The Scoop Online – April 2020

OUT & ABOUT

LEGAL QUICK TIPS

READY TO ROLL

SUPPORT IN TOUGH TIMES

ALSO INSIDE:

A 20-20 VISION FOR ROSES apr 2020 n v43 n4

PLUS:

DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT TIME?

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M I N N E S OTA N U R S E RY & L A N DS C A P E A SS OC I AT I ON

SPRING INTO THE NEXT SEASON

WHOLESALE & PROFESSIONAL TURF SUPPLY

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Premium and Custom Blended Soils

• Delivery available, or pickup at 3 convenient locations • Custom blending available for site specific jobs • Horticultural grade products for the best growing media in the industry

Early Spring Annuals

• Spring blooming cold tolerate annuals available • Get a breath of fresh air • Time to beautify your planters

5500 Blaine Avenue Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 P: 651-450-0277 F: 651-450-9380 E: wholesale@gertens.com

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WE DELIVER! Contact Alex Dachel for estimates:

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8 Events 28

10 Support in Tough Times In times that are anything but normal, it's more important than ever to lean on each other.

12 Out & About MNLA staff visited with many members during the Gertens Wholesale Spring Expo.

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Do I Have to Pay for That Time?

Here’s what employers should know about “compensable hours worked” under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

19

A.R.T.S.® Provides 20-20 Vision for Roses David Zlesak and Randy Nelson explain how a unique rose trial program delivers high value to our region.    

28

2020 MNLA Landscape Award Winners, Pt. 2 of 2 See some photos from the final six landscapes that won awards this year, plus those who accepted their plaques.  

40

Ready to Roll An efficient nursery shipping process depends on knowing your options, and working as a team. 

49

Go Big or Go Home with a Powerful Vision Chad Haldeman reminds us that if you set the bar too low, you are doomed to reach it. 

53

Promoting Careers to Students at Northern Green Nearly 90 high school students experienced some of the green industry at

24 Rose Pruning Barrie Anderson provides tips to improve air flow, promote blooming, and quicken winter damage recovery.

26 News & Notes Two obituaries for well-regarded green industry veterans, plus some reminders from MDA.

36 What’s the Day on the Hill All About?

Anne Griffin explains how the day unfolds at a typical Day on the Hill – and what the benefits are for you!

46 Supporting Your Priorities Forrest Cyr notes the success of the 2020 Day on the Hill and how COVID-19 has impacted priorities.

56 Legal Quick Tips: Employee Handbooks Patrick McGuiness on the important topics, policies, and enforcement of employee handbooks.

60 Committee Openings Are you interested in learning more about MNLA’s committees and where to get involved?

Student Career Exploration Day.   Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Mgmt  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Mgmt  Arborists & Tree Services  All

Cover photo: Ida Jaros/Shutterstock.com. Table of Contents Images: Top Left: iStock.com/BSVIT. Middle: Courtesy of biota Landscapes.

Sidebar: iStock.com/Volodymyr Kryshtal.

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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DIRECTORY

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MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986 www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC, President Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com Randy Berg, Vice-President Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com Matt Mallas, Secretary-Treasurer Hedberg Supply 763-512-2849 • mmallas@hedbergaggregates.com Faith Appelquist, MNLA-CP Tree Quality LLC 612-618-5244 • faith@treequality.com Patrick McGuiness Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC (651) 331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com Mike McNamara Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com John O’Reilly Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping 952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com Jeff Pilla, MNLA-CP Professional Turf, Inc. (Proturf) 952-469-8680 • jeff@professionalturf.com Nick Sargent, MNLA-CP Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com Cassie Larson, CAE MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz STAFF DIRECTORY Executive Director: Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz Membership Director & Trade Show Manager: Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz Communications Dir.: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz Education/Cert. Manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz Government Affairs Dir: Forrest Cyr • forrest@mnla.biz Regulatory Affairs Manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz Accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz Foundation Program Coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz Administrative Assistant: Lora Sondrol • lora@mnla.biz Advertising Sales: 952-934-2891 / 763-295-5420 Faith Jensen, Advertising Rep • faith@pierreproductions.com Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

Arborjet .................................................................................................. 13 Bachman's Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes ............................... 3 Borgert Products, Inc. ......................................................................... 18 Central Landscape Supply .................................................................. 9 COWSMO, INC. ....................................................................................... 22 CST Distributors ................................................................................... 47 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ...................................................................... 38 Davey Twin Cities Wood Products ................................................... 45 Dayton Bag & Burlap ............................................................................ 9 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................... 16 Fury Motors ............................................................................................. 4 Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply ............................. 2 Glacial Ridge Growers ........................................................................ 61 Gopher State One-Call ....................................................................... 38 Haag Companies, Inc. ......................................................................... 39 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ..................................... 57 Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape .......................... 61 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet ..................................................................... 32–33 Klaus Nurseries .................................................................................... 22 Landscape Alternatives ..................................................................... 23 Lano Equipment, Inc. .......................................................................... 61 Minnesota Propane Association ...................................................... 17 Monroe Truck Equipment .................................................................. 52 Out Back Nursery ................................................................................... 9 Plaisted Companies .............................................................................. 7 Rock Hard Landscape Supply ........................................................... 23 SMSC Organics Recycling Facility ..................................................... 11 The Resultants ...................................................................................... 16 The Tessman Company ....................................................................... 48 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. .......................................................................... 51 Truck Utilities, Inc. ................................................................................. 9 Unilock .................................................................................................. 34 Versa-Lok Midwest .............................................................................. 37 Wheeler Landscape Supply ............................................................... 11 Ziegler CAT ............................................................................. Back Cover

CONSISTENT QUALITY RESPONSIVE DELIVERY

PROUD SOIL SUPPLIER OF ALLIANZ FIELD.

WHO WE ARE Our mining reserve supplies the finest quality construction sands and maintenance products in the region. Providing athletic, golf, horticultural, landscape, rain garden mixes and rooftop garden mixes. Other tree soils are available.

SPECIALTY SOILS

CONTACT US

We custom blend soils using a computerized AccublenderTM, controlling quality & consistency.

Phone : 763.441.1100 Email : info@plaistedcompanies.com Web : plaistedcompanies.com Fax : 763.441.7782

DELIVERY Experienced drivers operate a fleet of more than 45 trucks. Our GPS locator helps us set the standard for the most responsive delivery in the 5-state area.

P.O. BOX 332 • 11555 205th Avenue NW • Elk River, MN 55330 Tel 763.441.1100 • Fax 763.441.7782

WE ARE SOIL EXPERTS

UPCOMING

APR

09

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JUNE

25

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LUNCH AND LEARN WEBINAR: SUCCESSION PLANNING Participate in the webinar over your lunch hour. Free for MNLA members!

MNLA.biz

LUNCH AND LEARN WEBINAR: ANNUALS FOR POLLINATORS Participate in the webinar over your lunch hour. Free for MNLA Members!

MNLA.biz

TURF AND LAWN FIELD TRIP Looking for ideas to diversify your lawn care portfolio? Looking for unique turfgrass species options? We’ll have fun on the bus as we visit some of the top showcase lawns in the Twin Cities!

St. Paul, MN ➽ MNLA.biz

JUL

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CULTIVATE 20 Cultivate is the largest all-industry trade show and conference for the horticulture industry.

Columbus, OH ➽Cultivate20.org

JUL

22

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MNLA FOUNDATION WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT Mark your calendars and get your foursomes together! All proceeds benefit the MNLA Research Fund.

MNLA.biz

JUL

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NAME THAT PLANT: PLANT I.D. SKILLS TRAINING Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned green industry professional wanting to improve your plant identification skills, this half-day outdoor plant identification skills training event is for you!

Bailey Nord Farm, Cottage Grove ➽ MNLA.biz

AUG

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TOUR OF SMSC – SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE FUTURE The Mystic Lake Casino Campus and the Mdewakanton Sioux Community provide an amazing lesson in sustainability. Join us this summer to get an inside look at their greenhouse/nursery, green roof, water reuse, pervious pavement projects and more!

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Shakopee ➽MNLA.biz

iStock.com/nerudol

AUG

We appreciate you! Members are invited to stop by the MNLA Office and have a treat.

AUG

6TH ANNUAL MNLA NIGHT AT THE SAINTS GAME



05

The Scoop, April 2020, Issue 4, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats



published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

MNLA Office, Roseville ➽ MNLA.biz

Gather your co-workers and enjoy a game at CHS Field. Price includes game ticket and dinner.

CHS Field, St. Paul ➽ MNLA.biz

Landscape Association, 2020, and may not be used N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one

MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY

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AUG

11 –13

IGC SHOW Tradeshow and education sessions focused on the interests of garden centers.

Chicago, IL ➽igcshow.com

2020 MNLA seminars

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your

generously supported by:

expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact

Business

 Skills Training

 Networking

Leadership Development

General

the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA



reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

➽Information on industry events: MNLA.biz/events. Free member-only videos: MNLA.biz/OnlineEducation.

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

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A Deeper Shade of Green Local Genetic Origins

GET ALL YOUR CONTRACTOR SUPPLY NEEDS! CALL US FOR THE BEST SELECTION IN THE INDUSTRY GROWERS: Nursery Containers, Wire Baskets/ Burlap , Horticulture Tools, Corrugated Tree, Protectors, Digging Spades, Osmocote Fertilizers and Grower’s Mixes.

NURSERY STOCK: Deciduous Shrubs, Evergreen Shrubs, B&B Trees, Perennials, Specialty Conifers, Specialty Deciduous and *Field Direct Trees.

RETAIL: Chemicals, Grass Seeds, Tools/ Pruners, Water Gardening, Supplies, Garden Hose, Bird Feeders, Feed and Yard Ornaments.

EROSION CONTROL: Wood Blankets, Straw Blankets, Geojute, Sod Staples, Silt Fence, Grass Seed & Sediment Logs.

