The Scoop Online - October 2016

Tree Removal Is Not for the Amateur

Also Inside

New Research: Neonics & Pollinators

Member Profile Out & About Upside Down

TOP TEN ANNUALS

The highest rated varieties in 2016

Vol: 39 No: 10 Oct 2016 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 O TA N U R S E R Y & L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

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Volume 39 No. 10 Oct 2016

CONTENTS 17

41 30

IN THIS ISSUE 8

Events

10 From the Executive Director Strategic Planning Season.

12 Out & About Photos from Bailey’s Customer Expo, and the MNLA Member Appreciation event.

35

17 Top Ten Performing Annual Flowers Here is this year’s list from the U of MN West Central Research and Outreach Center’s annual flower trials.    

22 Tree Removal Is Not for the Amateur Northern Green speaker John Ball explains why it’s wise to hire a professional when felling a tree. 

28 At the Table New MNLA Government Affairs Director Alicia Munson talks about the importance of grassroots advocacy. 

30 Upside Down Andrew Sobel describes how to change behavior by asking questions rather than by issuing commands. 

14 Member Profile Windscapes.

37 Landscape Awards The top five tips to remember when preparing your entry.

38 MNLA Tour Day We were pleased to partner with the PPA for our Garden Center and Landscape Design Tours this year.

41 Northern Green Section Don’t miss all the new things happening where outdoor pros connect and grow!

55 Beauty in Simplicity Dan Halsey teaches and lives out the principles of permaculture and polyculture design.

62 New Staff Member We welcome Alicia Munson as Director of Government Affairs.

35 Shut Up and Start Selling Is your retail staff sabotaging your sales, or showing care and consideration for your customers? 

49 Research Roundup: Neonics and Pollinators Jim Calkins brings us the latest research on neonicotinoids and their potential effects on pollinators.    

 Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Management  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Management  Arborists & Tree Services  All

The Scoop, October 2016, Issue 10, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2016, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

october 16

MNLA .biz

5

AD LIST 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

herman roerick, president

Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 • hermanr@centrallandscape.com

scott frampton, vice-president

A Top Notch Equipment ................................................................................... 56 Ancom Communication & Technical Center .................................................... 25 Aspen Equipment ............................................................................................. 11 Bebergs Landscape Supply .............................................................................. 27 Bridgewater Tree Farms ................................................................................... 24 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus ..................................................... 47 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 11 County Materials Corporation .......................................................................... 52

Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 • sframpton@landscaperenovations.com

Cushman Motor Co. Inc ................................................................................... 29

tim malooly, cid, clia, cic, secretary-treasurer

Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................................. 24

Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com

randy berg, mnla-cp

Frost Inc ............................................................................................................ 46

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com

Fury Motors ...................................................................................................... 16

matt mallas

Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply .................................................. 2

Hedberg Supply 763-512-2849 • mmallas@hedbergaggregates.com

mike mcnamara

GM Fleet and Commercial ................................................................................. 3

Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com

Haag Companies, Inc. ...................................................................................... 34

john o'reilly

Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................................. 32–33

Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping 952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com

jeff pilla, mnla-cp

Klaus Nurseries ................................................................................................. 11

Bachman’s, Inc. 612-861-7600 • jpilla@bachmans.com

Landscape Alternatives Inc. .............................................................................. 40

nick sargent

Lano Equipment, Inc. ....................................................................................... 58

Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com

cassie larson, cae

MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

Midwest Transmission Center / DBA Clutch & U-joint Proven Force ............... 46 Northern Salt Inc .............................................................................................. 40 Out Back Nursery ............................................................................................. 58

STAFF DIRECTORY

executive director:

Plaisted Companies ............................................................................................ 7

membership director & trade show manager:

RDO Equipment Co. ........................................................................................ 52

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz 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.: Alicia Munson • alicia@mnla.biz

regulatory affairs manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz administrative asst.: Gayle Anderson • gayle@mnla.biz accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz foundation program coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@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

6

Volume 39 No. 10 Oct 2016

➾ G OS C

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october 16

Resultants for Business, Inc. (RFB) .................................................................... 25 Rock Hard Landscape Supply division of Brian’s Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. .... 47 The Builders Group .......................................................................................... 58 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. .............................................................................. 4, 26, 60 Truck Utilities, Inc. ............................................................................................. 40 Versa-Lok Midwest ........................................................................................... 48 Ziegler CAT ......................................................................................... Back Cover

➾ C ALE N DAR

MNLA Event

OCT12

OCT 16–19

MNLA SNOW DAY Dairy Building, Minnesota State Fair Grounds

2016 UPPER MIDWEST INVASIVE SPECIES CONFERENCE

MNLA.biz

➾

Join us for a day of networking, equipment, supplies, and education to gear up for the next snow season.

Generously supported by:

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OCT 19–21 GIE + EXPO Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY gie-expo.com

La Crosse Center La Crosse, WI

The green industry and equipment Expo features indoor exhibits and 20 acres of outdoor demonstrations and test driving.

www.umisc.net The latest in invasive species management, research, policy, and strategic education.

MNLA Event

NOV30– DEC2 NEW ENGLAND GROWS

8

DEC5–9 ➾

2016 IRRIGATION SHOW & EDUCATION CONFERENCE

➾

JAN 10–12 NORTHERN GREEN — Where Outdoor Pros Connect + Grow

Boston, MA

Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

Minneapolis Convention Center

Newenglandgrows.org

Irrigation.org

Northerngreen.org

New England Grows is renowned for its world-class education offerings and innovative trend spotting.

Enhance your industry knowledge, network with peers, and visit hundreds of exhibitors to find solutions to your irrigation needs.

A new name and a new schedule… See what else is new in 2017!

Attend the premier event for green industry professionals in the northern region. Exhibit contracts are available.

MNLA .biz

october 16

2016 MNLA seminars generously supported by:

SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS • PARTS

MNLA Event

NOV18

MNLA Event

Hardscapena.com

MNLA.biz

THE Hardscape Show for Contractors and Dealers!

It is the only national trade show devoted entirely to the hardscape industry.

There are still openings to sit for the Certification Exam on either October 28 or November 11.

Contact Sue at 651-6334987 for an application.

FE

TIFIE

AL

MNLA Classroom, Roseville

O PR

Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY

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MNLA CERTIFICATION EXAM

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HARDSCAPE NORTH AMERICA

MTGF/MNLA PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION WORKSHOP

D

OCT28& NOV11

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➾

OCT 20–21

SSIO

North Metro Event Center Shoreview, MN MNLA.biz This workshop meets MDA’s commercial pesticide applicator recertification requirements for Categories A (Core), E (Turf and Ornamentals) and P (Vertebrate Pest).

Registration options: A and E OR A, E and P. This is the last chance to renew in 2016!

KEY:

Event Education

➾

All information on these and other industry events are online at MNLA.biz. october 16

MNLA .biz

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➾ F R OM THE EXECUTIVE DI R EC TO R

Strategic Planning Season I love the beginning of autumn. Temperatures start to drop, creating crisp, fall mornings.

The leaves on trees are changing colors right before our eyes. Kids are back in school and, if you’re a sports fan like me, football season has begun!

Fall is also the time of year that many businesses begin their strategic planning season — and the association is no different. The arrival of fall is a great Cassie Larson time to lay out plans for the coming year or years ahead.

MNLA Executive Director The association made difficult adjustments over the past 3–5 years which has led to stability and even growth in the new economy — the new “normal.” But, we need to continue to be diligent. Some important questions will be considered as we move into a strategic planning process this fall. Is the association thriving?

Are revenues growing at a satisfactory rate to support programming? Is volunteerism alive and healthy? Are members hungry and excited, or concerned about the association’s future? Are we ready for the new challenges sure to result from the upcoming presidential election in 2016?

Here’s a key question: How do we better position the association for the challenges the industry is confronting right now as well as the ones that lie ahead?

As we embark upon this important process, the MNLA Board of Directors wants to hear from you!

• Are there services/programs you wish the association would offer to forward your business?

• Do you want more or fewer opportunities to volunteer?

These are important questions to consider as we move forward in the process. If you have thoughts/ideas/dreams that you would like the MNLA Board of Directors and the strategic planning team to consider as the process moves forward, please reach out to any Board member or a member of the staff to pass along your thoughts.

You can find contact information for everyone on page 6 of this and every issue of the Scoop.

If you’d rather share feedback anonymously, please look for a survey to be sent to all business members at the end of September/beginning of October and share your thoughts in that forum. Any and all feedback is welcome and encouraged as we refresh our outlook and strategic direction.

New Research: Neonics & Pollinators Tree Removal Is Not for the Amateur

Also Inside

• What keeps you up at night in relation to your business?

Member Profile Out & About Upside Down

TOP TEN ANNUALS

• Do you have thoughts about green industry challenges for which the association could offer support?

CASSIE LARSON can

be reached at: cassie@mnla.biz.

The highest rated varieties in 2016

Vol: 39 No: 10 Oct 2016

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 O TA N U R S E R Y & L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

ON THE COVER

Zinnia Solmar Rose was a stunning performer during 2016 in the garden beds at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) Horticulture Display Garden in Morris, MN. The University of Minnesota conducts annual flower variety trials there each year. The cultivars are evaluated during the growing season, and only the highest rating varieties earn the distinction of a Top Ten Performing Annual recommendation.

Senior Horticulture Scientist, Steve Poppe, oversees the program and writes about each winning plant starting on page 18.

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➾ OUT & ABOUT

&

AN INITIATIVE OF THE MNLA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE IS TO STAY IN TOUCH AND THANK MEMBERS WITH OCCASIONAL VISITS.

Bailey Nurseries welcomes visitors to their annual customer expo.

Debbie Lonnee and Gordie Bailey flank MNLA’s Membership Director Mary Dunn.

MNLA’s Executive Director Cassie Larson, Malmborg’s Van Cooley, and MNLA’s Membership Director Mary Dunn.

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Displays show the latest Bailey plants.

Van Cooley and Mary Dunn hear a big fish story from SuperAmerica Rep. Lisa Felts at the MNLA Member Appreciation event.

Tony Cortilet from MDA’s Plant Protection Division presents an award to Tim Power during Tim’s retirement gathering during an MNLA Member Appreciation event.

Bachman’s John Daniels with Tim Power and Jim Calkins from MNLA’s government affairs team.

Mike McDonald, TCF Bank Stadium visits with Scott Frampton, Landscape Renovations and Van Cooley, Malmborg’s, Inc. at the MNLA Member Appreciation event.

Bailey Nurseries’ president, Terri McEnaney (blue shirt) stands with (L-R) Dean Engelmann, Ryan Brinkman, and Justin Schiroo from Tangletown Gardens.

Debbie Lonnee presents a seminar at Bailey Nurseries Customer Expo.

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➾ ME MBER PROFILE

MEMBER PROFILE WIN DSC APES

Katie Mills Giorgio

Photos courtesy of Windscapes

(Above:) Dave Evazich (operator, helper), Scott Taylor (production manager), Andrew Ahlberg (operator, helper), Jesse Lewis (operator, helper). (Below:) Spraying on the finishing touches at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open.

(Right:) Spraying kid-friendly mulch at a local playground.

Many homeowners know that laying mulch to give a landscaping project a lovely finishing touch can be back breaking work. That’s why Twin Cities-based Windscapes decided to invest in blower truck technology. “We operate trucks that can blow mulch and compost in a fast and efficient manner for our customers,” said Production Manager Scott Taylor.

C O M PAN Y SN APSH O T

Company Name: Windscapes Key People: Tim Winters, Owner; Scott Taylor, Production Manager Date Company Started: 1996 Location: Inver Grove Heights, MN Number of Employees in Peak Season: 5 Areas Served: St. Paul Member Category: Hardscape Contractor, Landscape Contractor, Landscape Designer, Snow Plowing Websites: http://www.mulchtruck.com/

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FROM SPRING UP UNTIL THANKSGIVING (or “when the slow flies”), the Windscapes team is busy taking the back-breaking work of laying mulch to a whole new level of efficiency and ease. “Our customers pick whatever mulch product — color, size, you name it — they want and we install it,” he said.

