shop Coordinator at Kingwood Center Gardens

You know plants. We know business.

Keeping your books in the green is crucial to your success, and AmericanHort has the tools to help you.

We believe best practices are key to survival and enable you to perform better on a daily basis. We’re committed to finding the best practices throughout the industry and sharing them with you. Then we connect you with the additional information you need to drive your business forward and grow faster. Ultimately, both of these things help you prepare for the future, ensuring both your business and the industry will thrive for generations to come.

The more you know, the stronger you’ll grow.

Welco me, Holly Scoggins!

We are pleased to announce that Holly Scoggins has joined the AmericanHort team as Director of Educational Programming. Holly has her Ph.D. in Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University and has been a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech since 1999.

Holly will be based out of Blacksburg, VA. She will be combining her expertise with Meagan Nace to help us grow the capacity of the AmericanHort Education Team.

Holly has deep experience in areas that include undergraduate and graduate education, research, and extension/ outreach. She has led research and education programs in a variety of industry areas that include: •

Ornamental plant production, plant propagation, greenhouse management, and marketing

•

Pollinator plant evaluation and landscape use

•

Cut flower production

•

Hops cultivar selection and production

•

Hydroponic systems

•

Public gardens administration

12 | AmericanHort.org

As you might expect, Holly has a long list of published articles, books, and book chapters across the field of horticulture. She is also a frequent presenter to industry, grower, and gardening groups and is President-elect of the Perennial Plant Association.

You can contact Holly at (614) 884-1143 and HollyS@AmericanHort.org.

Job Responsibilities:

“I have many responsibilities at Kingwood— starting with sales, merchandising, watering, plant production, ordering hard goods for sales, coordinating workshops, and so much more!”

Proudest Accomplishments:

“My proudest accomplishment was when I graduated from the Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute with honors.”

How did the HortScholars Program impact your future?

The HortScholars was an amazing opportunity to learn from interesting professionals working in the Horticulture Industry. It provided opportunities to meet and network with new people, it created lasting friendships with other HortScholars, and it gave me a chance to experience Cultivate in a whole new way. I am very grateful to have been chosen for the experience and recommend it to other students able to apply for the opportunity.

Thanks!”

Hobbies:

“I love swimming, hiking, gardening, photography, travel, and sewing—just to name a few.”

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Join Us! July 11–14, 2020 Columbus, OH

Learn more at AmericanHort.org/Cultivate

2019:December | 13

KEY DAT ES

About AmericanHort

WITH US

Let ’s Get Connected !

We want to get to know you better.

Help us do so by joining us on Social Media—our way of connecting with our members and community.

@AmericanHort

@American_Hort

@YourAmericanHort

@AmericanHort

AmericanHort is the national association of horticulture businesses and professionals across the spectrum of the industry. Without you there is no us, so AmericanHort undertakes the critical task of protecting, preserving, and promoting the national horticulture industry so that people like you can do what you love in an industry that thrives.

Perform better, grow stronger, and prepare for the future as a member of AmericanHort, the green industry’s leading association.

Webinar The Quarterly Advocacy Brief IV An AmericanHort Premium Member Benefit Calling all premium members! Join us for the fourth and final Quarterly Advocacy Brief of 2019. Get the latest news from Washington D.C. from the AmericanHort Advocacy Team and ask questions on how it affects your business.

DECEMBER

11

2–3 PM EDT

Email Amanda Holton at AmandaH@AmericanHort.org to register.

Learn more at AmericanHort.org.

JANUARY

AmericanHort represents the entire horticulture industry.

No matter your specialty, we have the resources you need to cultivate a successful business.

Welcome New Members!

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B A LT I M O R E , M D

JANUARY

Business Plus

Floral

Greenhouse

Visit us in Booth #614

Plus Members Bob Wiggins, RedBud SoftWare, OH

Visit us in Booth #2324, join us for the Member Reception, and come get your questions answered at our Advocacy Town Hall.

Interior Plantscape

Landscape

Garden Retail

Generation Next

Nursery

Research

15-17 MOBILE, AL

Basic Members James Noelck, Perennial Gardens Inc, IA Scott Powell, Dutchman Tree Farms, MI Zachary Zboch, US Nursery LLC, NC Leah Funderburk, Little Mountain Growers, Wetumpka, AL Academic Member Marisa Kaleohano, Simply Rooted LLC Tom Ranney, North Carolina State University, NC

Hello@AmericanHort.org 2130 Stella Court Columbus, Ohio 43215-1033 USA (614) 487-1117 Main AmericanHort Connect 2019:December © 2019 AmericanHort. All rights reserved. This material may contain confidential information and it is for the sole use of AmericanHort members.

The information contained herein is for general guidance and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. It cannot be distributed, reprinted, retransmitted, or otherwise made public without prior written permission by AmericanHort. Please contact the editor at (614) 487-1117 for permission with acknowledgment.

Save-the-Date for the largest all-industry trade show and conference for the horticulture industry.

It is the industry event that brings the entire professional community together to make an even greater impact.

February 10 Pre-Registration Opens March 2–6 Pre-Registration Hotel Booking

J U LY

11-14 2020

COLUMBUS, OH

March 10 & Beyond Registration & Hotel Booking Learn more at CultivateEvent.org.

AmericanHort.org 14 | AmericanHort.org

2019:December | 15

Jeremy Schultz LandscapeHub

Lyndsi Oestmann Loma Vista Nursery Inc

Ben Huntington Pleasant View Gardens Inc

Congratulations to the landscape community connectors on the completion of another successful Landscape Operations Tour. Thank you for helping move the horticulture industry forward by donating your time, expertise, and ideas!

Matt Hunter New Garden Landscape and Nursery

Kent Fullmer Fullmer's Landscaping Inc

Jeff Gibson Ball Horticultural Company Community Coordinator

Say Hello to AmericanHort’s Landscape Community Connectors!

The AmericanHort Landscape Community Connectors are a passionate group of industry professionals that serve as AmericanHort’s eyes and ears to the landscape segment.

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