CONTRACTORS: Edging, Fabrics, Low Voltage, Lighting, Retaining Wall Systems, Pavers, Bulk Materials, Safety Supplies and Wheelbarrows.

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Call us first for all your native planting needs

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Support in Tough Times Cassie Larson

MNLA Executive Director

A few short weeks ago, the world as we know it changed dramatically. COVID-19 is now the source and start of nearly every conversation. And, those conversations are now almost entirely online, over the phone, or from a 6-foot distance.

Today, I want to share a message prepared by my friend and colleague Jeff Stone of the Oregon Association of Nurseries: The nursery and greenhouse (and landscape) industry has always done business on a handshake.

Employees work shoulder-to-shoulder to produce top quality plants at their nurseries, and nursery leaders likewise work hand-in-hand to move the industry forward. That is our tradition.

The emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States might change the physical interactions and mechanics of our industry, but it must not change our fundamental nature. We are still built on relationships, even if we are reducing person-to-person interactions for the time being. We must all do our part to flatten the curve of exposure through common sense measures that limit the avenues of spread.

I agree wholeheartedly that the green industry is BUILT on relationships and that cannot and must not change. It’s what makes this industry great! During this difficult time, we must go about making sure that those relationships stay intact and are used to support one another by whatever means possible.

In order to support one another….

• Do you have a great idea for continuing to deliver plants to consumers rather than having them come out to shop?

• Did you find out about a new grant for businesses that can help weather the uncertainty?

• Are you doing something online that’s new and working great?

• Do you have a way of providing service to your clients that doesn’t require face-to-face interaction?

I encourage you to share! Now is the time to take advantage of the power of community and relationships; the very reason that associations like MNLA exist. If you’re looking for a bright side, one thing that I believe will result from all the abnormal is that innovation will occur. And, business moving forward is likely to benefit from this time of forced creativity and thinking differently.

As always, MNLA’s number-one concern is the health, safety, and well-being of all those in the Green Industry.

We urge every MNLA business to implement logical, common-sense practices to reduce transmission, thereby keeping more people safe and making the public health response the most effective it can be.

As Minnesota braces for the continued impacts of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), MNLA aims to bring up-to-date information and resources to members. Staff has created a new page on the MNLA website that is being continuously updated with new and relevant information. Check back often as information is constantly changing: www.

MNLA.biz/coronavirus.

We value what you contribute to our green industry and greatly appreciate your support. If you know of information and resources that would be useful to MNLA members, or have an idea worth sharing with your peers, please be sure to reach out to me with that information so it can be widely shared. We are all in this together!

➽ MNLA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CASSIE LARSON can be reached at 651-633-4987 or cassie@mnla.biz.

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

The GO-TO source for all of your residential & commercial landscaping needs!

Products Offered: - 100% compost and compost blends - Athletic field and golf course top dressing blends - Erosion control products - Formulation of customized product blends - Natural and colored mulch

952.233.9191 | smscorf.com 1905 Mystic Lake Drive S, Shakopee, MN Owned and Operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

OUT & ABOUT

Alex, Casey, and Paul from CurbSide Landscape & Irrigation.

Girl power! Maddy Harris, Gertens; Kim Gaida-Wagener, Rock Hard Landscape Supply; and Suzette Nordstrom, MONROVIA.

& Gertens Wholesale Spring Expo 2020

Michael and Dilly from Owatonna Groundmasters, Inc.

Derek and Barry from Eden-Valders Stone had a table at the event.

Rawley, John and Bill from Dirty Boys Landscaping.

Great turnout for Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply Spring Expo.

Chris from Branum Landscaping and Tony from Twin City Lawn Maintenance.

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

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WAGES

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

PAY Do I Have to

FOR THAT TIME? US Dept. of Labor

WHAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD KNOW About Compensable Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

iStock.com/BSVIT

As a business owner, you know that life doesn’t always run according to schedule,

and neither does your business. Employees sometimes work beyond their scheduled shifts to finish cleaning or to complete paperwork. Sometimes they arrive early to prepare the store for opening. When employees must complete required online training, that time factors into your scheduling as well. Determining what counts as work time and what does not is a critical component of your budgeting, your payroll, and of your compliance with federal labor law.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act, the federal law that provides minimum wage, overtime, child labor, and recordkeeping requirements for covered employers in the U.S. Determining compensation due to your employees under the FLSA depends upon the accurate tracking of compensable time, or what the law refers to as hours worked.

WHD finds violations of the FLSA at businesses nationwide, a large percentage of which result from the business owners failing to pay employees properly for hours worked. When such violations are disclosed, employers pay back wages to employees, and risk exposure to additional damages and penalties. The costs of non-compliance can mount up quickly.

Some of the most frequent problem areas identified with regard to hours worked include: 1. Failure to record and to pay for hours spent completing required training; 2. Failure to record and to pay for hours worked before and after scheduled shifts; 3. Failure to pay for hours worked when employees work through meal periods; and 4. Failure to record and to pay for hours spent in travel between store locations. april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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WAGES

Hours Worked Principles: In general, hours worked includes all time an employee must be on duty, or on the employer’s premises or at any other prescribed place of work (except for certain breaks), from the beginning of the first work activity to the end of the last work activity of the workday. The workday may therefore be longer than the employee’s scheduled shift and it may start before the employee clocks in.

Even work that is not approved in advance, or even requested by the employer, if allowed, must be paid for. By statutory definition the term employ includes to suffer or permit to work. For example, an employee may voluntarily continue to work past the end of a shift to cover for an employee on the next shift who has not yet shown up. The reason does not matter. Such hours, both pre-shift and postshift, are work time and are compensable.

Generally, if the employer allows the work to be performed, it must be paid for. The work wasn’t scheduled? It still must be recorded and paid for. The time wasn’t approved in advance? It still must be recorded and paid for. Questions on this topic often arise in the following situations:

1. Do I have to pay my employees for training time? When your employees participate

in required training, whether onsite or online, that time must be recorded, and paid for. They also must be paid for any time spent in training while they shadow experienced employees, or do anything else related to their current jobs.

In order for time spent during training programs, meetings, lectures, and similar activities not to be counted as hours worked, it must meet all four of the following criteria: it must be outside of normal hours; it must be voluntary; it must not be job related; and no other work is concurrently performed. Time spent completing online training, even when completed away from the worksite, must be counted as work time unless all of these criteria are met. Online courses are often job related and are often not voluntary.

2. I have an employee who is very slow and takes an extra half hour to close the store every night. Do I have to pay for that time?

Yes. Work not requested but suffered or permitted to be performed is work time that must be paid for by the employer.

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

“

GENERALLY, IF THE EMPLOYER ALLOWS THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED, IT MUST BE PAID FOR. THE WORK WASN’T SCHEDULED? IT STILL MUST BE RECORDED AND PAID FOR. THE TIME WASN’T APPROVED IN ADVANCE? IT STILL MUST BE RECORDED AND PAID FOR.

”

For example, an employee may voluntarily continue to work past the end of a shift to finish an assigned task, to finish cleaning the store, or to cover for an employee on the next shift who has not yet shown up. Or, similarly, an employee may show up early, before the scheduled shift begins, to begin food prep so that the store can open on time. The reason does not matter. The hours, both pre-shift and post-shift, are work time and are compensable.

3. Do I have to pay my employees for the time they spend on breaks?

Rest periods of short duration, usually 20 minutes or less, are common in industry (and promote the efficiency of the employee) and are customarily paid for as working time. These short periods must be counted as hours worked.

Bona fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) generally need not be compensated as work time. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating regular meals in order for that time not to be compensable. The employee is not relieved if he/she is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating. For example, an employee whose break is interrupted to wait on a customer is not relieved from duty.

4. What about travel time? Time spent in travel as part of an employ-

ees work activity, like traveling from job site to job site during the workday, is work time and must be counted as hours worked. If an employee drives from one store location to another during the workday, that time must be recorded and paid for.

The FLSA requires that covered, non-exempt employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers are also required to maintain accurate time and payroll records. The amount employees should receive cannot be determined without knowing the number of hours worked.

➽ For additional information on the requirements of the FLSA, visit the U. S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division’s website at www.dol.gov/whd, or call 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243). Your state may have additional or different statutes or regulations. To find your state labor department’s contact information, visit www.dli.mn.gov. april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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American Rose Trials for SustainabilityÂŽ Provides our Region

20-20 VISION FOR ROSES

iStock.com/franz12

David C. Zlesak and Randy Nelson

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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ROSES

A tour of the Earth-Kind® rose trials at the Dilworth site.

A.R.T.S.® MISSION: To identify, through regional evaluation and testing under low input conditions, the most disease and pest resistant, hardiest and most garden-worthy rose cultivars and to provide objective, accurate and reliable information about the cultivars tested for each region to industry professionals and the gardening public.

Our region has a rich and longstanding love of roses. Lyndale Park Rose Garden in Minne-

apolis (started in 1907) is the second oldest public rose garden in the nation. Additionally, Bailey Nurseries, based in Newport, MN, has been a leading supplier of hardy landscape roses throughout the north – particularly the Agriculture Canada roses and their own Easy Elegance® brand of roses. Resources to help consumers identify cultivars that do especially well in our region are important to help sort through the myriad of nationally available cultivars. Thankfully, the American Rose Trials for Sustainability® (A.R.T.S.®) program (a nonprofit 501(c)(3)) continues to gain momentum to help us in this regard.

A.R.T.S.® has quickly become the premier US rose trial/awards program due to its strong scientific rigor, regional determination of award winners, and integrity. A.R.T.S.® began in 2012 and was prompted by the disbanding of the industry-led All-America Rose

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

Selections (AARS) program (began in 1938).