Q. Scott, tell us how Windscapes got its start.

A. Well, our owner, Tim Winters, wanted some type of equipment that would allow for installing mulch more quickly and more efficiently. He researched it a lot and it has been a learning process since then. These trucks are more expensive but for what they can do it’s worth it. It’s really cutting edge technology for horticulture.

These trucks are located all over the United States, Europe, and China but there are only three of them in the Twin Cities area and we operate two of them.

The biggest marketing tool we have found is how efficient these trucks are. Our trucks allow us to come in and do a mulching job in a matter of hours.

Q. What are some important business values for Windscapes?

A. Being a company that relies solely on word-of-mouth advertising, we really have to take care of the customers we have and accommodate the new customers we get.

It’s the same with contractors. We deal with a lot of different contractors and they see our results and want us to come back.

We pride ourselves on that.

Q. How do the trucks work?

A. Basically you hook up a four-inch hose to the back of the truck. It has about 300 to 500 feet of hose which is controlled by a remote you wear on your belt. It allows you to control the flow of the mulch, wood chips, or compost coming out of it. The end result is so even its unreal. It looks beautiful and people are so happy with that.

Q. How do you go about generating business for the company?

A. The biggest marketing tool we have found is how efficient these trucks are.

These days people want to get their stuff done right away; they don’t like waiting.

Rather than having a crew of five guys and a big pile of mulch in your front yard that takes two days to spread, our trucks allow us to come in and do a mulching job in a matter of hours. We work with a lot of residential customers in the western part of the cities where their property is so big they call us because we can be in and out in one day. We really do so much repeat business. We’ve never really had to advertise these trucks. It’s a lot of word of mouth as we work with probably 50 of the same residential customers every year.

Q. Do you work with residential customers only?

A. We do commercial work as well which is also a lot of our repeat business. This system allows us to mulch in places that are typically inaccessible. That’s a huge niche for these trucks. We do seeding for many municipalities; we will be doing a lot

of that this fall. And we do a lot playgrounds for cities and schools and day care centers. They want us to install the woodchips as quickly and safely as possible to get the kids back out there playing. We don’t damage any of the fencing or grass and it just takes us a couple hours. It’s really cool to work with these places.

Q. Are there other interesting jobs you’ve done thanks to the unique abilities of your blower trucks?

A. There are a lot of high rises going up in Minneapolis right now and many of them have courtyards with a pool that are about three stories up. Of course they have planters all around the pool area that they want to put mulch in. We bring the truck in and can string the hose up three floors to fill those planters without leaving any mess. There’s really no other way to do it.

Small construction sites are very difficult and these trucks work perfectly in that situation.

We also worked at Carleton College three or four years ago. They have a big lake with two islands in the middle that can be accessed by pedestrian bridges. They wanted to expand the islands and make them bigger. So they called us in to add another ten feet of shoreline using our trucks, erosion control, netting and specialty soils. It took us about a month but it was a really cool deal.

We like to be very presentable and keep all our trucks polished and cleaned. All of our employees have to be able to walk up to customers and talk to them on these jobs we do. How you act around them is extremely important, so we are very selective of our employees that are here.

With residential customers, we typically talk to them a couple of times before we even show up for scheduling purposes.

Everyone is super busy in the spring. A lot of our customers understand that and are willing to wait for our service. We try to develop a relationship so we know who we are dealing with and make sure everything is done quickly and done timing wise.

Q. What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

A. I like to think of myself as being pretty organized. Besides keeping in touch with clients and contractors, I also work on the trucks to make sure that everything is installed properly. They are long days, but it’s satisfying work. I most enjoy making sure that installs are done correctly. That’s the only way we will keep repeat business.

The only way to get the business next year is to make sure it’s done right the first time.

INTERESTED IN BEING PROFILED IN THE SCOOP?

Our writer is always looking for a good story. Email jon@mnla.biz and we’ll discuss the next steps.

october october 16 16 MNLA MNLA .biz.biz

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2016 TOP TEN

PERFORMING ANNUAL FLOWERS Annual flowers have long been used to enhance landscapes, improve curb appeal, or simply to provide aesthetic beauty. Their wide variety of color and texture makes annual flowers extremely attractive to consumers; annual flower sales exceed $1.3 billion each year in just the top 15 states (Floriculture Crops Summary 2014, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service).

University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center Steve Poppe | Senior Horticulture Scientist Esther Jordan | Communications Specialist

âžž 2 0 1 6 TOP TEN AN N U AL S

Annual flower variety trials for the University of Minnesota (U of MN) are conducted at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) Horticulture Display Garden in Morris, MN. The Garden features impressive displays of the newest cultivars of annual flowers from plant breeding companies around the world. Cultivars are grown from seed or are vegetatively propagated in our greenhouse, and later transplanted into the garden in late May.

P

lants are evaluated three to four times during the growing season in order to assess each variety’s performance. We use a 1 to 5 scale for providing a horticultural rating (1=poor, 2=below average, 3=average, 4=above average, 5=excellent). Plants are rated on performance, color, vigor, uniformity of habit and flowering, flowering numbers relative to others, insect and disease resistance, and uniqueness. The data is taken by the same individual every time to reduce variability in scoring. Only the highest rating cultivars earn the distinction of a Top Ten Performing Annual recommendation for Minnesota.

Plant breeding companies rely on valuable feedback from annual flower trials conducted throughout the nation in order to market 18

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and improve their cultivars. Evaluations from the WCROC annual flower trial are shared with participating plant breeding companies; they may in turn make plant improvements to their cultivars and enter the flower back into trial for another season. Our annual flower report is also made available to commercial nursery producers, floriculture professionals, grower associations, U of MN Extension and U of MN Master Gardeners in order to provide cultivar recommendations.

Even though the annual flowers are under evaluation, the plants are placed into an aesthetically pleasing design, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty of the garden. The Horticulture Display Garden has been an All-America Selections (AAS) Display Garden since 1990. The AAS award recognizes a flower or vegetable variety proven to have superior performance throughout the North American continent. An AAS Display Garden provides the public an opportunity to view the new AAS winners in an attractive well-maintained setting.

Additionally, the Horticulture Display Garden is the only AAS Trial Ground site in Minnesota, where AAS entries are planted next to comparisons and evaluated by an AAS Trial Judge.

Hundreds of cultivars are trialed each growing season in the Horticulture Display Garden. Near the end of the season, we review all data in order to determine the top ten performers in the annual flower trial. A Top Ten winner must receive all 5s at each evaluation, and appear to be a promising cultivar for Minnesota. Below is our list of Top Ten Performing Annual Flowers from the U of MN WCROC annual flower trial in 2016. For a complete list of results, please refer to www.wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/flower-research-results.

is a heat and drought tolerant plant that blooms all season long with fragrant grapescented foliage. This is a low maintenance plant that requires no deadheading and is a great cut flower. Angelonia’s are heat-loving plants that will grow most vigorously and bloom best in the heat of the season.

 Angelonia Angelface® Super Pink

offers outstanding performance with extra-large pink flowers against a background of glossy bronze foliage from spring through fall. Whoppers are a big vigorous plant which fills out garden beds and large containers well.

> Begonia Whopper Rose Bronze Foliage

is a high impact coleus, perfect for large pots or in the garden landscape. Elegant pink and green leaves add a dramatic touch to the garden in either sun or shade.

> Coleus French Quarter*

boasts a massive amount of stunning, bright pink bicolor blooms with tons of color to brighten your garden, be it in shade or sun.

Bright Coral offers the habit and flower count of seed-grown impatiens, but with the added benefit of resistance to downy mildew disease.

 Impatiens Interspecific Bounce™ Bright Coral

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➾ 2 0 1 6 TOP TEN AN N U AL S

delivers unsurpassed garden performance with season long soft pink flowers that never slow. These vigorous spreading plants keep their shape all summer; they do just as well in full sun as in shade. These low-maintenance plants are perfect for gardeners looking for impatiens that are resistant to downy mildew disease.

> Impatiens SunPatiens® Spreading Shell Pink

is very vigorous and continues to flower with numerous blooms all season long.

Supertunia® Vista Fuchsia has a mounding habit that can reach up to 1½ feet in height in the landscape and will trail over the edges of baskets and containers up to 3 feet by the end of the season. Deadheading not necessary.

 Petunia Supertunia® Vista Fuchsia (Imp)

has an attractive orange flower color that was outstanding during the summer of 2016. This petunia grows evenly and uniformly in the garden as well as in containers, all while producing a prolific number of blooms all season-long.

 Petunia African Sunset F1

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is a compact trailing plant and an excellent choice for pots and containers. The large flowers have unique overlapping petals making it a real eyecatcher in any type of container. Solar Avalanche Red performs very well in warm and humid conditions.

ďƒ Vinca Solar Avalanche Red

is an early flowering and large flowered zinnia variety that will provide a fabulous display of color in a garden display. Zinnia Solmar Rose is a vigorous variety with good disease tolerance and is well suited to challenging weather conditions.

Solmar Rose was a stunning performer in our 2016 garden beds.

> Zinnia Solmar Rose

is an ideal choice for a disease resistant zinnia with reliable, season-long performance. These 18–24" tall plants offer exceptional uniform plant habit, growth and vigor with a knock-out orange/red color. For optimum performance, plant zinnias in a well-drained garden soil.

ďƒĄ Zinnia Zahara XL Fire Improved *

* denotes top consumer favorites at the 2016 U of MN WCROC Horticulture Night All flowers in the Horticulture Display Garden are labeled, allowing visitors to take note of top performing cultivars under regional conditions. The Horticulture Display Garden is open daily from dawn until dusk; admission is free. The Garden is located at 46352 State Hwy 329, Morris, MN. For directions, visit wcroc.cfans.umn.edu.

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âž¾ T R E E REMOVAL

TREE REMOVAL

IS NOT FOR THE A

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John Ball | South Dakota State University

MATEUR

Tree work is among the highest risk professions in the United State with a fatality rate ranked near commercial fisheries and logging, two industries widely acknowledged for their capability to kill those engaged in the work.

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➾ T RE E RE M O VA L

T

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he high ranking is not too surprising as any activity that combines large, heavy objects, power equipment and height creates a hazard-filled environment. I refer to this as “high risk,” not “dangerous,” as danger implies there was an element of chance or luck involved in the outcome of an incident. Arborists do not manage danger but they can manage risk. A tree crew is minimizing risk every day in the field by establishing work zones, conducting prework inspections and briefings, and wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). If you want to see dangerous tree work, watch the amateur, the homeowner, or a part-time gardener.

Every arborist has probably heard a homeowner exclaim upon hearing the price for removing a particular large tree; “That’s robbery! I’ll do it myself!” (Or the equally humorous, “How much can I save if I take the day off from work and come out to help you?”). The increase in tree removal brought about by the emerald ash borer has brought out a lot of amateurs. Tree removal is sometime tricky and this is made worse by a standing dead ash that was infested with emerald ash borer. In a word, these trees are brittle, and their removal can be more involved that they appear. Removals do look simple; after all, gravity rules and a cut tree will fall. The trick, of course, is having it land in the correct space, a thought that often only occurs to the amateur when they’re standing with their running saw watching the tree come down in precisely the wrong direction.

Directional felling seems to be an oxymoron for the amateur. They assume if they make a face cut more than halfway through the trunk it has to fall in that direction. If the chain saw doesn’t bind as they begin the back-cut, the amateur is startled to find the tree falling back towards them. Making the proper cut is important for directing the fall, but it never hurts to improve the aim by placing a pull line in the tree or using wedges or sometime both. The amateur cutter does not bother with a wedge, but I have seen ropes used. These are usually tied about as high as the person can reach on the ladder, rather than higher in the tree, where better force is provided. The problem with

tying low is compounded by using too short of a line. Tying low with a short line usually means the person is standing in the fall path of the tree rather than out a distance equal to 1.5 times the height. A common fatality is the ground person being struck by the falling tree.

Merely running the chain saw creates hazards to the amateur. A study of emergency room visits in the Midwest found that homeowners attempting to perform tree work were far more likely, in fact five times more likely, to be admitted than professionals and with much more serious injuries.

One reason for this difference was that professionals use PPE such as cut-resistant chaps and helmets, among other equipment, while homeowners think nothing of running chain saws while wearing shorts and flip-flops.

Many people seem to have a very casual attitude toward running chain saws. Despite the fact they are operating a machine that is capable of having 600 cutting teeth per second passing over a single point, with each tooth capable of slicing through a quarterinch of flesh; they seem unfazed by this hazard. Improper chain saw use accounts for 23,000 emergency room visits each year as well as 20–40 fatalities. Yet every day you can watch people running saws without any PPE to reduce the severity of a potential saw-body contact. And they are often running the saw above their shoulders as they are dismantling a fallen tree. The fact that we have incidents with amateurs running chain saws is not surprising. What is surprising is that most survive the experience!

And what are they cutting besides the tree? Mostly hands and fingers (about 7,000 of the ER visits). Not too surprising, it’s the left hand or fingers. Why? They were operating the chain saw with their right hand while holding the branch with their left. Chain saws are designed to be operated with both hands; this give you more control. The next most common body site injured? The knee, the left knee, since the operator was not wearing chaps (another 6,000 of the ER visits).

Once the tree is cut up by the chain saw, the next question is what to do with the big pile of brush. Chippers have been a boon to tree businesses. Rather than having to

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cut branches and stack them in the backs of trucks or flatbeds, now almost the entire tree can be reduced to a pile of chips. But any machine that can reduce a tree to small fragments less than one-inch in size can also do the same to a human being. Chippers are involved in incidents each year in which hands or feet are pulled in and quickly accompanied by the remaining arm, leg, torso, and head. Getting pulled in by the hand (usually the left hand is the most common), occurs when the operator pushes the brush in by hand rather than using another cut branch or push pole (not an aluminum scoop shovel!). Someone might think they can pull their hand away quickly enough but usually the hand is caught and it only takes 1.2 seconds to be pulled completely through. While you can rent a chipper, this is equipment best left to the professional.

Removing a tree is rarely a pleasant decision. Shade that may have taken a lifetime to create will be missed as well as the other amenities provided by mature trees.

However, homeowners should not make matters worse by attempting to do this work themselves or hiring someone who is not qualified or insured to do the work. The loss of a tree should not be compounded by the loss of a life.

DR. JOHN BALL is

a Professor of Forestry at South Dakota State University where he instructs courses in arboriculture and serves as the campus arborist.

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➾ G OV E RN MEN T AFFAI R S

At the Table: The Importance of Grassroots Advocacy There’s an old adage around the Capitol which states that “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” A bit crude, perhaps, but the saying powerfully demonstrates the high stakes of engagement in government affairs.

Alicia Munson

MNLA Government Affairs Director

Elected officials — both in St. Paul and Washington, D.C. — are making high-level decisions which directly affect each and every one of us, each and every day. So regardless of our personal interest in policy or sense of comfort at the Capitol, it is in our best interest to pay attention to and (more importantly) engage in government affairs and grassroots advocacy.

While legislators are regarded as well-educated, experienced individuals holding positions of power, they are also regular people who come from all walks of life.

They’re not all-knowing nor ever-present; just like the rest of us, they possess a limited amount of knowledge on a specific set of topics. In their private lives, elected officials could be small business owners, teachers, sales people, or chiropractors, and bring the experience

…regardless of our personal interest in policy or sense of comfort at the Capitol, it is in our best interest to pay attention to and (more importantly) engage in government affairs and grassroots advocacy. gained in those areas to their work in the public sector.

However, they’re often asked to participate in Committees which are completely separate and distinct from their education or profession. Many times, they are starting from scratch and learning as they go, especially after election years that see a high rate of legislative turnover — as will be the case this November.

Once in office, legislators are burdened by busy schedules, a constant barrage of information about a seemingly endless list of issues, and an overwhelming workload.

They rely on the knowledge of their constituents (the voters whom they ultimately work for and report to) to gain awareness. Without sharing our individual and 28

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collective experience and expertise, those legislators would move forward in decision-making without the necessary breadth of information to do so. This is especially true regarding policy impacting the green industry — a particularly complex and ever-growing field.

This is where you come in. YOU are the expert in this field. You don’t have to be an expert in government affairs to be an effective advocate; all you have to do is show up at the table! And when we come together to share common experiences regarding issues that broadly impact the industry, we create a groundswell of unified voices which becomes utterly impossible for elected officials to ignore. That’s why I find the call to action used by our Government Affairs team — “grassroots grows results” — to be so profound. It succinctly demonstrates the overwhelming importance and effectiveness of grassroots advocacy.

Of course, there are many factors which contribute to overall success — from fiscal health of the state, to dynamics within the legislature, to general public opinion — but a strong foundation of grassroots advocates is always key. Every legislative initiative that I’ve been a part of has been heavily dependent upon individuals who were passionate about their community and the work they do. But just finding the time to join in advocacy efforts, on top of running a business or simply living life, can present challenges and impede participation.

Knowing this, one of my priorities as MNLA’s Government Affairs Director is to provide you with simple ways to meaningfully engage in the policymaking process, and plans are already in place to make this possible. First, Jon Horsman and I are developing a Government Affairs communications plan which will include video updates and increased activity via social

Finally, planning is well underway for MNLA’s 2017 “Day on the Hill.” This year we’ll gather in St. Paul on Wednesday, March 8th to provide you with a critically important opportunity to speak directly to elected officials regarding issues that impact YOU. media, making it easy for you to quickly access important information no matter where you are in the state.

Second, the Government Affairs Committee is developing a grassroots advocacy action that everyone in the industry can participate in — regardless of age, experience, or interest in government affairs. We’re looking forward to making this available to you during the 2017 Northern Green trade show from January 10th through 12th, so keep an eye out for us while you’re there!

Finally, planning is well underway for MNLA’s 2017 “Day on the Hill.” This year we’ll gather in St. Paul on Wednesday, March 8th to provide you with a critically important opportunity to speak directly to elected officials regarding issues that impact YOU. If you’re unable to join us in the Cities, no worries — opportunities for you to engage remotely will be available as well.

A time of monumental change is upon the green industry; a time when we can’t afford to be “on the menu.” Sharing your knowledge, personal experience, and expertise will be more important now than ever in helping to ensure that elected officials make informed decisions resulting in positive outcomes.

During the upcoming 2017 legislative session, scheduled to begin January 3rd, there will be a seat for you “at the table.”

I hope you’ll join us.

ALICA MUNSON can

alica@mnla.biz.

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UPSIDE DOWN: HOW TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR THROUGH QUESTIONS RATHER THAN COMMANDS Many of my clients are successful professionals. They have good clients, make good money, and enjoy their jobs. The challenge is getting them to recognize that they could be even better at what they do.

Andrew Sobel

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J

ust because someone is successful doesn’t mean that everything he or she does is effective (that’s why I don’t bother to read articles by celebrities on diet and exercise, or how to make marriage last). Many of our management practices, to quote my friend and CEO coach Marshall Goldsmith, are “superstitions.” That is, even though they are second-rate habits, over time we have associated them — erroneously — with positive outcomes. We write proposals or run first meetings with prospects a certain way, and we naturally associate those techniques with our success. But that can be correlation, not causation. That is: many things we do work well, some things don’t actually work that well, but we don’t realize it because overall we are successful.

So how do you get highly successful people to recognize the need to change their average but ingrained behaviors that they believe have served them so well? Here’s a simple idea: Use questions rather than trying to tell them what to do. The reason questions work well was identified by Ben Franklin 250 years ago. He said, “Men are best convinced by ideas that they arrive at on their own.” How true.

The right questions help engage and motivate the other person, and lead them to the right answer. Ideally, they will feel the idea was theirs, not yours. Here are some suggestions for the types of questions that will help you change and improve others’ behaviors as a leader or coach: Ask self-assessment questions

People love to self-assess, and it can help them recognize the need for change. For example: • “In terms of achieving your objectives and advancing the sales process, how would you rate that meeting on a scale of 1–5, where 1=poor, 3=average, and 5=outstanding?” and follow up with, “Why did you give it that rating?” and “What would you change about it if you could do it over?”

Ask why questions:

• “Why do you think your client did that?”

• “Why are we writing a proposal now?”

• “Why is this important?”

Turn directives or statements into questions:

• Instead of saying, “You need to prepare more,” ask “How did feel about your preparation for that session?” and “In retrospect, is there anything you think you should have done differently, in terms of the way you prepared?”

• Instead of saying, “I don’t think your team is collaborating very well on this account,” simply ask “How do you feel about the degree of collaboration within your team?”

Ask challenge questions:

• “Is this the best you can do?” or “Do you feel this represented our best work/best effort?”

• “Sounds like you wish that had gone better. Is there a better approach? Is anything holding you back from trying something different?”

• “I know the client doesn’t want to consider this until the summer, but is there anything that would increase their sense of urgency? What could accelerate this?”

When working with experienced managers, it’s especially important to use questions to motivate and engage. You will most certainly provoke more positive change than if you simply tell people what they are doing wrong and how you want them to fix it. Telling people what to do makes you look smart. Asking them thoughtful questions that help them discover the answer makes them look smart. helps his clients build enduring relationships with their clients and other important individuals in their lives. Find out more at www.andrewsobel.com.

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october 16

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SHUT UP AND START SELLING HOW TO REDIRECT FROM SABOTAGE TO RETAIL SALES SUCCESS I was in a sporting goods store when I overheard a department manager talking to a clerk while about a half dozen shoppers walked around. “What are you doing standing behind the register?” he asked. The clerk replied, “I’m letting them look.” Meanwhile a customer, trying to find her size in a stack of jerseys, smiled and gave up. The manager saw her resignation, went over, and helped her.

Bob Phibbs | The Retail Doctor

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➾ S H UT UP AN D START SEL L I N G

Discounts are just a going-out-of-business sale on a payment plan.

W

ith traffic counts down (for some retailers in the double-digits), the panic to do something has led to multiple initiatives from retailers to try to save their shrinking piece of the pie. Having your clerks just tell you they are doing their job won’t help. No, your clerk doesn’t know their shopper is just looking because that’s what they replied when asked, “How are you today?” No, your clerk doesn’t know what their shopper needs because they were directly asked when they came in the shop. And no, you don’t know their shopper is only just price shopping because your clerk told you so.

The goal of hiring salespeople in the first place is to have associates who will actively participate with every shopper to get the sale. You

Sale lost. By the way, the next week that same brand, for the first time, sent out a coupon for 20% off everything in their stores.

Another time…at another famous designer store…I encountered a greeter stationed at the door. He half-heartedly held the door open for me and simply said, like a toy whose battery was almost empty, “Men’s in the back.” Once inside the clerks were no better, “Let me know if you need anything.” Sale lost. And people wonder why their sales are down. Geez. Your own crew is sabotaging you. And don’t think for a minute that more discounts are going to save you.

don’t hire salespeople to give excuses and tell you why they can’t.

In Sum

When employees tell you they can’t, what they mean is they can’t get an easy sale. Know what? They’re right, the easy sales are online.

It’s easy to treat the shopper in your store as a them and not as an individual deserving of care and consideration.

When you create a meaningful conversation, not a product-driven one, you are able to not only sell a product that day, but you also give them the reason to come back again. That takes retail sales training. Very few people in the world can instinctively model how to engage a stranger with an open heart, how to be curious about them as a person first and a customer second. Few employees know how to show their shopper products they hadn’t thought of that they might appreciate and would add-on to the sale.

There is such a culture of know-nothings, who feel selling is vampire-y, especially among Millennials. They feel that trying to help someone with a sales process is like a vulture looking for roadkill to pick the meat off of.