Close to half of the AARS member rose producers went out of business during the recent recession and that, in part, contributed to AARS’s closure. A.R.T.S.® has stepped up to fill the need of an independently run rose trial for the benefit of consumers, nursery and landscape professionals, breeders, and public gardens. The volunteer board of directors and advisors of A.R.T.S.® not only includes industry, but also scientists, public garden professionals, and rose enthusiasts. Having a diverse leadership base helps the team more effectively recognize and meet emerging needs/opportunities and identify resources to continually strengthen the program.

Inception of A.R.T.S.® — The Minnesota connection A.R.T.S.® inception has as strong connection to Minnesota. In the mid 2000’s there were multiple Earth-Kind® rose trials in Minnesota,

each comparing landscape roses side by side with reputations of being good performers in our region. The trials were conducted using the strong scientific methodology developed

by Earth-Kind® team members at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, with appropriate modifications for Minnesota. Four plants of each rose cultivar were randomized across each of the four beds at a site and data was taken monthly during the growing season on each plant. Plants had ample spacing (>6’), no pesticides applied, moderate nutrition (preplant compost and then slowly decomposing organic mulch), and irrigation the first year during establishment and then only in the case of prolonged drought. The duration of a given trial was at least four years. Strong performing roses (based on years of data and multiple locations) are recommended in the geographical region. People can expect success with these cultivars when given basic care. The report on the performance of the initial 20

northern trialed roses using the Earth-Kind® protocols can be found at this url: https://doi. org/10.21273/HORTTECH03681-17 Earth-Kind® rose trials are at least a few-year investment of space and labor.

Therefore, it is prudent to include only those roses that in our region show promise of being hardy, healthy, and good performers.

Roses already showing signs of severe defoliation from black spot or are especially tender during our winters are avoided. In the heyday of Earth-Kind® trialing, each year rose introducers donated a dozen or more plants of each of their new landscape rose varieties to be distributed to our regional public rose gardens and parks for feedback. Gardens receiving these roses included Lyndale Park Rose Garden (by Lake Harriet in Minneapolis), Virginia Clemons Rose Garden (adjacent to Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud), Leif Erikson Rose Garden (Duluth), and UMore Park (Rosemount). We requested that the roses were not sprayed with pesticides and not winter protected. The spacing, nutrition, watering, and pruning practices used were those standard to the garden and the data collected was a simplified version of what is used in Earth-Kind®. Those roses that showed promise in these “pretrials” were included in future Earth-Kind® trials. The A.R.T.S.® program has evolved from the prototype of our Earth-Kind® pretrials. The Earth-Kind® rose trials continue, although at a slower pace than before. Roses that earn regional A.R.T.S.® awards are encouraged to be included in the longer term and more stringent regional Earth-Kind® trials.

What sets A.R.T.S.® apart from Earth-Kind® and AARS? A.R.T.S.® blends key strengths of Earth-Kind® (e.g. scientific rigor, regionality, monthly ratings) with the shorter two-year turnaround time of AARS. Early on, we surveyed rose stakeholders for what they valued in garden/landscape roses to develop an evaluation protocol that is relevant to today’s consumers. Not surprisingly, health, lots of blooms, good plant form, fragrance, and hardiness were the common themes and paralleled much of what is evaluated in Earth-Kind® trials. In light of this feedback, we developed a 10-point monthly rating scale and a detailed evaluation manual with photos to help evaluators consistently rate the roses. Like Earth-Kind® trials, a few plants of each trial rose are randomized across the garden beds, data is taken monthly during the growing season on each plant, pesticides are

Table 1. Maximum points allocated to each of the contributing traits in the A.R.T.S.® standard monthly evaluation rating.

Overall category

Character trait

Maximum point value

Flowers

Bloom coverage

2.00

Bloom shape

0.50

Fragrance

1.00

Shedding of spent blooms

0.50

Hip formation

0.25

Foliage retention

1.50

Lack of chlorosis

1.00

Lack of disease

1.00

Lack of insect and mite damage

1.00

Growth habit

1.00

Lack of dead canes

0.25

Maximum point total

10.00

Foliage

Plant form

not used, and reference or control cultivars with a track record of known performance in the region are planted at each site to compare with the trial roses. Unlike Earth-Kind® trials, the minimum plant spacing is closer (4’) and irrigation is not limited throughout the trial in order to not stunt plant performance during the relatively short two-year trial. Regional awards are given to trial roses that at the end of the trial score equal to or better than the average of the two control cultivars and have greater than half of the plants alive at the end of the trial. With this protocol, there is no minimum or maximum number of awards per year. Every rose that earns a regional award receives an award. Regional awards are called Local Artist awards. Additionally, Master Rose awards are given to honor roses that earn four or more Local Artist awards to recognize their wider range of adaptation.

One of the challenges of an All-America approach used by the AARS program is that it is difficult to find a rose, or any other plant, that does well everywhere. Most people would rather grow plants that do especially well in their region than those that are above average across the country and perhaps mediocre by them. Finding a regional system for A.R.T.S.® that made sense climatically and also would be easy to communicate proved challenging.

Dividing the nation into quadrants or by states didn’t take into account vast changes in temperature and moisture due to elevation

and ocean or lake effects. Additionally, USDA cold hardiness zones only use average lowest winter temperature and do not take into account duration of temperatures or moisture.

Ultimately, we found the Köppen Climate Region system, advocated for by ecologists, was the system that made the most sense as it takes into account both moisture and temperature patterns. There are 9 Köppen continental U.S. regions, and our goal is to eventually have two A.R.T.S.® sites in each region. To date we have had trials in all but the region located at the southern tip of Florida.

Minnesota is completely in the Dfb region (humid continental, cool summer, region).

The Dfb extends into the eastern half of the Dakotas, northern parts of Wisconsin and Michigan, and the northernmost parts of the northeast.

University of Minnesota Clay County Extension hosts A.R.T.S.® trial site in Dilworth The Dilworth, MN site began hosting A.R.T.S.® in 2015 and is located on land that used to host an Earth-Kind® rose trial. Up to 20 cultivar entries (three plants each for 60 plants total) are planted each year. Master Gardener volunteers work with Clay County Extension Educator, Randy Nelson, to make the trials possible. The trial site is open to the public to enjoy and has been used as a site for Extension programming to learn about landscape roses. april 20 MNLA.BIZ

21

ROSES

Meet our Dfb Region Local Artists Besides the Dilworth, MN site, other Dfb sites have included North Dakota State University at their Dale E. Herman Research Arboretum (located near Absaraka), Boerner Botanical Garden, and Green Bay Botanical Garden. Some of these sites alternate years receiving new roses in order to keep the garden size and evaluations manageable.

The following Local Artist roses were trialed as own root plants (not grafted) and all came back well the second year from their crowns in our relatively open and exposed trial sites. If you are in a particularly exposed location or if heavy nutrition/pruning promoted growth well into the fall, providing some extra mulch/insulation to the crown of roses in general is a wise added safeguard.

• Highwire Flyer™ (‘RADwire’) — This very vigorous, yet relatively compact and densely growing climbing rose produces a wealth of semi-double to double hot pink blooms. Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Icecap™ (‘MEIradena’) — This densely growing double white shrub rose produces masses of blooms throughout the growing season.

Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Look-A-Likes® Apple Dapple (‘MEIplumty’) — This low and spreading shrub rose has large masses of blush-pink, single blooms reminiscent of apple blossoms. Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Look-A-Likes® BougainFeelYa (‘MEIckinava’) — This very compact, spreading shrub rose produces masses of vibrant red single blooms in clusters. Petals are thick and long lasting. Introduced

by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Miracle on the Hudson® (‘Bartholomew’) — Mounded, well-branched plants produce relatively large single velvety red blooms with bright golden stamens. New foliage growth on this shrub rose starts out a deep shade of burgundy, turning green as it matures.

Introduced by Certified Roses.

• Music Box™ (‘BAIbox’) — Each multicolored double bloom is distinct as the buttercream colored petals transition to warm pink in sunlight. This shrub rose has glossy foliage and plants are symmetrical and floriferous. Introduced by Bailey Nurseries.

• Peachy Knock Out® (‘RADgor’) — Beautiful, relatively large, semi-double shell-pink blooms are generously produced on a mounded symmetrical plant. Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

22

MNLA.BIZ april 20

LIVE bUILD wITh PAVER PETE Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 8am-4pm - Farmington location Learn how to efficiently install hybrid base with the latest hardscape tools.

• Peppermint Pop™ (‘RADcarn’) — Very double multicolored blooms of cream through deep pink are generously produced on this mounded shrub rose. Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Petaluma Cover® Towne & Country® (POUltc004) — This compact, spreading shrub rose has semi-double, vibrant, orange-pink blooms. Introduced by Poulsen Roses.

• Phloxy Baby™ (‘RADcleome’) — This compact and densely branched shrub rose delivers an abundance of petite single, soft-pink blooms. Small scarlet hips add fall and winter interest. Introduced by Star® Roses and Plants.

• Raspberry Kiss™ (‘CHEwsumsigns’) — Clusters of single soft-pink blooms open to display a rich raspberry-pink eye framing golden stamens. This shrub rose has a spreading habit and the leaves are glossy. Introduced by Certified Roses.

• Screaming Neon Red™ (‘BAIneon’) — The vibrant neon-red single blooms have wavy edges and bright golden stamens. The leaves on this vigorous large shrub rose are thick and leathery and typically have good fall color. Introduced by Bailey Nurseries.

• True Passion™ (‘LIM10’) — This petal-packed, vibrant orange hybrid tea rose is complimented well by its dark green glossy foliage.

Introduced by Altman Plants.

• True Integrity™ (‘LIMbird’) — The bright salmon double blooms of this floribunda stand out against the backdrop of its dark green glossy foliage. Introduced by Altman Plants.