Nodding the head does not row the boat. — Irish Proverb Do you know how many retailers I talk to in a month who offer no sales training? Who have no performance reviews? Who have no KPIs to measure each employee’s effectiveness? Plenty.

Why don’t they do it? They themselves believe selling is pushy.

Beneath them. Something others less pure than themselves have to do. I have news for them: they’re sabotaging their business as much as their employees are sabotaging their sales.

Their shoppers are out there — they are. Millions of them. I see them walk in and out of stores without buying anything because no one made a connection. These shoppers feel lonelier leaving these stores than they did going in. Their one hope they probably weren’t even aware of was to have someone during those few minutes seem like they genuinely cared about them. That hope, that welcome feeling doesn’t come from a friends and family day coupon being handed out at the door, a floor-to-ceiling sign screaming SALE, or a new app. It comes from human beings meeting human beings. And when your employees aren’t trained — and it takes a lot of training, believe me — that’s your fault. You just have to decide if your business is hurting enough to lose the excuses and warrant change.

That’s just stupid.

Those attitudes are luxuries your business cannot afford. Because they view selling as fake, many associates feel it is genuine to routinely say, “Hi, how are you? Can I help you find something? Do you have a budget?” But none of those mindless questions will start a relationship!

A couple weeks ago, I went into my favorite men’s shirt company and the woman standing in front of the counter greeted me…well greeted my back with, “Do you know our brand story?” I replied, “Yes,” at which point she turned and went back behind the register.

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Discounts are just a going-out-of-business sale on a payment plan.

BOB PHIBBS is the Retail Doctor; a speaker, author, and retail sales expert of choice for some of the most legendary retail brands in the world. With over 30 years’ experience beginning in the trenches of retail and extending to senior management positions, he has been a corporate officer, franchisor and entrepreneur. Contact Bob at www.retaildoc.com, or 562-260-2266.

➾ LANDSCAPE AWARD S

LANDSCAPE AWARDS 5 TIPS WHEN PR EPAR I N G Y O UR EN TRY

HAVE YOU WORKED ON A LANDSCAPE PROJECT THAT YOU THINK IS WORTHY OF AN MNLA LANDSCAPE AWARD? HERE ARE FIVE TIPS TO HELP YOU SUBMIT THE BEST APPLICATION POSSIBLE. Jon Horsman MNLA Communications Director

1.

2.

3.

Awards Entry Portal Open Now!

4.

5.

Write a good project summary and photo descriptions.

Don’t forget — the judges will be reading many summaries and photo descriptions during the judging day. Make yours stand out! Emphasize the best aspects of your project as simply and directly as possible. This is your opportunity to verbalize everything that the pictures and site plan may not emphasize. You can spell out the highlights of your project. Keep it clear and concise. Put the most important information first. Try to anticipate the questions the judges will have about your project.

Start early.

Be sure to write your project summary and photo descriptions before you go to the online portal to submit your entry. Why? Well, it’s not because you have to enter everything in one session. (Our entry portal allows you to save your work and come back later to finish.) It’s so you’ll have time to re-read them and ensure that they focus in on the message that you want to convey.

Create a presentation-ready “as-built” site plan.

A site plan should give an overall perspective of the project to the judges. This is another opportunity for you to demonstrate your professionalism. The plan should be clear, easily read, and professional-looking. If the judges are only judging one portion of the overall plan, be sure to make that clear. The plants should be indicated correctly on the site plan. Be sure that your plant list is professional — i.e. has Latin (and common) names spelled correctly. It gives the judges a very bad impression when names are misspelled.

Make the judge’s job easy.

The judges are only able to “see” your project through the information that you give them. So, take a moment when you complete your package to step back and try to view the project through the eyes of someone who is not familiar with it. Does the beauty and expertise of the project come through just from the materials you’re sending in?

Finish on time.

Submissions must be entered by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

Don’t wait too long, or you’ll run out of time to review your application before you submit it.

THIS YEAR WE ARE PLEASED TO AGAIN BE PARTNERING WITH SPACES MAGAZINE, WHO WILL PUBLISH THE WINNING PROJECTS AND EVEN PRODUCE A FEATURE STORY ON OUR JUDGES CHOICE AWARD PROJECT! Our newly-reimagined winter show, Northern Green 2017, will feature the MNLA Landscape Awards in three high-profile ways: The Landscape Awards Display will be incorporated into a new space on the trade show floor called the Innovation & Inspiration Theater. An exhibition of award-winning landscape project posters will help define the space, and provide some inspiration and innovation to the theater. This theater will also be the home for Landscape Awards Presentations when the people behind the projects explain the thinking that went into it. A 40-foot wide screen will showcase the projects and provide an engaging view of the landscapes.

Presentation of the plaques and the recognition of winners will take place during a brand new experience. The Green Industry Awards Celebration will be held on Tuesday, January 10 at 5:30 p.m., right after the Trade Show Preview Party. While the focus will be on networking time, MNLA, MTGF, and all MTGF-affiliated organizations will honor innovative and inspiring volunteer leaders, landscapes, and research projects in this all-industry event.

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➾ OUT & ABOUT

MNLA

WE WERE PLEASED TO PARTNER WITH THE PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION (PPA) ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 FOR MNLA TOUR DAY. This page features photos taken on the Garden Center Tour, while the opposite page shows some of the beautiful sites we visited during the Landscape Design Tour.

Beautiful displays at Abrahamson Nurseries, St. Croix Falls.

Enjoying the unique pond at Squire House Gardens.

Thank you to Abrahamson Nurseries for providing lunch!

The group found some unique plants at Funkie Gardens.

Alicia Enger, My Sister’s Garden; Heidi Heiland, Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens and GrowHaus; Kyle Lambert, The Growing Place.

Monarch chrysalises at Landscape Alternatives.

Owners, Karl Ruser and Roy Robinson, and the crew at Landscape Alternatives.

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All the sites made us feel so welcome. Thanks Squire House Gardens!

Lee and Jerry Shannon Garden.

Marge Hols Garden.

Marge Hols Garden.

Marjorie McNeeley Conservatory.

Sheri and Roger Wilsey Garden.

Sheri and Roger Wilsey Garden.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PERENNIAL PLANT SYMPOSIUM (which was held in Bloomington August 1–5), both the Garden Center Tour and Landscape Design Tour were held on one day. MNLA and PPA members mingled on the buses and were treated to inspiring sites on both tours.

The Garden Center Tour included locations on the eastern edge of the Twin Cities and just over the border into Hudson. Attendees visited: My Sister’s Garden, Landscape Alternatives, Funkie Gardens (and Crabtree’s Garden Gate), Abrahamson Nurseries, and Squire House Gardens. Attendees walked away with new ideas to implement at their own garden centers — and some left with a few new plants too!

The Landscape Design Tour was focused around Capitol city gardens and landscapes. Attendees were treated to four beautiful private gardens in St. Paul, the gardens at Highland Nursery, the classic Garden at the St. Paul Hotel, and Como Park Conservatory.

A special thanks to all the sites for welcoming our tours and providing such generous hospitality! Photos on this page were taken by Mark Stoltenberg Photography.

Marjorie McNeeley Conservatory.

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d v c w y c i o h y t

W

– i t p i o i W a p o

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www.MNLA.biz | ocTober 2012

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*Name badges will be mailed to those who register by December 9th...no waiting in line! NEW! Those who register between December 10th and 30th will receive an email with their badge information. Bring the emailed badge information with you to the show and visit one of our new Self Check-In kiosks in the Registration Center. **Available to the first 2,000 attendees Wednesday and Thursday.

More information coming throughout the year and at

WWW.NORTHERNGREEN.ORG

JANUARY 10-12,

2017

MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

SE OOOWNR E H C UR T U YO VEN AD

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

WEDNESDAY SESSIONS at a Glance

10:00 AM 11:00 AM

New Herbicides for Turf Aaron Patton | 101 CDE Perennials that Drink Responsibly Stephanie Cohen | 101 FGH Working Smarter Jim Paluch | 101 ABIJ Irrigation BMPs, Part 1 Brent Mecham | 102 DEF Technology: Site Survey Using Drones TBD | 208 ABCD Hazards of Removing EAB Infested Trees John Ball | 211 ABCD

11:10 AM 12:10 PM

CEO PREMIUM CONTENT: Attracting and Retaining Top Level Employees | Eric Chester | 103 ABC

10:05 AM 10:05 AM - 10:35 AM 1:45 PM

Invasive Plant Update Jim Calkins | Lakeshore Campfire MNLA Foundation Grant Update Allan Smith | Backyard Campfire 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM

Selecting Turfgrass Varieties Andrew Hollman | Lakeshore Campfire MNLA Foundation Grant Update Angela Orshinsky and Kathy Zuzek | Backyard Campfire

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

11:20 AM - 11:50 AM

Flower Grower Networking with Special Guest Stephanie Cohen | Lakeshore Campfire Arborist/Tree Care Networking with Special Guest John Ball | Backyard Campfire Photography Tips for the Landscape Professional Don Brenneman | Innovation Theater 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

Managing Troublesome Areas Aaron Patton | Lakeshore Campfire Designing with Snow Removal in Mind Chad Schmidt | Backyard Campfire 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Tree Planting Techniques Chad Giblin | Lakeshore Campfire Contractor Networking with Special Guest Jim Paluch Backyard Campfire Hazeltine Ryder Cup Prep Chris Tritabaugh | Innovation Theater 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

Container Media: Aeration, Water Porosity John Erwin | Lakeshore Campfire

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

CEO PREMIUM CONTENT: Structural Changes in the Green Industry | Charlie Hall | 103ABC

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

10:00 AM 11:00 AM

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM (CONTINUED)

Hot Legal Topics Bryan Zlimen | Backyard Campfire Hazeltine Ryder Cup Prep, Continued Chris Tritabaugh | Innovation Theater 2:20 PM - 2:50 PM

Top 10 Insects Vera Krischik | Lakeshore Campfire Event Management Larry DiVito | Backyard Campfire 2017 New Plant Fashion Show Kelsey Sparks | Innovation Theater

3:00 PM 4:00 PM

CEO PREMIUM CONTENT: Developing a Winning Value Proposition | Charlie Hall | 103 ABC

3:00 PM 4:00 PM

Creating Organizational Excitement: Energizing your TEAM! | Jim Paluch | 101 ABIJ Fine Tuning Agronomic Programs for Putting Greens | Aaron Patton | 101 CDE Potluck Container Combinations Stephanie Cohen | 101 FGH Sports Field Changeover Larry DiVito | 208 ABCD Irrigation BMPs, Part 2 Brent Mecham | 102 DEF Green Industry Safety John Ball | 211 ABCD

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

KEYNOTE: ON FIRE AT WORK - How Great 8:30 AM Companies Ignite Passion in Their People without 9:45 AM Burning Them Out | Eric Chester | Ballroom A All attendees and exhibitors welcome!

1:45 PM 2:50 PM

3:05 PM 4:10 PM

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

University of Minnesota Turf Research Update Sam Bauer, Brian Horgan, Eric Watkins | 101 CDE

4:15 PM 5:15 PM 4:15 PM 5:15 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

7:30 AM 8:20 AM

COLOR KEY:

3:05 PM - 3:35 PM

Top 10 Insect & Solutions Gretchen Pettis | Lakeshore Campfire How to Determine Soil Texture Dan Wheeler | Backyard Campfire 3:40 PM - 4:10 PM

EarthKind Rose Trial David Zlesak | Lakeshore Campfire DOT Question & Answer DOT | Backyard Campfire CEO PREMIUM CONTENT: Biophilia and What it Means For the Future Green Industry Marketplace Charlie Hall | 103 ABC Practical Soil Microbiology Doug Soldat | 101 CDE New Bedding Plants for 2017 Bob Cashman, Carrie Larson | 101 FGH Remediating Poor Quality Soils Dan Wheeler | 102 DEF American Hort/SHIFT: What IF We Knew the Future? | Jennifer Noble | 208 ABCD EAB and Proper Tree Injection Technique Gretchen Pettis | 211 ABCD In the Studio with Landscape Designers | Diana Grundeen, Steve Modrow, Jason Rathe | 101 ABIJ

Concurrent Sessions Trade Show Floor Sessions

Premium Content

THURSDAY SESSIONS at a Glance

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

9:05 AM 10:05 AM

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Resilient Landscapes of the Future | Claudia West | 101 ABIJ Dollar Spot: Fairways/Curative/Preventive/New Products | Ed Nangle | 101 CDE Best Practices for SRWs: Design and Construction Dave Klein, Chad Julius | 101 FGH Using Alternative Water Supplies for Irrigation Brian Vinchesi | 102 DEF Improving High-Use Natural Grass Field Quality on a Limited Budget | Jerad Minnick | 208 ABCD Ash/Maple Alternatives Nancy Buley | 211 ABCD Tree & Shrub Selection for the Upper Midwest Jeff Epping | 101 ABIJ Journey Climbing Ama Dablam Steve Cook | 101 CDE How to Avoid Litigation in Contracting: Q & A Bill Kwasny, Patrick McGuiness | 101 FGH New Irrigation Technologies Chris Pine | 102 DEF Not Your Father’s Gardening Industry - Challenges for Some, Huge Opportunities For Many Ian Baldwin | 208 ABCD Urban Fruit Tree Selection Emily Hoover, Emily Tepe | 211 ABCD

9:10 AM 9:10 AM - 9:40 AM 12:15 PM

Landscape Design Networking Group Backyard Campfire Research Update Jim Calkins | Lakeshore Campfire 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

Walkabout - The Latest in Disease/Pest Control for Turf | Sam Bauer | Backyard Campfire Beyond Bees: Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Plants | Heather Holm | Lakeshore Campfire 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM

Speak up for Trees Nancy Buley | Backyard Campfire Pigments and Plant Physiology Ed Nangle | Lakeshore Campfire Top 10 Perennials Mike Heger | Innovation Theater

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

8:00 AM 9:00 AM

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

Professional Gardening Networking with Special Guest Claudia West | Backyard Campfire

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Nursery Networking with Special Guest Nancy Buley | Backyard Campfire Top 10 Diseases of Landscape Ornamentals in 2016 | Michelle Grabowski | Lakeshore Campfire Landscape Awards Presentations Landscape Award Winners | Innovation Theater INTERACTIVE TRACK: Landscape Management Network “Build a Better Business” Bootcamp Mike Lysecki | 103 ABC

1:45 PM 2:15 PM

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM

2:30 PM 3:30 PM

2:35 PM 3:40 PM

Diversify and Grow Your Contractor Service Business: Offer Seasonal/Holiday Lighting Reinders | Backyard Campfire Top 10 Grasses Mary Meyer | Lakeshore Campfire Landscape Awards Presentations Landscape Award Winners | Innovation Theater Creating Stunning Plant Communities that Stand the Test of Time | Claudia West | 101 ABIJ Innovative Use of Metal and Stone in the Contemporary Landscape | Shane Coen | 101 FGH Wetting Agents and Surface Firmness Ed Nangle | 101 CDE Sports Turf Innovations & Technology in Natural Grass Fields | Jerad Minnick | 102 DEF Money Matters - The Numbers To Track and Stay Ahead of The Pack | Ian Baldwin | 208 ABCD Care and Maintenance of Fruit Trees in the Landscape | Jeff Johnson | 211 ABCD 2:35 PM - 3:05 PM

MNLA Foundation Grant Update Todd West | Backyard Campfire Irrigation: What’s New? Lakeshore Campfire 3:10 PM - 3:40 PM

Intro to Sedges Mary Meyer | Backyard Campfire Top 10 New/Interesting Disease Solutions for 2017 | Chris Haugen | Lakeshore Campfire Drone Demo TBD | Innovation Theater

11:20 AM - 11:50 AM

Dwarf Potted Gladidis: MNLA Foundation Grant Update | Neil Anderson | Backyard Campfire Garden Center Networking with Special Guest Ian Baldwin | Backyard Campfire

MNLA Certification – Test Yourself!

MNLA Certification Task Team | Lakeshore Campfire Landscape Awards Presentations Landscape Award Winners | Innovation Theater

1:30 PM 3:30 PM

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

INTERACTIVE TRACK: Landscape Management 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Network “Build a Better Business” Bootcamp Mike Lysecki | 103 ABC

12:15 PM 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM (CONTINUED) 1:30 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Manipulating Fertilizer Programming Doug Soldat | 101 CDE

TRADE SHOW FLOOR SESSIONS

7:00 AM 8:00 AM

3:45 PM 4:45 PM

COLOR KEY:

CLOSING KEYNOTE: Thriving as a Team: Driving Results with Cooperation and Collaboration Dr. Jermaine Davis | Ballroom A All attendees and exhibitors welcome!

Concurrent Sessions Trade Show Floor Sessions

Premium Content

CLASSES

MASTER

FORMERLY SUPER TUESDAY

Choose one – available exclusively with a Northern Green 3-Day Pass only! A master class is given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—where skills are being developed. Improve your expertise as a green industry professional by attending one of the Northern Green Master Classes on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. Master Classes are included only with a Northern Green 3-Day Pass registration. Choose from one of the six classes below.

Generously supported by:

1 Ownership Thinking: Building Value Within an Already Successful Company Presented by Resultants for Business, Inc. This workshop is designed specifically for owners and top level leadership who have the responsibility for the entire organization. Join a group of very unique business advisors (and entrepreneurs) who will present five Owner-Thought Leadership topics designed to challenge your thinking, as well as help you gain business perspectives coming from other owners in the room. The day will definitely be “thought-provoking.”

Attendees will come away with: • A different perspective on “ownership thinking” and building value • Challenge exercises you can use within your own organization • An opportunity to dialogue with other owners and top level leaders This workshop is about capitalizing on that ownership thinking to move our companies forward, and building a better, more valuable organization from the inside out.

Time: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

2 Pesticide Recertification (Categories A,E,F, and P available) This workshop meets MDA’s Commercial Pesticide Applicator requirements for categories A (Core) & E (Turf and Ornamentals). New in 2017! Recertification for optional Categories F (Aquatics) or P (Vertebrate Pest) will also be offered on the same day.

These workshops have been approved by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).

Licensed applicators with Categories A and E who last attended a recertification workshop in 2015, and new-licensed pesticide applicators in 2016 must attend an MDA-approved workshop by 12/31/2017. By attending the Pesticide Recertification track and completing the on-site attendance documentation, applicators will obtain recertification credit.

In order for licensed applicators to receive credit for Category F (Aquatics) or Category P (Vertebrate Pest), they must also attend the Pesticide Recertification track from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. and complete on-site attendance documentation.

Category F: 8:00–10:00 a.m. | Category P: 8:00–10:00 a.m.

Categories A and E: 10:00. a.m.–4:00 p.m.

3 NCMA Segmental Retaining Walls Installer Course – Level I/Basic Presented by Dave Klein, Amcon Block and Precast, an NCMA Certified Instructor This one-day Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Installer Course teaches installers fundamental SRW installation guidelines, material and system component properties, soils and compaction, the effect of water, and site practices. Those who successfully complete the classroom training and pass a written examination become certified as a Certified SRW Installer (CSRWI).

This credential is highly valued by consumers and the program includes a wealth of valuable course information and reference material that attendees take back to work for implementation as money-saving and profit-making ideas.

Time: 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

4 Low Voltage Irrigation Technical Training - PLT Relicensure Instructed by Dick Johnson and Dave Ledo, PLT Services; and Tim Malooly, Water in Motion Pending approval by DOLI, this class will be recognized by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry as satisfying eight hours of continuing education requirements for the Power Limited Training Licensure, including 2 hours of code and 6 hours of technical training. The information provided during this class is oriented specifically toward the irrigation specialist, and will include topics such as: performing and measuring power limited electrical work terms and processes, locating equipment, 2-wire systems, and emerging remote control and water management technologies.

Time: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

5 A Landscape Design Charette Facilitated by Adam Arvidson, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Looking for some inspiration? New ideas? New techniques? Come and learn from new and seasoned landscape designers at this Landscape Design Charette!

A charette is a collaborative brainstorming session, involving multiple people, used to generate solutions to design problems. The ideas created and the system of checks and balances that naturally occur during a charette only lead to stronger design solutions and an inspired design team.

At the end of the day, the teams will come together to present their design solutions to the group.

Time: 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

6 Current and Emerging Tree Pests This workshop will provide the latest information on tree pest issues in Minnesota. We will delve deeply into pests currently threatening our trees and the status of pests that loom in our future.

The following topics will be discussed: • • • • • •

Update on EAB: Where is it now? How bad?

What is in the future?

Asian Longhorn Beetle What is the best way to treat ash trees? Best Management Practices Risk Factor: When ash trees die and fall apart Species selection, planting, pruning, and care of trees

Time: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Master Classes are included exclusively with a Northern Green 3-Day Pass registration. MNLA or MTGF members can preregister by December 30th on www.NorthernGreen.org and pay only $299, or register onsite on January 10th, 2017 for $379.

Premium Content

Enjoy exclusive sessions and an upgraded experience in our special tracks.

WEDNESDAY: CEO TRACK Wednesday’s CEO premium track for owners, CEOs, managers and top-level leaders will feature four hours of content from top green industry speakers Charlie Hall and Northern Green Opening Keynote speaker Eric Chester.

Charlie Hall, a professor at Texas A & M University, is known for the enthusiasm, passion, and intensity he exhibits when speaking. Hall will provide the following sessions: Structural Changes in the Green Industry; Developing a Winning Value Proposition; and Biophilia and What It Means for the Future Green Industry Marketplace. Eric Chester, a trusted source in the global dialogue on employee engagement, workplace culture, and the emerging generation will provide a “can’t miss session” on attracting and retaining top level employees.

C E O

TRACK

When you upgrade to the CEO Track, you’ll also receive exclusive access to the CEO Lounge during Northern Green.

Generously supported by:

Dr. Charlie Hall

Eric Chester

C E O LOUNGE



TM

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

THURSDAY: INTERACTIVE TRACK Thursday’s Interactive track is facilitated

by Landscape Management Network (LMN). LMN has helped thousands in the landscape industry build a better landscape business. Mike Lysecki, CTO of LMN, will provide four hours of exclusive content for Northern Green attendees. This hands-on, interactive training will show you how simple it is to take the guesswork out of running a landscape company.

INTERACTIVE TRACK

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Special Ticketed Events Enhance your Northern Green Experience by attending one of these exclusive networking events. Access to each event requires a separate ticket for an additional fee, regardless of conference registration package.

You may register for each ticketed event as part of your Northern Green registration.

GREEN INDUSTRY AWARDS

CELEBRATI0N

Green Industry Awards Celebration

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 | 5:30pm – 8:30pm

This year marks the unveiling of a new event to celebrate green industry success. A joint effort by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) and the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation (MTGF), the event will occur in the new Innovation and Inspiration Theater on the trade show floor, which includes a giant rear-projected screen allowing for a fantastic visual display. There will be dinner, drinks, a master of cermonies to act as a host for the evening’s festivities, and lots to celebrate! Ticket price: $40

LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST

MNLA Legislative Breakfast

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | 7:15am – 8:15am

It’s sure to be cold outside, so warm up with some delicious food and start the morning off right at the MNLA Legislative Breakfast. Come and learn about policy issues facing the green industry and how you can have a voice on important issues that affect your business! Ticket price: $35 Generously supported by Irrigation by Design.

COMEDY

NIGHT

Green Industry Comedy Night Wednesday, January 11, 2017 5:15pm – 8:00pm

A fun night of networking, including a pizza buffet, cash bars, and featuring John Heffron, a national headlining comedian.