More information about A.R.T.S.® can be found on our website (www.trustedrose.com). In the future, we hope to have a link to resources for industry members and the press. There will be links to high resolution pictures of winning roses and other helpful information such as templates for garden centers to create signage about the program and specifically for winning roses. We welcome your ideas to improve the program and would love if you would share them through the contact us feature on the website.

RSVP REQUIRED

info@rockhardmn.com / 952-895-7408 Lunch provided 3600 W Hwy 13 Burnsville, MN 55337 952-895-7408

4375 170th St. W Farmington, MN 55024 952-207-4456

www.rockhardmn.com

944 215th St. E Jordan, MN 55352 952-492-2890

d v c w y c i o h y t

➽ DR. DAVID C. ZLESAK is a Professor of Horticulture at the University of WI-River Falls and on the MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees. RANDY NELSON is an Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota Clay County

W

Extension. Both serve on the board of directors of A.R.T.S.® april 20 MNLA.BIZ

23

– i

iStock.com/OlgaPonomarenko

ROSE PRUNING

ROSE pruning Barrie Anderson

Pleasant View Gardens

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

25

iStock.com/MaxBaumann

ROSE PRUNING

NEWS & NOTES

26

MNLA.BIZ april 20

innesota’s professional gardeners who help clients to cultivate roses in their landscapes are most likely keenly aware of pruning methods. It’s important to note that there are three types of roses that are commonly grown here in Minnesota, the hybrid Tea Rose, the shrub rose (aka Floribunda roses), and the climbing rose, all of which require slightly different pruning actions.

Climbing roses are fairly simple to prune. In very early spring, climbing roses benefit from the removal of dead or damaged canes. If there are older and less productive canes, those can be cut all the way down to the base. For summer pruning of climbers, deadhead the spent blossoms. If the climbing rose is a repeat bloomer, then after the first bloom of flowers, cut all of the side branches back to leave just two or three buds. This will increase blooming for the rest of the season! Always cut at a 45-degree angle to promote water running off the wound and avoid an opportunity for any fungi to set up house. Typically, summer pruning on climbers is no longer performed after about mid-August.

Hybrid Tea roses require a bit more care, but are very much worth it. In early spring, after you’ve awakened them from their winter slumber and uncovered their blanket of straw, cut back by half the canes you desire to keep. Winter always kills a few rose canes, so be certain to remove those as well, all the way down to the base.

Now, for summer pruning of Hybrid Teas, it’s imperative to deadhead the spent blossoms to promote further blooming. Keep in mind to always cut at an angle AWAY from the center of the plant, just a quarter inch above a bud that faces AWAY from the center of the plant. In other words, cut above a bud that’s facing outward and be certain to count down the stem to the next highest node with at least 5 leaflets. This is where the strongest bud will come in next. Cutting at an angle away from the center of the plant allows for water to run off the wound. Also, buds facing outward will grow outward, hence, not clogging up the middle of the plant and preventing air and light from entering. Roses are susceptible to a plethora of fungi, so keeping the interior of the rose bush airy and light will do wonders to prohibit disease. Summer pruning should cease about mid-August.

Spring Reminders from Steven Shimek

all stock is certified

for possible insect

Proper storage of

are kept inside stores

under all applicable

and/or disease

bare root or packaged

where their shelf life

Healthy, quality

state and federal plant

problems. This is the

plants includes

is limited. Landscapers

plants are essential

pest quarantines and

first line of defense

keeping plants cool

purchasing stock

to the success of your

keep certification

against introduction

and dormant until

for resale must be

nursery operation.

paperwork available

and dissemination

they are ready to

certified as nursery

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to inspectors upon

of harmful plant

plant. Some packaged

stock dealers.

these items in mind

request. This is

pests. Contact your

roses, fruit plants, and

Wholesale sellers are

as you go about your

especially important

Minnesota Department

perennial bulbs often

required to make sure

spring preparations.

for stock shipped from

of Agriculture nursery

arrive at discount

their customers are

As new stock is

outside Minnesota.

inspector if you

stores before the

properly certified.

delivered, be sure

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suspect a problem.

ground thaws and

Cold hardiness labels

iStock.com/Lex20

Shrub roses are quite durable and are typically repeat bloomers. The first round of pruning happens in April with the plant being cut back to one-third of their normal height. Always remember to cut at a 45-degree angle outward from the center of the plant. If the rose bush appears rather pekid in spring, it’s perfectly acceptable to cut it back to the ground, as almost all shrub roses are grown on their own roots and will flourish from a total cut back every now and then.

For summer pruning, the same technique applies to shrub roses as the tea and climbing roses. Cut at an angle away from the center of the plant, about 1/4” above the next bud facing outward. This point on the plant is where

the next set of strong buds most likely will be. Once again, summer deadheading/pruning should wind down about mid-August. By doing this, the gardener allows the plant to create rose hips – which are beautiful specimens used in fall and winter décor!

Following the above methods will improve air flow, promote blooming and quicken recovery from any sustained winter damage. Happy pruning!

➽ BARRIE ANDERSON is Crew Lead at Pleasant View. You can contact Barrie at auntb71.ba@gmail.com.

must be consistent

area in which it is not

Inc. Below is a copy of

and was proprietor of

businessman with a

with the list on the

cold hardy and no

the obituary: Harvey

several small

passion for sales and

MDA website: https://

hardiness is listed

Merle Foss, age 83,

businesses before he

an approach to

www.mda.state.mn.us/

must be labeled

passed away

went on to start

customer service that

nurseryprogram.

“nonhardy.”

peacefully February 1,

Midland Nursery

was all his own. In

2020, at his home in

around 1960. Harvey

both personal and

Although there is no minimum requirement

In Memoriam

Waverly, MN. He was

took great pride in the

professional settings,

for labeling, any

MNLA would like to

born June 25, 1936 in

family business and

Harvey was known for

information that

express its deepest

Morrill, MN.

loved working closely

his great sense of

appears must be

sympathy to the family

Throughout Harvey’s

with his children and

humor and love for

accurate. However,

and friends of Harvey

young life he worked

grandchildren. He was

weaving elaborate

stock being sold in an

Foss, Midland Nursery,

hard at various jobs

a talented, persuasive

tales that some might

➽ CONT'D on page 57

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

27

LANDSCAPE AWARDS

2020 MNLA LANDSCAPE AWARD WINNERS, PT. 2

This month we are featuring the remaining six

resources for promoting their winning project and

projects from the 2020 roster of MNLA’s Award for

their company from MNLA.

Excellence in Landscape. You can view all submitted photos and project descriptions by

DID YOU KNOW?

visiting the project gallery at www.MNLA.biz/

Entries are NOT judged against each other. In any

landscapeawards. Winning projects were on

given year, ALL entries could win awards, or NO

display on posters at Northern Green, recognized

entries could win an award. Each entry is judged

at the Green Industry Awards Celebration, and the

against the standards of excellence. Judges must

creators of each project presented it during

decide whether an entry, in their opinion, meets

education sessions. Winners also receive several

or exceeds those standards.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2020 LANDSCAPE AWARDS SPONSORS:

WHOLESALE NURSERY & HARDSCAPES

Your Trusted Partner

James Kalkes, Clarissa Cooper, and Alex Shuda, DreamScapes Landscaping & Design: James Kalkes, Clarissa Cooper, and Alex Shuda of DreamScapes Landscaping & Design celebrate their award for Rapp Farm Residence.

28

MNLA.BIZ april 20

biota Landscapes - Jim Saybolt, Tom Kobayashi: Jim Saybolt and Tom Kobayashi flank MNLA President Frampton holding plaques from the biota team’s two winning projects: MCM Bloomington, MN and Thornhill, which also captured the Judges’ Choice Award. What is the Judges’ Choice Award?

At the end of reviewing all projects, judges choose their favorite project from all the entries. The winner is then announced at the Green Industry Awards Celebration held on the Tuesday of Northern Green week.

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

29

LANDSCAPE AWARDS

Samuel Geer of Urban Ecosystems and Brian Nelson of Nelco Landscaping (general contractor for the project) took the Excellence in Planting Design Award for Corporate Campus. The design lead and project manager was Michael Keenan, PLA, Urban Ecosystems. The Excellence in Planting Design Award was created to encourage landscape designers to feature plants in their plan while incorporating artistry, proper horticultural practices, and appropriate installation in their project. This award is chosen in the same way as the Judges’ Choice Award, with the winner being announced at the Green Industry Awards Celebration.

30

MNLA.BIZ april 20

Tim Johnson, Livit Site + Structure: Tim Johnson, Livit Site + Structure receives his award for Family Focused Fabulous from MNLA President Frampton.

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

31

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Retail Planning Flyer Control Art Jarret Petsch •Mechjpetsch@jeffbelzer.com Scale 100 8.75”952-469-7063 x 11.25” Bleed Chevy CopyDirector Writer TBD

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Job Description 8.75” Chevy Retail Planning Flyer 11.25” Bleed Trim 8.5” x x11” 8.75” x 11.25” Chevrolet, 50Bleed & Cedar, Box 965, Trim Live 8.5” 8.25”x x11” 10.75”

Publications None

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1PROSS.tif 12KTFLCHEV033.tif 12KTFLCHEV021.tif BasePkg_ss.tif 12KTFLCHEV033.tif 12KTFLCHEV021.tif 12KTFLCHEV033.tif

CMYK RGB RGB CMYK RGB RGB RGB

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Ground One Landscape Design + Build - Craig Trenary: Craig Trenary, Ground One Landscape Design + Build accepts the plaque from MNLA President Frampton for Patio on the Parkway. âž½ THE MNLA LANDSCAPE AWARDS is a program of recognition for installed landscapes. Submitting companies must be MNLA members who offer design, installation, design/build, bid/build, or other landscape specialty to clients. april 20 MNLA.BIZ

35

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

What’s Day on The Hill All About?

Anne Griffin Mangold Horticulture

36

MNLA.BIZ april 20

What is Day on the Hill?