Ticket price: $20

NG17 Special Ticketed Events - half vertical.indd 1

John Heffron

october 16 9/14/2016 2:22:15 PM

MNLA .biz

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➾ R E S E ARCH FOR THE R EAL WO R L D

Research Roundup: Neonics and Their Potential Effects on Pollinators As most nursery and landscape professionals are well aware, the ongoing debate about neonicotinoid insecticides and their potential impacts on bees and other pollinators continues.

Dr. James Calkins

MNLA Foundation Research Information Director

Much has been learned, but many important questions remain and researchers continue the search for answers to these questions. To date, most people would agree that the mortality rates of honey bees have been relatively high in recent years and the populations of a number of other pollinators have experienced declines.

Not surprisingly, research and experience have also shown that neonicotinoid insecticides and other insecticides can clearly harm pollinators when applied improperly. Whether pesticides, including neonicotinoid insecticides, that are applied properly, as directed by the product label, are a threat to pollinators is much less definitive, but, most (not all) research and other evidence supports the idea that neonicotinoid insecticides are not a primary cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD) for honey bees (Apis mellifera) or the population declines for other pollinators. Instead, research generally indicates that CCD is a consequence of a variety of confounded factors including pests (e.g., mites, including varroa mites, and pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses), poor nutrition, resulting from reduced wildflower populations and inadequate supplemental diets, stressful honey bee management practices, including frequent relocations for commercial pollination purposes, pesticide exposure (i.e., insecticides, fungicides, herbicides), climate change, and a lack of genetic diversity. Varroa mites have been implicated as a primary cause of CCD for honey bees and habitat loss has been suggested as a primary concern for pollinators in general. Previous MNLA Foundation Research for the Real World articles have documented these findings, while research focused on the potential effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinators, including an increased and more refined focus on real-world exposures and the effects of chronic exposure, continues. The

findings of several recent studies that may be of interest to green industry professionals follow: Survey and Risk Assessment of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Urban, Rural, and Agricultural Settings / Lawrence et al, 2016; Washington State University.

This study, published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, investigated the exposure of honey bees to neonicotinoid insecticides associated with pollen foraging and studied hives located in urban, rural, and agricultural areas and managed by commercial, semi-commercial, and hobbyist beekeepers in the State of Washington (92 beekeepers and 149 apiaries). Insecticide residues in and on the wax honeycombs and in beebread (stored pollen) were evaluated for the presence of the neonicotinoid insecticides imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. Neonicotinoid residues were found in less than 5% of the apiaries in urban and rural landscapes and two of the neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, were found in approximately 50% of the apiaries in agricultural landscapes. The highest insecticide residue observed was for imidacloprid at a concentration of 3.9 ppb (parts per billion; 25 ppb is the threshold that has been set by the U.S. EPA below which no negative effects on pollinators would be expected). As a result of the data collected, and based on a dietary “no observable adverse effect concentration” (NOAEC) of 5 ppb, a probabilistic risk assessment indicated a low potential for negative effects on honey bee behavior or colony health in the field. Although neonicotinoid insecticides can harm honey bees when applied incorrectly, the research indicates bees simply aren’t exposed to levels of the insecticides that would be expected to cause harm in real world settings. october 16

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➾ RE S E ARCH FOR THE R EAL WO R L D

Figure 1. Spiraea fritschiana (Korean spirea), a non-native shrub with great landscape characteristics that is very popular with bees during midsummer. Although the findings may not be as definitive as many would like, research continues to provide new information on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides and other insecticides and pesticides on bees and other pollinators; at the same time, promoting the planting of native and introduced species that benefit pollinators is a winning strategy for pollinators and the nursery and landscape industry. (Photo Credit: James Calkins)

Does Consumer Awareness of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Influence Their Preferences for Plants? / Rihn and Khachatryan, 2016; University of Florida.

In response to a growing awareness by consumers about pollinator health and the potential impacts of pesticides like neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinators, this study, published in the journal HortScience, surveyed 921 people in an attempt to assess the public’s knowledge and perceptions of these issues and how the wording of plant labels related to these insecticides and pollinators might influence consumer attitudes and purchasing decisions. It was found that 24% of consumers are aware of neonicotinoid insecticide/ pollinator issues and that consumer awareness of neonicotinoid insecticides does influence their preferences for plants. Specific to plant labeling, labels that were pollinator specific (e.g., bee attractive, butterfly friendly) and non-pollinator-specific (e.g., pollinator attractive, pollinator friendly) were used to assess the public’s perceptions and preferences. It was also learned that consumers who are aware of neonicotinoid insecticide/pollinator concerns tend to be more knowledgeable about specific plants and their ability to benefit pollinators and are more likely to purchase plants labeled as “neonic free.” Overall, however, labeling that was more general regarding pollinators was preferred compared to labels that focused on specific types of pollinators (e.g. bees, butterflies) with the term “pollinator friendly” being the most desirable and “neonic free” being the least preferred. These results were interesting and unexpected as the authors expected a preference for bee-specific labels given the focus of media reports on honey bees rather than pollinators in general. As a result of the public’s growing awareness of neonicotinoid insecticides and the prevailing negative perceptions about these insecticides and their potential effects on purchasing decisions, this influence would be expected to increase should these insecticides remain in the news. If negative publicity persists, the pest management strategies employed by industry may need to change (as it already has in some cases).

Assessment of Chronic Sub-lethal Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Colony Health / Dively et al, 2015; University of Maryland.

For this three-year study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, honey bee colonies were fed pollen dosed with the neonicotinoid 50

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insecticide imidacloprid at field-realistic concentrations (5, 20, and 100 µg/kg) over multiple brood cycles. The 5 and 20 µg/kg concentrations represented the high range of residues reported for pollen and nectar for seed-treated crops while the 100 µg/kg represented a worst case exposure resulting from an application during bloom (which of course isn’t recommended). As the title indicates, the objective was to study the fate of imidacloprid residues in honey bee hives and to assess any chronic sub-lethal effects on honey bee colonies. The study represented a worst-case scenario where bees were exposed to the insecticides for up to 12 continuous weeks which would be unlikely in real world situations since most crops do not bloom for this length of time. Although some chronic effects were noted for the higher doses of imidacloprid, the authors concluded that neonicotinoid insecticides are unlikely to be a sole or primary cause of colony collapse. It would be unusual for bees to be exposed to the levels of imidacloprid used in the study for extended periods of time and real-world exposures would be less as bees forage from a variety of nectar and pollen sources during a given timeframe which would reduce the concentration of the insecticide stored by the colony.

Impacts of Neonicotinoid Use on Long-term Population Changes in Wild Bees in England / Woodcock et al, 2016; Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. This study, published in the journal Nature Communications, investigated the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides applied to rapeseed (Brassica napus) on 62 species of wild bees over a period of 18 years (1994–2011) by comparing bee distribution data to neonicotinoid insecticide use as a seed treatment on rapeseed. Bee distribution data was based on bee occurrence surveys. Neonicotinoid insecticide use was based on data collected through pesticide use surveys. The widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides on rapeseed started in 2002. Actual exposures of bees to insecticides were not measured. Based on their assumptions and analysis, the authors suggest that sub-lethal effects of neonicotinoid insecticides could cause reduced bee diversity and that restrictions on neonicotinoid use may reduce population declines. This research has received a lot of media attention.

Non-Cultivated Plants Present a Season-Long Route of Pesticide Exposure for Honey Bees / Long and Krupke, 2016; Purdue University.

In an attempt to better understand the contributions of agricultural (primarily corn and soybeans) and non-agricultural areas to the pesticide exposures experienced by honey bees, this Indiana study, published in the journal Nature Communications, compared the pesticide content in pollen from honey bee hives located in a non-agricultural meadow and adjacent to corn fields established from neonicotinoid-treated and non-treated seeds. The study was initiated after the corn fields had been planted to reduce exposure to neonicotinoid-contaminated dust during planting. The types of pollen collected over a 16-week period and the pesticide residues present in the pollen were subsequently determined. The results indicated that the pollen collected by honeybees was consistently contaminated with pesticides throughout the entire 16-week period and that most of the pollen came from non-agricultural plants. Very little pollen came from corn and soybeans (located in nearby fields) and pollen from the Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) and Fabaceae (Pea/Bean Family) were the most common regardless of hive location with Fabaceae pollen being the most prevalent. Twentynine (29) pesticides were isolated from hives located at the meadow site and 29 and 31 pesticides were found in the pollen from the treated and non-treated cornfield sites, respectfully. Fungicides and herbicides were the most common pesticides isolated and, interestingly, the most common insecticides were pyrethroids. The next most common insecticides were neonicotinoids. In general, the study showed that pesticides used in agricultural production were not the pesticides that posed the highest risk to honey bees; the insecticides phenothrin and prallethrin, pyrethroids used primarily for controlling mosquitoes, posed the greatest risk.

Exposure of Native Bees Foraging in an Agricultural Landscape to Current-use Pesticides / Hladik, et al, 2016; United States Geological Survey.

The results of this study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, documents the first observed occurrence of pesticides, including insecticides (including neonicotinoid insecticides), fungicides, and herbicides in wild-caught native bees, a group of insects that has received little attention from a research perspective. Fiftyfour composite samples of native bees were collected over two field seasons from traps placed in northeastern Colorado and the samples were tested for 122 different pesticides and 14 pesticide breakdown products. A total of 18 pesticides were detected and 70% of the bees contained pesticides and pesticide residues. The most commonly found pesticide was thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, and multiple pesticides were found in 48% of the bees sampled. One sample had nine pesticides. The results indicate that native bees collected in an agricultural landscape are exposed to multiple pesticides which the authors found troubling because pesticides in combination can sometimes have additive or synergistic effects that can be more toxic than the individual chemicals alone.

Not surprisingly, the results of these and other studies continue to be mixed, but the research is becoming more focused and the new

information will hopefully shed more light on any relationships between neonicotinoid insecticides and pollinator health. With the exception of improperly applied seed, spray, and drench applications (timing and dose), real-world exposures for pollinators feeding on treated plants are generally below the acute and chronic exposures that would be expected to be a risk. This is especially true given that the bloom time of treated plants is limited and that the diet of pollinators is not exclusively composed of nectar and pollen collected from plants treated with pesticides, including insecticides and specifically neonicotinoid insecticides.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes take many years for science to provide definitive answers to important questions and even when scientific evidence is available it isn’t always the defining factor where public attitudes and policy are concerned. Instead, emotion and the desire to do something to protect bees and other pollinators takes precedence. The perceived relationship between neonicotinoid insecticides and pollinator health and declines in pollinator numbers is a good example. For instance, a statewide ban on the use of nicotinoid pesticides by the general public is slated to take effect on January 1, 2018, after Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) decided to allow the Pollinator Act of 2016 (http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/ webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb0198&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=su bject3&ys=2016RS) to become law without his signature by invoking a provision in the state’s constitution that allows legislation to pass into law without a governor’s signature if it isn’t vetoed within 30 days. The legislation, which requires neonicotinoid insecticides to be classified as restricted use pesticides with exceptions for certified applicators, farmers, and veterinarians, makes Maryland the first state to adopt such a ban on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides by consumers.

Similarly, on May 6, 2016, Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy (D) signed legislation designed to protect the health of the state’s pollinators (Public Act No. 16-17, An Act Concerning Pollinator Health; https://www.cga.ct.gov/2016/ACT/pa/2016PA-00017R00SB-00231-PA.htm). In addition to classifying neonicotinoid insecticides as restricted use pesticides beginning on January 1, 2018, the new law contains several other provisions that impact landscape professionals including a ban on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides on Tilia spp. (linden/basswood trees), and a prohibition on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides on any plant that is in bloom. The law also includes other elements intended to benefit bees and other pollinators including the development of improved varroa mite (Varroa destructor; a serious pest of honey bees) management strategies and the promotion of pollinator habitat.

In response to concerns about perceived threats to bees and other pollinators, a number of other states are considering legislation that would variously ban neonicotinoid insecticides and several cities have banned the use of neonicotinoid insecticides.