During the Day on the Hill, people from the green industry meet with their state legislators in small groups and inform them about important industry issues.

or work address, make introductions, receive a little more information on the issues and come up with a game plan of how you will discuss the issues with our state senators and representatives.

Before arriving to the Capitol Before you head to the Capital, you start the day by gathering in a nearby facility where you will have breakfast and meet other green industry professionals. The more veteran Day on the Hill goers, the MNLA Government Affairs Committee members and our own MNLA Government Affairs Director Forrest Cyr will help guide the rookies. Forrest will explain the details of the issues that are the most pertinent to discuss with our legislators. You will then break into groups assigned by either your home

Heading to the Capitol After the morning meetup and breakfast, your group heads over to the Capitol for sessions with your legislators. You’ll have multiple meetings with your state Senators or Representatives throughout the day. Typically, the person in the Senator’s/Representative’s jurisdiction will take lead on that session, giving introductions and starting to talk about the issues, then the rest of your team will join in the discussion. They will have a chance to ask questions and see how their vote could impact our

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industry. Sometimes you receive immediate support, often they’ll thank you and will look into the issue further. You will hand off a packet with more information in which they can review later.

Benefits of attending the Day on the Hill During the Day on the Hill you reach over party lines and industry divisions to help achieve a common goal of bettering the green industry. It’s a great time to connect with people from varying backgrounds, to get to know your legislators and to gain a better understanding of how these policies impact us. ➽ ANNE GRIFFIN is a Landscape Designer & Horticulturist with Mangold Horticulture.

38

MNLA.BIZ april 20

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ROLL Ready to

Bill Goloski

This article was originally published in Digger Magazine, published by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

AN EFFICIENT shipping process depends on working as a team.

Bill Goloski

There are countless ways to prepare an order for shipment. What works or one nursery may not be the best process for all operations. “Every shipping process is different because every farm has a different layout,” Elizabeth Peters of The Peters Company said. She and her husband, Rick Peters, are Lean consultants who work with a number of nursery and greenhouse industry clients and their suppliers. “The mistake people will tend to make in shipping is believing it can only be done one way,” Rick added.

Teamwork and communication are essential elements of smooth order fulfillment. From the office staff handling the paperwork to the pulling crews, no part of the process is isolated from the other. “Shipping operations have good people doing the best they can with the resources they have,” said Rick. “The key is to help them work together as a team. It’s critical that each person realize that what they do — or fail to do — impacts the entire organization.”

The cost of transportation is one of the biggest expenses of any nursery, so If the nursery isn’t ready when the truck arrives because of an error in the process, it’s a huge, unnecessary expense. Where many nurseries have drastically different processes for the vast array of products, they do share some common practices.

Order up Right from the get-go, the shipping process starts by understanding an order’s anticipated delivery date and destination. As consumer habits evolve, nurseries are seeing the window for getting plants to market is compressing more and more each year. Josh Russell, distribution manager at Kraemer’s Nursery (Mount Angel, Oregon), is part of a team that operates an 850-acre nursery that grows woody and april 20 MNLA.BIZ

41

Bill Goloski

iStock.com/Ivan Bajic

NURSERY MGMT.

Truck tips • Green products require specific temperature and moisture levels. If a refrigerated truck — a “reefer,” to use the lingo — arrives too late and product begins drying out waiting to load, valuable inventory will quickly perish.

• Develop a good working relationship with your transportation partners. Dale Parra of Truck Transportation Services (Portland, Oregon) offers three good tips.

The A-B-C’s of Transportation • Ask for “All-in”: “The quote you receive may just quote you the flat rate for ‘the line’ — or the line of the haul,” Parra said.

Added costs for fuel surcharges and extra picks and drop charges may still apply after the shipment is complete. “Ask if you received an ‘all-in’ quote that includes additional costs.”

• Be nice: “Truck drivers network with each other and talk about their experiences at nurseries,” Parra said. “if you make it comfortable for them, they’ll let other drivers know.”

• Communicate: “Knowing when the product will be ready to load is the most important thing,” Parra said. With the regulation of electronic logbooks, a driver is limited to a certain number of hours that they can be on the road. If a driver has to burn their clock down waiting for a load, it can damage a grower’s reputation.

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Kraemer’s Nursery Labeling Department organizes labels in hallways of shelves.

ornamental flowering shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, grasses, perennials, conifers, roses, and other products. “We’re realizing now that the best time to ship a plant is when someone’s in the store buying a plant,” he said. The old mindset of the nursery industry believed retailers needed to have a massive inventory of full-bloom plants right at the beginning of the season. Plants were shipped early — very early.

Russell looks at the sales data and offers a counterpoint. In many cases, customers are still hibernating under the covers and not even thinking about landscaping their yards that early in the season. A retailer can set up brilliant displays of inspiring varieties, but if nursery’s bloom fades away while sitting for weeks on a shelf, the data shows the product won’t sell.

Kraemer’s provides containerized green goods to big-box retailers such as Lowe’s and Walmart. These stores rely on Kraemer’s to know what’s coming up for bloom and what will fit on the truck. “Our process starts by looking at the retailer’s previous week sales and creating replenishment orders based on customer demand,” Russell said. Staff can see exactly what products are selling and consider the rate of depletion at a certain location.

Stock replenishment orders are created Monday morning for loading on to trucks that will arrive the following Wednesday. Kraemer’s sends nearly 1,200 truckloads out on the road each year. Because of the timeliness of their

response time, the nursery has an on-hand logistic coordinator who plans the most effective way to route their material to its destination. “Trucks get no more lead time than we do. We don’t know how many trucks we’ll send out until 36–48 hours before an order.”

The nursery-controlled replenishment ordering system is dramatically different from the customer-driven ordering process of other nurseries. For example, Robinson Nursery Inc. in Amity, Oregon, sells an array of bare root trees, including red maples, sugar maples, honey locust, redbud, crab apple, pears, and others. They receive orders online or through a sales manager.

Also, in contrast to Kreamer’s, Robinson doesn’t start planning the route — their transportation broker does. “I know a lot of people plan their own routes, but we let our brokers plan the route for us,” Chris Robinson, co-owner of Robinson Nursery said. It’s a matter of letting the experts take the wheel, as well as a professional courtesy. The nursery’s bare root order quantities and delivery addresses are given to a broker to configure a drop order and driving route. A broker will be briefed if part of the order needs to be dropped first or second, but this partnership lets a broker plan any additional stops during their journey. “We arrange 60–70 percent of our own trucks, but a lot of our customers run their own pickups,” Robinson said. At peak season from January 1 to mid-May, the nursery will arrange for 175 total truckloads.

Counting it all out All products that leave the nursery are labeled. Many dormant bare root plants are indiscernible from others at the time of shipping, so they get tagged. Sales stickers and information need to go on containerized products that move directly onto a show floor as well. Counting labels helps count out product for the pull crew.

In the labeling department at Kraemer’s, staff gather the exact number of labels for each of the varieties on the order forms from aisles of bookshelves — which are commonly seen in nurseries. Here, labels are stored in alphabetical order, by botanical name. The containers in the field do not have SKUs, so stickers are also printed at this time. The correct count of labels and stickers are packaged together based on where the products are grouped on the farm. They are then passed off to the pull crew. In the field, the pull crew will place plant labels in the containers and attach SKU stickers to the side as they are loaded on tractors. The fully counted and labeled order will later move to the loading dock.

Robinson’s labels aren’t for retail purposes, although they do have some branded with their nursery’s website and social media accounts. Once their broker kicks back the shipping route plans, the nursery outlines what plants need to be dug up first for the pull team. Their local computer system lists the plants, their location, and deadlines on televisions screens so the pull-crew can see the order’s progress in real-time. Pull sheets also list the amount of space on the load will take up on the truck.

Robinson uses radio frequency (RF) identification tags throughout their processing time. These contain information about the plant, including name. During the grading and bundling process, the crew will net trees just outside of the bed where they were pulled and attach one tag.

“The person who’s running the truck will have a handheld device — often an iPhone connected to a TV screen — that will show the whole crew what plants need to go on the truck,” Robinson said. The scans check off the products on the TV screens and generate the paperwork for the order for the driver and the drop off recipients.

Bill Goloski

However, 10–15 different trucks can pass through in a day because customers arranged for a driver to come to pick up 5 feet of a load just to fill out their truck.

Above: To avoid damage to root systems, Robinson Nursery Inc. stages trees staggered layers. Below: Labels on racks at Kraemer’s Nursery provide details for both the nursery staff and drivers.

Bill Goloski

Ready for the stage Staging is a step where counted products are grouped together in an order for load. It’s a time-consuming process that doesn’t add value to the product. At Robinson, it takes about a day to pull a full truck’s worth of bare root trees.

Batches of netted plants are staged in shipping lanes next to the dock. The nursery uses 12-foot by 8-foot metal pallets to stack trees in a staging area. A full truck will take 4½ pallets. According to Robinson, the process is like a game of Tetris. “We put the roots out on the first layer on each side of the pallet, and then we put the roots in front of the other roots and keep going back and forth until the pallet is like 10 feet high,” he said. Overall, it takes about april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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Bill Goloski

NURSERY MGMT.

Racks have detailed labels on the loading dock at Kraemer’s Nursery.

30 hours from the time the order is processed until the plants are on the dock.

Reallocating the correct amount of labor to pull plants for an order is sometimes difficult. Given the size and scale of wholesale nurseries, it’s common to see labor divided up into certain areas of an operation. So, if there is a large order for one type of plant in a small area of the farm, the labor may not be available to match the work.

Kraemer’s is experimenting with a new process for right-sizing their labor needs. For shipping, Kraemer’s uses racks — either their own or rented, depending on the destination — where plants can be stacked in 5-, 4-, or 3-shelf layers. Instead of transferring the products from a pull crew to a racking crew, today, the same crew stays with that order. “It allows us to send our supply of labor to where the demand for product is,” Russell said.

This new approach also bypasses the staging processes altogether. Pull crews used to spend time hooking and unhooking tractors, transferring the orders to a new team who would put the plants on racks — a process that included wasteful steps.

Now, the docking manager will have lines of the empty racks — grouped by truck — ready for the pull crew in the loading area.

Each rack is given a large label itemizing the rack counts. Such labels utilize the Lean concept of “visual controls.” Crew members fol44

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low the printed directions that tell them what plants go on each shelf of each rack. The rack itself maintains color-coded labels throughout shipment, where the large truck number and truck length are listed on the left. A bigger drop number is listed below, telling the driver at which stop to unload the rack. The store number and city are listed on the right, along with the order number for reference.

Loading the truck Loading a truck is like solving a puzzle, and the pieces have as many different sizes as a nursery’s product mix. Overall, moving racks on to a truck is a large-scale geometry test, and loading bareroot products gets fairly messy.

Hand-stacking or floor-loading are two names for describing the same process of placing and stacking as many plants as you safely can in a truck. Unfortunately, Robinson Nursery simply hasn’t found an efficient way to palletize bareroot products for shipment, so they floor load these orders. In floor-loading, plastic sheeting is laid down on the floor, a layer of hay is spread on top, and trees are re-stacked inside the truck as they were staged. Trees are loaded in a certain order. “We load the truck with Zelkova first and then an Acer last, so our customers pull things off alphabetically,” Robinson said. Hay is layered throughout the stacking process and will be sprayed with water to maintain the moisture levels.

Depending on product mix and how many different customers are on a truck, it takes about three to five hours to stack the load.

Kraemer’s only does hand-stacks for a small percentage of orders. Hand-stack eliminates the cost of pallets and racks for shipping. However, in doing so, products have to be moved an additional step to the end of the truck during the unloading process — also referred to as tailgating. It is becoming more frowned upon by truck drivers. Kraemer’s docking manager arranges the racks by truck- load. So, how many racks does the order need, and how much floor space will they take on the truck? “It’s all tribal knowledge,” Russell said. “It’s made possible by a couple of key people who spend a lot of time on the docks. They understand the plants and they under- stand the racks.”

This position intuitively knows how tall a plant is at this time of year and suggests how high to set the shelves on the rack. Sending a truck out with a half-empty rack is just simply paying a lot of money to send someone air.

Whether the goal is to keep a show floor stocked with fresh plants or to ship a full load of trees on the cusp of waking up, nurseries need to efficiently prepare a load for shipment. ➽ BILL GOLOSKI is the publications manager at the Oregon Association of Nurseries. He writes for and designs Digger magazine.

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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Supporting Your Priorities Forrest Cyr

MNLA Government Affairs Director

On March 4, 2020, members of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association converged on the Minnesota State Capitol from across the state, advocating on behalf of the green industry, their businesses, and their communities.

MNLA members meet with Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL, South Saint Paul), chair of the House Environment Committee, to discuss green industry legislative priorities!

With an abundance of energy, knowledge, and fresh faces,

MNLA members successfully lobbied their legislators and built strong relationships in each meeting. At Day on the Hill, MNLA’s advocacy leaders — both newbies and veterans alike — helped moved the needle on key legislation essential to the success of the green industry and members.

Thank you to everyone who attended!

MNLA’s ongoing advocacy work and legislative agenda was central to the discussion at the Day on the Hill. Association members learned about the current issues impacting Minnesota’s green industry at the legislative kickoff breakfast at the Capitol Ridge Hotel. Hearing from Forrest 46

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Cyr, Doug Carnival, staff lobbyists and the association, members were briefed on priority legislation and issues.

• Allowing our industry’s trained individuals to test and repair backflow devices.

• Establishing fairness in construction contracts.

• Securing funding to combat the Emerald Ash Borer.

Additionally, members received key intelligence from legislative leaders to help inform and shape our legislative strategy. Based on the feedback from legislators, these common-sense policy proposals were met with support and interest, thanks to the lobbying acumen of MNLA’s advocacy leaders!

COVID-19 and Changing Priorities With the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the 2020 legislative session went in a different direction, with the sole goal of ensuring the health and safety of Minnesotans. The COVID-19 crisis impacts every aspect of life in Minnesota, including the legislative process. With the legislature recessing in early March following the passage of a COVID-19 crisis funding measures, all bills stalled at the legislature, including MNLA’s priority legislation. However, new priorities took shape, with members advocating to Minnesota’s elected leadership about the essential nature of the Green Industry during times of crisis.

MNLA has created a COVID-19 coronavirus webpage (www.MNLA.biz/coronavirus) where you can find webinars and articles with information and interpretation on legislative and regulatory actions, advice from industry experts, and actions you can take to protect green industry businesses. Members are unique: each comes with on-the-ground expertise, extensive knowledge, and love for the green industry. These essential qualities are vital to MNLA’s continued advocacy success and grassroots strength. ➽ Forrest can be contacted at 612-248-4463, or at forrest@mnla.biz.

FR E E !

Proper plant selection is critical to long-lived, healthy and sustainable landscapes, and understanding the planting site itself — its soil, light, moisture, exposure, and size — is crucial to choosing plants that will thrive.

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GO HOME Go Big or

WITH A POWERFUL VISION

Chad Haldeman

iStock.com/olaser

The Resultants

iStock.com/olaser

STRATEGY

THE BIG PICTURE — Begin with the End in Mind!

When it’s time to build a company’s growth plan,

goals are often created in a vacuum by its leader(s) and based on his or her financial goals. Or, plans are built primarily based on historical facts and performance using a simple percentage increase. Both of these approaches have merit as a part of the process, but unfortunately for many, this is the process. What is often missing is a powerful, inspiring vision of who the company is and what they believe, as well as a “point on the horizon” for the entire team to aspire to.

In his book, “Built to Last,” Jim Collins introduced us to the BHAG, meaning “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal”. A BHAG is not meant to align directly with a historical growth rate.

It is meant to challenge, push and inspire a team to greater things. A BHAG challenges a team to think of what could be, not what is.

As the saying goes, “if you set the bar too low, you are doomed to reach it”.

Keep the Fire Going For many small, entrepreneurial organizations, the founder started the company with a grand idea of what he or she thought it could be, without the constraints of market research and historical data. This vision typically comes from deep within them; a passion or purpose, a fire in their belly that told them they should build something great. For many, great teams of people came together because they were attracted to this vision and the energy behind it.

Unfortunately for many organizations, the “noise” of day-to-day operations has extinguished that fiery vision and energy. For most, the vision sat in the founder’s head. As the company grew, the connection to the vision was lost as size, capacity, and complexity increased. The vision is no longer communi50

MNLA.BIZ april 20

cated to the team, leaving those who’ve joined along the way with only a vague idea of what it truly is. And, even less so, how in the world they plan to get there? Many great visions have died a quiet death in between the ears of an entrepreneur.

How a Powerful Vision Can Inspire and Ignite Company Growth The leadership team of a small, but quickly growing education consulting company had a breakthrough year in 2019! After a number of years of painful change and disappointing results, it seemed they had finally turned a corner. There was excitement and energy in the room during one of the planning meetings early in the year. The president spoke up.

“I want us to think, act, and look like a $20 million dollar company! That’s where we’re going sooner than later…time for us to live it!”

Though it’d be quite a stretch for the team, they didn’t miss a beat, enthusiastically affirming and owning the challenge. Today, they are tracking to hit and exceed that seemingly aggressive stretch goal set by their leader a few years back.

I had a similar experience earlier in my career with one of my favorite bosses. A classic visionary, he was always looking forward to where his future growth would come from. One of his great strengths was painting a picture of a future vision, then gaining understanding, commitment and ultimately ownership of that vision from his team. As a team, we were able to regularly “suspend our disbelief”. Year after year, we showed positive growth in revenue, profit and market share. Without that collective shared vision, we would never have been one of the top performing markets in our industry year after year.

Clarity and Communication One couldn’t have predicted the kind of growth that the education consulting company

has seen over the last four years based solely on historical performance. Many gaps had to be addressed to improve performance. But to achieve the kind of growth they were aiming for, the founder needed to share his vision for the organization. His passion for what he saw so clearly that as a company could change the face of education in order to inspire and ignite his team. With the help of his leadership team, he set about pulling the vision out of his head and onto paper in a simple but powerful form. They used it to draw in and retain talent who all share a set of beliefs. Most importantly, they shared it with the team over and over again so each person could make it their own.

For them, the vision was instrumental in building a more detailed plan to achieve their BHAG. Of course, there’s much more to building a strategic growth plan than just a powerful vision. To bring a vision to life, you need a strong business model, the right structure and the right people to populate and drive the organization forward. You need clear and measurable goals. You need commitment and relentless execution. Even with all of these other elements in place, if you are missing a clear vision that can inspire and ignite your team to push well beyond what they think is possible, you may be doomed to hit that lower bar and settle for something good, at the expense of achieving greatness.

➽ AUTHOR, CHAD HALDEMAN, is a Senior Business Advisor with The Resultants. The Resultants are a business advisory team that advocates for the best interest of your business, using a process that has proven time and time again to help companies build value and achieve personal and professional success. In addition, The Resultants have provided instruction and curriculum for MNLA’s Leadership Institute since its inception. To learn more about Chad and The Resultants, visit www.theResultants.com.

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CAREERS Promoting

TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT NORTHERN GREEN

Paulette Sorenson, CMP MNLA Foundation

iStock.com/selimaksan

Programs Coordinator

april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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MNLA FOUNDATION

University of Wisconsin River Falls.

NORTHERN GREEN exposed green industry career possibilities to nearly 90 high school students at Student Career Exploration Day on January 16, 2020.

Rochester Community and Technical College.