In addition, the Saving America’s Pollinators Act of 2015 (H.R.1284), which would require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “suspend the registration of imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotafuran, and any other members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides to the extent such insecticide is registered, conditionally or otherwise, october 16

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Labeling that was more general (i.e. “neonic free” or “pollinator friendly”) was preferred to labels that focused on specific types of pollinators (e.g. bees, butterflies). under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the Administrator has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators“ has also been introduced in the United States Congress (https://www. congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/housebill/1284/text).

Neonicotinoid insecticides have also been the focus of legislation in Minnesota.

Bills designed to variously restrict the use of systemic insecticides, including neonicotinoid insecticides, have been entertained by several municipalities and in the state legislature in recent years and Governor Dayton issued an executive order (Executive Order 16-07) earlier this year that outlines a variety of steps that are to be taken in an attempt to “reverse pollinator decline and restore pollinator health in Minnesota” beginning with a focus on neonicotinoid insecticides (http://mn.gov/governor/assets/2016_08_25_EO_16-07_tcm1055253931.pdf ).

Finally, while peer-reviewed, scientific findings should be the primary determinant when it comes to public policy, the public gets its information from a variety of sources. For example, the use of terms and phrases like “bee-pocolypse, beekilling neonicotinoids, and neonicotinoids are responsible for the demise of the honeybee” by the Sierra Club, and “beekilling pesticides, full blown crisis, the science is in, no room for doubt or delay, and bees don’t stand a chance,” and the claim that neonicotinoid insecticides are a “key factor in the devastating loss of bee colonies” by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in their membership

and fundraising campaigns is also problematic. Like me, you have probably seen examples of these mass mailings. Combined with their calls for an immediate ban on neonicotinoid insecticides, these assertions make it difficult to reconcile the scientific evidence, which most of the public hasn’t seen, with the emotional response to the conflicting messages about neonicotinoid insecticides and pollinators that are presented to the general public. As a result, from a green industry perspective, a growing number of growers and retailers — globally, nationally, and locally — are responding to the concerns of consumers by taking steps to eliminate neonicotinoid insecticides from their production systems and product lines and who can blame them. Many firms are also actively promoting specific plants as being bee or pollinator friendly as part of their marketing strategy and few would argue that this isn’t a good thing separate from the neonicotinoid insecticide/pollinator debate.

Perhaps the best outcome of the ongoing debate about the potential threats to pollinators is the increased and growing interest in creating pollinator friendly environments by planting trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species that provide habitat for pollinators. Whether in home landscapes, community gardens, parks, or highway and utility corridors (rights of way), the nursery and landscape industry can play an important and leading role in helping to achieve this goal.

Godfray, H.C.J., T. Blacquière, L.M. Field, R.S. Hails, G. Petrokofsky, S.G. Potts, N.E. Raine, A.J. Vanbergen, and A.R. McLean. 2014. A Restatement of the Natural Science Evidence Base Concerning Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Insect Pollinators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281(1786):20140558. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/ content/281/1786/20140558.full.pdf+html?sid=46faccb1-d908-4a0cb211-b7140a09f99d (an interesting presentation of the scientific evidence related to neonicotinoid insecticides and insect pollinators in a policy-neutral fashion using consensus-based evidence statements that are categorized according to the nature of the supporting information) Task Force on Systemic Pesticides (TFSP); Bijleveld van Lexmond, M., J.-M. Bonmatin, D. Goulson, D.A. Noome (editors). 2015. Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides on Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22 (1):1-154 (8 articles; referenced individually below). http://www.tfsp. info/worldwide-integrated-assessment/; http://www.tfsp.info/assets/ WIA_2015.pdf Bijleveld van Lexmond, M, J.-M. Bonmatin, D. Goulson, and D.A. Noome. 2015. Worldwide Integrated Assessment of Systemic Pesticides – Global Collapse of the Entomofauna: Exploring the Role of Systemic Insecticides. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):1-4. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3220-1/ fulltext.html

Rihn, A. and H. Khachatryan, H. 2016. Does Consumer Awareness of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Influence Their Preferences for Plants?

HortScience 51(4):388-393. http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/51/4/388.abstract (abstract only)

Simon-Delso, N., V. Amaral-Rogers, L.P. Belzunces, J.M. Bonmatin, M. Chagnon, C. Downs, L. Furlan, D.W. Gibbons, C. Giorio, V. Girolami, D. Goulson, D.P. Kreutzweiser, C.H. Krupke, M. Liess, E. Long, M. McField, P. Mineau, E.A.D. Mitchell, C.A. Morrissey, D.A. Noome, L. Pisa, J. Settele, J.D. Stark, A. Tapparo, H. Van Dyck, J. Van Praagh, J.P. Van der Sluijs, P.R. Whitehorn, and M. Wiemers. 2015. Systemic Insecticides (Neonicotinoids and Fipronil): Trends, Uses, Mode of Action and Metabolites. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):5-34. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3470-y

Lawrence, T.J., E.M. Culbert, A.S. Felsot, V.R. Hebert, and W.S. Sheppard. 2016. Survey and Risk Assessment of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Urban, Rural, and Agricultural Settings. Journal of Economic Entomology 109(2):520-528. http://jee.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/01/19/jee.tov397 (abstract only)

Bonmatin, J.-M., C. Giorio, V. Girolami, D. Goulson, D.P. Kreutzweiser, C. Krupke, M. Liess, E. Long, M. Marzaro, E.A.D. Mitchell, D.A. Noome, N. Simon-Delso, and A. Tapparo. 2015. Environmental Fate and Exposure; Neonicotinoids and Fipronil. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):35-67. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356014-3332-7

Woodcock, B.A., N.J.B. Isaac, J.M. Bullock, D.B. Roy, D.G. Garthwaite, A. Crowe, and R.F. Pywell. 2016. Impacts of Neonicotinoid Use on Long-term Population Changes in Wild Bees in England. Nature Communications 7:12459 http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160816/ ncomms12459/full/ncomms12459.html

Pisa, L.W., V. Amaral-Rogers, L.P. Belzunces, J.M. Bonmatin, C.A. Downs, D. Goulson, D.P. Kreutzweiser, C. Krupke, M. Liess, M. McField, C.A. Morrissey, D.A. Noome, J. Settele, N. Simon-Delso, J.D. Stark, J.P. Van der Sluijs, H. Van Dyck, and M. Wiemers. 2015. Effects of Neonicotinoids and Fipronil on Non-target Invertebrates. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):68-102. http://link.springer.com/ article/10.1007/s11356-014-3471-x

Citations:

Dively, G.P., M.S. Embrey, A. Kamel, D.J. Hawthorne, and J.S. Pettis. 2015. Assessment of Chronic Sublethal Effects of Imidacloprid on Honey Bee Colony Health. PLOS ONE 10(3):e0118748. http://journals. plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118748 Long, E.Y. and H. Krupke. 2016. Non-cultivated Plants Present a Season-long Route of Pesticide Exposure for Honey Bees. Nature Communications 7:11629. http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160531/ ncomms11629/full/ncomms11629.html Hladik, M.L., M. Vandever, and K.L. Smalling. 2016. Exposure of Native Bees Foraging in an Agricultural Landscape to Current-use Pesticides.

Science of the Total Environment 542 (Part A):469–477. http://www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715308937 (abstract only); http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/2015-11-04-pesticides_bees. html (summary)

Additional publications and news reports that may be of interest regarding insecticides and pollinators include the following selected resources:

Gibbons, D., C. Morrissey, and P. Mineau. 2015. A Review of the Direct and Indirect Effects of Neonicotinoids and Fipronil on Vertebrate Wildlife. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):103-118. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3180-5 Chagnon, M., D. Kreutzweiser, E.A.D. Mitchell, C.A. Morrissey, D.A. Noome, and J.P. Van der Sluijs. 2015. Risks of Large-scale Use of Systemic Insecticides to Ecosystem Functioning and Services. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):119-134. http://link.springer. com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3277-x Furlan, L. and D. Kreutzweiser. 2015. Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticides for Pest Control: Case Studies in Agriculture and Forestry.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):135-147. http:// link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3628-7 Van der Sluijs, J.P., V. Amaral-Rogers, L.P. Belzunces, M.F.I.J. Bijleveld van Lexmond, J-M. Bonmatin, M. Chagnon, C.A. Downs, L. Furlan, D.W. Gibbons, C. Giorio, V. Girolami, D. Goulson, D.P. Kreutzweiser,

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➾ S A NC PROGRAM

➾ RE S E A RCH F O R T H E RE A L W O R LD

SANC PROGRAM MN LA MEMBE R O N E O F FI R ST G R O WER S CE RT I F I E D

A big step forward toward protecting the horticulture industry and the environment took place with the recent signing of agreements by two progressive nursery and greenhouse operations. MNLA member McKay Nursery Company, Inc. (Wisconsin) and Star Roses and Plants / Conard-Pyle (Pennsylvania) have become the first two facilities to be able to ship plants grown under the Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC) program, an initiative under the guidance of the National Plant Board, AmericanHort, other industry members, and the USDA. With their SANC certification, these facilities will now be able to include the SANC logo with their plant shipments. The logo evidences their meeting stringent growing, training, self-inspection, and audit requirements to make their businesses stronger and more resilient against plant pests and diseases, changes in regulations, quarantines, and the threat of stop-sales or recalls.

“A unique partnership involving plant regulators and the horticulture industry, SANC is poised to benefit plant growers, retailers, installers, consumers, and the environment,” said Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort senior vice president. “We and our Horticultural Research Institute foundation are deeply committed to the effort as the pilot continues.”

Dana Rhodes, SANC Program Chair — National Plant Board added, “It is exciting to see nurseries, greenhouses, and states partnering in SANC. I believe this program allows states and green industry members to strengthen their relationships and provide healthy plants throughout the U.S.” The two nurseries are part of a first group of eight facilities nationally participating in a pilot project for the SANC program. All have embraced the envisioned processes of the SANC program, which are designed to integrate into a business’ day-to-day and long-range operations. The other nurseries are in New Jersey, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington and represent diversity in business size and type of operations. Additional nurseries will be coming on line soon to further explore the SANC program utility and benefits.

According to McKay Nursery Company head of production, Tom Buechel, “Our employees have enjoyed the high honor and privilege to be involved in the Systems for Approach to Nursery Certification pilot and work with other growers, other states, the National Plant Board and AmericanHort to make it a reality. We realize that being certified comes with the responsibility to train for and earn the SANC certification emblem each day. The program has engaged all our staff to continually and proactively address plant health issues before they arise and to embrace the teamwork needed to grow quality nursery stock. We are very proud to be part of the new movement toward the safeguarding of plants.”

More information is available at: http://sanc.nationalplantboard.org/.

Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC have over 20 years combined experience as small business owners in construction and landscaping.

They understand what green industry business owners face on a regular basis: Contracts, Construction Law, Mechanics Liens, Business Formation, Collections, and Employment Law.

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Contact Bryan Zlimen or Patrick McGuiness 651-331-6500 | info@zmattorneys.com | www.zmattorneys.com

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Zlimen & McGuiness 5inch-by-2inch.indd 1

9/14/2016 3:06:11 PM

C. Krupke, M. Liess, E. Long, M. McField, P. Mineau, E.A.D. Mitchell, C.A. Morrissey, D.A. Noome, L. Pisa, J. Settele, N. Simon-Delso, J.D. Stark, A. Tapparo, H. Van Dyck, J. van Praagh, P.R. Whitehorn, and M. Wiemers. 2015.