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Imagine what ideas might go through a high school student's head when they enter Northern Green’s 198,000-square-foot industry trade show or walk a half mile to get from a classroom to Career Central. It’s a big world that likely never entered their minds. When we talk about the green industry, the possibilities are endless.

In partnership with college horticulture faculty, agriculture-focused high schools, former scholarship recipients, and MNLA members, Student Career Exploration Day was designed to bridge the industry with higher education for high school students just starting to explore careers. The day began at 8:00 am and students were welcomed by MNLA member Jim Saybolt, biota Landscapes, who kicked off the event by interviewing a panel of past MNLA scholarship recipients now working in the industry. The panel talked about what their career journey was like and explained their daily duties in their current position. “Being closer to their age, I think

they can relate better than listening to older professionals that remind them of their parents,” said Ana Torrescano of Otten Bros., one of the panelists. After sharing stories, the students pretty much didn’t sit down until the end of the day.

Students enjoyed fast-paced speed learning activities prepared by six participating colleges. Topics such as Woody Plant ID, Flowering Bulb Propagation, 3-D Landscape Design, Ecological Planting Design, and The Secret Sex Life of Plants (a few giggles over the title!). This was a great way to experience college curriculum and take away possible fears about college. There was time to talk about all the different post educational opportunities available, whether it was for a certificate, 2-year degree or a 4-year degree.

Another highlight of the day was the trade show tour. The students said that this was their favorite part of the field trip. We split the students into smaller groups and let them lead the chaperones around. The students stopped and asked exhibitors questions. It was like a scavenger hunt on steroids when we asked them to find a company they would like to work for. These career ideas went back to their classroom for further questioning and research of potential careers.

If we want the next generation of green industry professionals to be available, the best

University of Minnesota CFANS.

Iowa State University.

time to address this challenge is now. For the past 10 years, the MNLA Foundation has established the strategic goal of educating youth in our region on green industry careers. We have established on-going relationships between member firms and 200 or more grade schools, middle schools and high schools, reaching an average of 5,000 students each year.

We have developed a resource for high school teachers, Pathways Through Horticulture, a comprehensive curriculum for the Horticulture Sciences. The resource is available from our website at no cost (www.mnla.biz/ hscurriculum) and it is also a resource listing on the UofM CFANS resources page (ag-ed. cfans.umn.edu/resources/educators). This resource is in the hands of over 300 high

North Dakota State University.

school teachers. It is also one of the most visited MNLA webpages with over 500 visits per week.

In addition, we are connecting with students by actively attending career fairs, the FFA Convention, landscape competitions, statewide teachers’ association; Minnesota Agriculture Educators Association, as well as participating on high school advisory boards.

We all have the power to introduce youth to the world of landscape and horticulture and the critical role plants have in our lives. ➽ IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in learning how you can play a part in this exciting initiative, contact Paulette Sorenson (paulette@mnla.biz) or 651-633-4987.

Hennepin Technical College. april 20 MNLA.BIZ

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LEGAL AFFAIRS

Legal Quick Tips: Employee Handbooks Patrick McGuiness Zlimen & McGuiness

This article provides general information on business and employment matters and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given.

Do I need an employee handbook? Yes! You probably already have workplace policies on simple things like Personal Protective Equipment and use of company equipment, but there are additional terms that should be clearly laid out and available to employees, such as PTO requirements, sick and safe leave policies, and more. Having these policies in writing and available to your employees is helpful, convenient, and for some policies, required by law.

Employee handbooks also help prevent liability. If you discipline or terminate an employee for violating a policy that was clearly written and distributed to all employees, it’s much harder for the employee to bring a lawsuit claiming that your actions were unlawful (for example, discriminatory or retaliatory).

Common topics in employee handbooks: • Job titles and duties • Work hours and breaks during the workday • Compensation and benefits • Overtime • Safety protocols • Drug/alcohol use and/or testing • Smoking • Company-wide closures or holidays • Harassment • Use of company vehicles, electronics, etc.

Policies to consider Handbooks aren’t just for formal discipline policies! Here are a few lesser-used items that you may want to address: • On-the-job use of electronics. Is it ever permitted? Never permitted? Permitted for some roles but not others?

• Bad weather days. Will you require weekend work to make up for weather delays during the workweek?

How do employees find out about schedule changes?

How far in advance will you decide?

• Attitude. It’s reasonable to expect your employees to be pleasant and respectful when dealing with each other and the public. You can spell this out in your handbook.

• Ethics compliance codes. If your industry (tree care, irrigation, nursery growers, etc.) has an ethics code or if you’ve voluntarily adopted one for your company, make sure employees know what it is and where to find it.

Terminations or discipline When you’re having tough conversations with employees, it’s helpful to be able to point to a handbook policy. Written policies emphasize that your decision isn’t arbitrary and that an employee’s conduct was serious. Ideally, you should be able to point to a handbook policy whenever you need to terminate an employee. Policy violations aren’t the only reason for terminations, but they prevent employees from arguing that they didn’t know their conduct was a problem.

Enforcement Ultimately, your handbook is only useful if your employees take it seriously. Follow up on policy violations, even if it just means taking someone aside at a jobsite for a quick conversation. If you do have to have a serious conversation, but no formal discipline is imposed, it can still be a good idea to have the employee review the relevant handbook policy and sign a statement saying they’ve read it and understand it.

➽ PATRICK MCGUINESS is a founding attorney at Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC . With more than 15 years of experience working in the Green Industry, his law practice focuses on construction and maintenance contracts, employment and human resources law, overtime compliance, employee handbooks, defending Department of Labor Audits, and assisting with other regulatory compliance issues. He can be reached at pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com.

56

MNLA.BIZ april 20

NEWS & NOTES

NEWS & NOTES ➽ CONTINUED from page 27

even refer to as "B.S.” His love for music, singing and

John & Russell (Pam) Wright and their families. The

telling tales was often expressed through silly made-up

family wrote this obituary: Scott lived. Scott loved life

songs that often times weren’t actually all that bad…!

and was smart enough to enjoy every day, no matter

Harvey will be remembered as a man of great strength

what kind of a day it might have been. He worked hard,

and generosity and for his dedication to his friends and

gave freely of his time, and loved to laugh. His dedication

family. Preceded in death by parents Merle and Margaret

to his friends and family came first, always ready to lend a

Foss, Harvey is survived by his beloved wife Bonnie, his

hand or help someone who was struggling; never judging

children; Greg Foss (Carol), Brad Foss (Sharon), Heather

nor complaining. His membership in the Masonic Lodge

Foss (Tom), Ryan Foss (Rachel), Nick Foss (Angie), and

and Zuhrah Shrine was important to him, as were the

stepdaughter Christina (Carey), grandchildren: Nate, Kyle,

many clubs and units he was part of. He happily spent

Thomas, Robert, Chase, Sierra, Parker, Nick, Gracie, Jacob,

time with his Shrine brothers at parades, events, and

Lindy, Dylan, Mason, Mikayla and Connor and siblings;

pancake breakfasts. But, his greatest happiness came from

Darlene, Mike “Herbie” (Barb), Midge (Bill), Elaine (Jerry),

being a Dad. Scott made sure we did all the obligatory

Merx, Merlin (Pete), Tibby (Ronnie), Doug (Kris), Dale

family trips in the RV or in his beloved Beechcraft, never

(Denise) and Debbie (Jack); other relatives and friends.

really having a destination in mind, just jump in and go.

His motto was “If something breaks, you just fix it.” There

Scott Randall Wagner: MNLA would like to express its

are too many broken hearts to fix this time, Scotty Babe.

deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Scott

You will be with us always. Memorials to: Zuhrah Women’s

Wagner of Wagner’s Greenhouses & Garden Center.

Auxilliary c/o: Nancy Knutson, Treasurer, 5730 Dunlap Ave

Wagner was co-owner of Wagner Greenhouses & Garden

N, Shoreview, MN 55126.

Centers, a member of Cataract Lodge #2, and Zuhrah Shrine. Scott was 60 years old and was preceded in death by parents, Richard & Nola. Survived by wife, Susan; daughter, Nolin; son, Eric; brother, Ron (Diane); nieces,

06

Laura (Anderson), Julie, and nephew Nik (Liz); cousins,

• PAVERS

• LIGHTING

New Members!

Driftless Gardens, McNamara Services, Northgate Construction, RK Homes LLC, Simon's Family Farms, Twin Cities Landscaping.

• RETAINING WALL

HEDBERG WEST - PLYMOUTH

(763) 545-4400

HEDBERG EAST - STILLWATER

(651) 748-3158

HEDBERGSUPPLY.COM april 20 MNLA.BIZ

57

FOUNDATION

SURPLUS

AUCTION

Go Green. Clean your space. Save on taxes. Help others.

WHY

WHAT

• No admission nor RSVP required.

• Donate & receive a charitable donation tax receipt.

• Clear the clutter in your shop, garage, home and office.

• Donations can be delivered to the auction site ANY TIME! • Items that may not sell from the Live Auction, have a double opportunity to be sold at other Fahey auctions.

EVERYTHING WITH VALUE SELLS

and benefits the Foundation fundraiser.

• Equipment: trucks, trailers, landscaping/nursery equip., attachments, new or slightly used tires.

• Medium to Small Trees/Shrubs (call for a plant material application).

• Landscape/Nursery Supplies: pallets of pavers, irrigation supplies.

• Hard Goods: tools, lumber.

• Office Equipment: computers, printers, copy machines, desks, tables.

• Personal Recreation Goods: boats, docks, guns, hunting and fishing equip., campers, cars, patio furniture, grills, vacation homes.

WHERE

HOW

MNLA Foundation is pleased to partner with MNLA member, Fahey Sales Auctioneers & Appraisers, to help us raise funds that improve your business. For more information about Fahey and auction dates, visit www. faheysales.com.

Bring your donations to the Fahey auction site. Let the Fahey staff know it is a donation to the MNLA Foundation. Nursery materials may be sold from your business; contact MNLA for a plant material application. After the items are sold, MNLA Foundation will send you a charitable tax-deductible receipt for your donation and mention your business in the Scoop magazine thanking for your support.

Fahey Auction Complex

2910 9th Street East (Hwy 212 East) Glencoe, MN 55336 (40 miles west of Minneapolis)

➽ QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MNLA FOUNDATION? Call us at 651-633-4987 or email Paulette@mnla.biz. Click HERE to check out what we do!

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MNLA.BIZ april 20

Business Products & Services Save up to $9,000 when you purchase a vehicle with Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler.

SPEEDWAY BUSINESS FLEET CARD

Convenience, control, and a fuel rebate up to 5¢ per gallon with the Speedway Business Fleet Card program!

AL

O PR

FE

Contact Ryan Delaney with any questions at 207-233-4610 or Ryan.Delaney@wexinc.com.

N

E

When it comes to purchasing fuel and maintaining your company’s vehicles, the Speedway Business Card can help you cut administrative time and expenses, all in one easy-to-use card program.

RTIFIE

D

C

Convenience, control and a fuel rebate up to 5¢ per gallon!

SSIO

Save 10¢/gallon for the first MNLA Certified Professional 90 days, then save 6¢ on Manual - online and every gallon purchased at FREE for members.

Save on Fuel & More at Kwik Trip Holiday Stationstores.

Save 6¢ off every gallon of fuel at Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations.* Additional discounts include 10% off most in-store purchases and volume car wash discounts up to 50% off. Customize account to fit your tracking and administrative needs for any size company. No annual or monthly fees.

A cost-effective, long-term workers’ compensation program for the construction industry of Minnesota.

SAVE ON FUEL & MORE

Save 6¢ off every gallon of fuel at Kwik Trip, plus 10% off most in-store purchases and volume car wash discounts up to 50% off.

Contact Andrew Weis with questions or to apply (do not apply online): 608-791-7348 or aweis@kwiktrip.com.

Must be an MNLA Member and approved on a Kwik Trip fuel account.

*

Use the Job Board on the MNLA. biz Career Center to list your full time and seasonal positions.

THE BENEFITS OF BELONGING

SIGN UP FOR A FREE ACCOUNT

LMN is all-in-one landscape business management software.

Get started with your FREE account at GoLMN.com/mnnla.

Volume Discounts on Garden Center Trays

Bulk volume discounts on garden center trays.

Break into the mobile world with MNLA’s affordable Retail Store App.

Receive a discounted rate from Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC.

PLUS, save on registration for events, tours, seminars, and conferences, including Northern Green.

Marketing Discounts: Want to reach members with your product, service or message?

Save on advertisements in MNLA publications, and on marketing packages at Northern Green.

For more information, visit www.MNLA.biz or contact Mary at 651-633-4987 or mary@mnla.biz.

COMMITTEE OPENINGS

MAKE A

DIFFERENCE

iStock.com/Volodymyr Kryshtal

The MNLA Board of Directors forms committees to carry out the strategic direction of the organization. Below is a list of the committees with current openings, and a summary of their mission. Are you interested in learning more about the committee’s task or time commitment?

4

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Openings

8

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Openings

Staff Liaisons: Forrest Cyr & Cassie Larson

Staff Liaison: Cassie Larson

Chair: Tim Malooly, Water in Motion

Chair: Jim Shimon, Willow River Company

• Deliberate and recommend policy

• Creates a career development model

positions; set and implement strategy;

to assist with green industry employee

and represent the collective interests

retention and promote employee

of MNLA members in legislative and

advancement.

regulatory affairs.

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

5

Openings

NETWORKING

5

Openings

Staff Liaison: Jon Horsman

Staff Liaison: Sue Flynn

Chair: Faith Appelquist, Tree Quality LLC

Chair: Matt Mallas, Hedberg Supply

MEMBERSHIP

Staff Liaison: Mary Dunn

• Organize member-based business-to-

• Make MNLA a critical information hub in

Chair: Van Cooley, Malmborg’s Garden Center

areas such as business trends, marketing

business networks that promote profit

expertise and consumer insight; increase

opportunities for members; foster small

the value of member communication

group networking among members;

resources; spur greater social media

organize cross-industry networks between

prospective members via phone calls and

activity among MNLA members.

MNLA members and related industries.

in-person visits.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

0

Openings

Staff Liaisons: Sue Flynn & Cassie Larson Chair: Mike Heger, Ambergate Horticultural Consulting

• Overall education program strategy and decision-making; develop online learning modules.

60

8

Openings

MNLA.BIZ april 20

WATER RESOURCES

& Greenhouse • Hands-on outreach to members and

5

Openings

Staff Liaisons: Cassie Larson Chair: Tim Malooly, Water in Motion, Inc. • Assures water remains practically available for use in the landscape and to protect the interests of member practitioners in the design, installation, maintenance and management of water in the landscape.

 For more information, contact a board member, a committee chair, an MNLA staff member, or to submit a volunteer application online, visit www.MNLA.biz.

Measuring up to the best for oVer 40 years!

your partner for: • Native and cultivar trees • Shade, ornamental, and evergreens • Superior quality B&B packaging • Air pruning and traditional containers • Caliper sized bare root trees • Prompt and flexible delivery

hoffMan & McnaMara NurSery ANd LANdSCAPe

9045 180th St. east • Hastings , MN 55033 • phone: 651-437-9463 fax: 651-437-9050 • e-Mail: info@hoffmanandmcnamara.com

www.hoffmanandmcnamara.com

nativE Plants MN Dept of Ag. approved plant production “pollinator friendly”

Wildflowers, Grasses, Sedges, Rushes & Ferns

Wholesale native plants in 4” pots or economy plugs for larger projects.

NeW! Some of our natives will now be available in jumbo square pots throughout the growing season.

2020 Model Year Exclusiveve Allowance. Saon up to $9,000 . select models

All native plants are tagged and bar-coded for retail sales.

WHOlEsalE

BEdding Plants

Annuals, Baskets, Herbs, Vegetable Plants & Certified Organic Plants also available.

Wholesale Minnesota hardy perennials in 18 count trays.

Special order perennial 32 count trays are also available.

All plants are individually tagged for resale with color photo tags.

All of our plants are produced with sustainable, bee-friendly practices.

Greenhouse 25132 250th Ave. Glenwood, MN 56334 Phone: 320.634.0136 Fax: 320.634.3931 email: glacridgegrowers@aol.com Website: www.glacialridgegrowers.com

Early OrdEr discOunts cOntact us fOr a frEE catalOg

Rebates up to $9,000 on your choice of Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler vehicles. Available to all MNLA members!

Contact Mary at the MNLA office for more information at 651-633-4987 or mary@mnla.biz.

SHARE THE SCOOP!

SHARE THE SCOOP!

Each month, the Scoop is mailed to every

member company of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. A portion of your annual dues covers your yearly subscription to our official publication, which is one of the most-loved benefits of MNLA membership.

Because each company only receives one copy of the Scoop, it’s important to share the wealth! Make sure your employees are able to take advantage of the insights and information in this magazine by putting it in your company break-room, or directly into the hands of that employee you’d like to develop into a leader in your company.

Want to make the Scoop accessible to everyone in your company? Every month, we publish an online issue of the Scoop, using a leading web platform for magazines. This digital issue is available to all personnel of MNLA member companies. To utilize this member-only benefit, simply send us the email addresses for whomever in your company you would like to receive the Scoop. We then email the link directly to your employees’ inbox each month. In fact, our online issue is available a week before the hard copy of the magazine arrives. Your employees will be privy to the latest and greatest information!

➽ TO RECEIVE THE ONLINE SCOOP, email Lora Sondrol at lora@mnla.biz.

Photo credits: Left: iStock.com/baona. Middle: © Can Stock Photo Inc./Brebca. Right: Tangletown Gardens.

62

MNLA.BIZ april 20

Partner with the MNLA Foundation INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF THE GREEN INDUSTRY

Your investments to the MNLA Foundation have a real impact on getting students interested and involved in the green industry.

Please partner with the Foundation this coming year to help make a greater impact for the good of your company and the green industry!

JULY 22ND

SEPTEMBER 22ND

Widmer Golf Tournament for FUN! Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake

Shootout Game Unlimited, Hudson, WI

AUGUST

JANUARY 14-16TH, 2021

Sponsor Student Scholarships • Pledge $500 for a college student, the Foundation will match it with another $500.

• Pledge $250 for a high school student, the Foundation will match it with another $250.

Northern Green 2021 Minneapolis Convention Center • Donate items to the Silent Auction.

• Donate bottles of spirits to the Bottle Pull.

RESEARCH & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FUND Contribute to the Research & Workforce Development Partners Fund at a participating supplier. Your voluntary donation of ¼ of 1% on purchases is used to grow a brighter future for the industry, supporting Research for the Real World, Career Development & Promotion, and Scholarships. Thanks to these Partner Suppliers: TM

WHOLESALE NURSERY & HARDSCAPES

Your Trusted Partner

L A N D S C A P E + M A S O N RY

ONGOING!

Chanhassen Distribution Yard 952-445-4088 1-800-477-4123 Fax: 952-445-6219

 Consider giving a gift through your

New Germany Growing Range Field Direct Sales Phone & Fax 952-353-2175 Jim's Cell: 612-290-6358

Estate Plan or giving a donation yearly at the time of your MNLA Business Member Dues Renewal.  Donate surplus materials to the MNLA Foundation Surplus Auctions.  Donate materials for student hands-on school agriculture projects.  Give a talk at your community high school or attend career fairs to spread the word about the green industry.

Get involved today! Contact Paulette Sorenson at 651-633-4987 or email paulette@mnla.biz.

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