Conclusions of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment on the Risks of Neonicotinoids and Fipronil to Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22(1):148-154. http://link.springer. com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3229-5 Hopwood, J., M. Vaughan, M. Shepherd, D. Biddinger, E. Mader, S. Hoffman Black, and C. Mazzacano. 2012. Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? – A Review of Research into the Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Bees, with Recommendations for Action. The Xerces Society. 44 pages. http://www.xerces.org/ wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Are-Neonicotinoids-Killing-Bees_Xerces-Society1.pdf Persad, A. 2016. ROW Vegetation Management. Tree Care Industry 27(8):10-16. http:// www.tcia.org/TCI-publications/tci-magazine/2016/08/index.html (Accessed August 15, 2016) Miller, C. 2016. Maryland’s Neonicotinoid Law Goes Into Effect. Greenhouse Grower; June 6, 2016. http://www.greenhousegrower.com/ retailing/marylands-neonicotinoid-law-goesinto-effect/ Urge Bayer’s CEO to Stop Selling Bee-killing Pesticides in the United States: Help End Bayer’s Chemical Assault on Bees. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Website. https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy ?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3851 &s_src=WBLBEEPETNON0416NRAA&_ga=1.

79956050.436374384.1465438760 (Accessed August 12, 2016) Save Bees from Big Ag’s Chemical Attack!

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Website. https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/ Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction& id=3511 (Accessed August 12, 2016) Mader, E., M. Shepherd, M. Vaughn, S.H. Black, and G. LeBuhn. 2011. Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies. The Xerces Society. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. 371 pages.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture. 2016.

Review of Neonicotinoid Use, Registration, and Insect Pollinator Impacts in Minnesota.

August, 2016. http://www.mda.state.mn.us/~/ media/Files/chemicals/reviews/neonicreviewrpt2016.pdf

TO COMMENT ON THIS RESEARCH UPDATE,

suggest research topics of interest, or pass along a piece of research-based information that might be of interest to your industry colleagues, please email us at Research@MNLA.biz.

BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY Dan Halsey had a successful career for many years as a food photographer for magazines, advertisements, and other publications. But when he decided to return to school and finish the degree he started in the 1970s, he found his educational interests had shifted‌so he dropped the academic study of photography — and kept the food.

Megan Rocker, with additional writing by Mia Boos

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➾ NORT HERN GREEN

JOB BOARDS AT TH E N O RTH ER N G R EEN 2 0 1 7

GUIDELINES FOR POSTING POSITIONS ON THE JOB BOARDS AT NORTHERN GREEN 2017 There is no official form for job postings. Bring your own job posting (no larger than a 8 ½ × 11 sheet of paper) to place on the boards any time after 7 am on Wednesday, January 11th.

The Jobs Boards are located in the Hall D Lobby inside Career Central.

Please list only one job description per posting to ensure that your posting can be put under the correct category heading.

Northern Green staff will place empty acrylic holders on the boards along with category headings at the beginning of the show. Feel free to bring several copies of the posting which will allow potential employees to take a copy of your posting with them for response after

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Northern Green. Acrylic holders will be available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Once they are full, a single posting can be tacked up to the board, but multiple copies cannot be left.

It is your responsibility to keep tabs on the job posting. If your copies run out, Northern Green staff will not be responsible for filling them.

However, if you’d like to make additional copies, there is a UPS Store available onsite.

Please do not include confidential information that you might not, for any reason, want available to the general public.

You might be interested in increased visibility for your job posting before, during, or after Northern Green. You might consider a Scoop ad, or utilizing the Northern Green Advance Program, Onsite Guide, App, or NorthernGreen.org. contact Faith Jensen at 952-934-2891 or faith@pierreproductions.com.

➾ B E A UTY IN SIMPLICI TY

“I

have always been interested in edible plants, and, eventually, the ideas of ‘permaculture,’ and ‘polyculture,’” he says. “I am very interested in the issues of sustainability, landscape architecture, and the edible forest garden — the pinnacle of low-input, highoutput food production.”

Polyculture is a form of agriculture that mimics natural ecosystems by allowing multiple crops and livestock to thrive in the same space.

It includes companion planting, beneficial insectory plants, and multi-cropping, and has several benefits over traditional monoculture agriculture (what we typically think of as western-style farming). Monoculture farming requires fertilization and mechanization to produce a viable crop, and then demands additional intervention to harvest, package, and ship the crop — all of which use fossil fuels and deplete the soil and the land. Polyculture is self-renewing, self-fertilizing, and helps restore the soil. It is also more pest- and disease-resistant. In addition, the greater variety of crops provides habitat for more species, increasing local biodiversity.

Says Halsey, “In ‘Big Ag’ farming, and even in small-scale gardening and landscaping, the land is something to be dominated and subdued, forced to produce and be managed for the sole purpose of man’s desire…When I work with property owners, I spend a lot of time teaching them to read the land, listen to the land, and observe

All photos courtesy of Linda Peterson.

The purple flower is comfrey, an important herb in organic gardening.

Dan with his goats, Ella and Eight Ball.

what it has to offer. If they take the time to assess it, everyone’s yard can be transformed into an edible forest garden.”

Halsey obtained an undergraduate degree focusing on temperate polyculture design, and then his Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture, both through the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education. The degrees helped him to formalize what he had learned in his own practice of permaculture on his 25-acre property in the south metro area. They also allowed him to take his knowledge and teach it to others.

Much of what is out there about permaculture and polyculture agriculture can be subjective. “There are theories and stories of what worked for one person and one place — which, of course, will not work for everyone. I wanted to be able to give it an academic support system and develop a language and symbolic system for it so I could communicate plant relationships and articulate my design ideas.”

He adds, “Credentials give you credibility. You don’t get to this level in academia by anecdotes. I’ve learned a lot in my degree programs, and now I am teaching it.”

Permaculture is a term used to describe an overall ecological design system. Facets include building natural homes, growing our own food, restoring diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catching rainwater, and more. Practitioners of permaculture, Halsey explains, october 16

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➾ B E A UTY IN SIMPLICI TY

can make use of polyculture design to grow their own food in an efficient, sustainable way.

Halsey not only practices permaculture and polyculture design on his own property, he also hosts internships there, as well as teaches horticulture design at the University of Minnesota and American University in Beirut, Lebanon through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). His company, SouthWoods Homestead and Ecological Design, provides site assessments and homestead design for farms across North America and the tropics, including systems for both residential and commercial food production.

The beauty of polyculture design, Halsey says, is its simplicity and adaptability. “Permaculture is scalable. You can design something to fill a one-acre yard, or a 30-acre-plus farm…or a small keyhole garden on a city lot. Through companion planting and healthy soil, you can grow lots of food in containers and raised beds in a small space.”

He concludes, “a successful garden doesn’t have to be square. It doesn’t need rows and lines. What it needs is for the landowner to really take a good look at what they have available to them, and what types of food products will flourish. We have to change our tastes to match the land — not force the land to meet our tastes.” is co-author of Integrated Forest Gardening: The Complete Guide to Polycultures and Plant Guilds in Permaculture Systems (2014).

SouthWoods Homestead and Ecological Design is in Prior Lake, MN.

DAN HALSEY

The vine is Condonopsis, a Chinese medicinal.

october 16

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➾ ME MBER N EWS

OFFICIAL NOTICE TO MEMBERS The 2017 Board of Directors election will be conducted via an electronic ballot. The primary contact of record, which each member has provided to MNLA, will receive access to the ballot via a notice which will be e-mailed between November 28–December 2, 2016. If you have an e-mail address on record with MNLA, but do not receive the ballot electronically by December 2nd, please contact MNLA Executive Director Cassie Larson at cassie@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. If your company does not have an e-mail address on record at MNLA and you wish to vote in the election, please mail or fax (651-633-4986) a request for an official ballot by December 2, 2016 to: MNLA Election, 1813 Lexington Ave N, Roseville, MN, 55113.

Results of the election will be announced at the MNLA Annual Membership Meeting to be held at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

WELCOME NEW MNLA MEMBERS! Bartylla Plumbing Georgiann Bartylla Hugo, MN, 651-429-3877

LaValla Rental Scot LaValla Stacy, MN, 651-272-7832

Casavan1 Gene Johnson Crookston, MN, 218-281-5061

Mikes Lawn Service Mike Woslager Hayfield, MN, 507-259-8698

Clean ‘N Seal, Inc. Jeff Essig Carver, MN, 952-393-9588

Morning Glory Farm LLC Rebecca Pelfrey Stillwater, MN, 651-260-4504

EJM Pipe Vicki Lundgren Lino Lakes, MN, 651-786-8041

N.M. Supplies Patricia Swedeen Cambridge, MN, 612-369-7088

Franconia Land Services Brooks Olson Shafer, MN, 651-269-8736

New Leaf Landcare LLC Drew Lindholm Bloomington, MN, 952-222-8318

Genesis Outdoor Services LLC Maria Vargas Mankato, MN, 507-210-1039

Synergy Turf Andrew Agrimson St. Michael, MN, 763-445-9484

Green Shield Insurance Josh Larson St. Paul, MN, 651-777-7469

Time in a Bottle Nancy Burris Pine City, MN, 651-260-5583

Hockeyfish.ld Lori Dauenbaugh Coon Rapids, MN, 612-845-5370

Trad Lantgard Randy Swanson Sunrise, MN, 651-775-7419

Hudson Crop Insurance John Schreiter Nebraska City, NE, 402-217-0595

Universal Traffic Control Monty Johnson Hastings, MN, 218-684-1823

Janowicz, Inc. Ryan Janowicz Spring Brook Township, PA, 570-351-8692

Urbank Machine, Inc. Scott Koep Parkers Prairie, MN, 218-338-6555

Kempf Plumbing David Kempf Wausau, WI, 715-574-9957

Vinco Steve Anderson Forest Lake, MN, 651-982-4642

ANNUAL MEETING Official Notice: Annual Meeting on Jan. 12 at the MPLS Convention Center Notice is hereby given that the annual membership meeting of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. During the annual meeting, the results of the Board of Directors election will be announced. An electronic ballot will be sent the first week in December to the primary contact provided to MNLA by each business member.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS Nominations for Todd Bachman Award due November 1 Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Todd Bachman Award for Innovation in Horticultural Business.

Created by the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association and the MNLA Foundation, the award annually recognizes a young individual whose innovation in private enterprise has positively influenced horticulture and/or the green industry in the region.

The award recipient will receive a plaque and will be recognized in trade publications. In addition, the MNLA Foundation will make a $1,000 cash award in the recipient’s name to his or her alma mater.

Qualifications for Todd Bachman Award Owner or employee of a horticultural business in the north central region (MN, WI, IA, ND, SD).

Recipient of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or greater in horticulture, business or related field from an accredited institution of higher learning.

Demonstrated innovation in business, marketing, horticultural production, floral, or landscape practices.

For all details and nomination instructions, visit MNLA.biz.

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➾ LAS T WORD

NEW STAFF MEMBER WELCO M E AL I C I A M UN SO N

WE ARE PLEASED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO ALICIA MUNSON, MNLA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, AND THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE MNLA OFFICE! In her previous position as the Community Outreach & Advocacy Manager at Opportunity Partners, a nonprofit organization that supports more than 2,000 adults with disabilities, Alicia utilized her degree in Political Science and experience as a grassroots advocate to unite communities and influence positive legislative change — work that was recognized with the 2014 Luther Granquist Systems Change Award. She actively led the organization’s Public Policy Group — similar to the work she’s doing alongside our Government Affairs Committee — and supported a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities, which won the 2015 Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Mission award in the category of Advocacy.

Additionally, Alicia worked closely with several trade associations in the disability sector — including the Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota as a member of their Public Affairs Committee, and the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation & Rehabilitation as their Government Affairs Committee Chair. She’s also held positions on the Board of Directors for the

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Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities and the Secretary of State’s Disability Advisory Committee.

While Alicia’s previous experience in the nonprofit sector has been focused on social and human services, she brings a personal passion for the green industry to her work at the MNLA. Alicia’s grandfather was a prominent farmer in Lakeville during his lifetime, and she has built upon the knowledge and skills gained as a florist at a small business in Edina into her ongoing work as a freelance floral designer.

Born and raised as a “city girl” in South Minneapolis, Alicia also loves the great outdoors — Grand Marais being her favorite getaway. In addition to hiking and paddle boarding, Alicia enjoys gardening, cooking, photography, painting, and spending time with her nephew, Leo. Alicia could not be more excited to meet our members and together, continue to demonstrate that “grassroots grows results!” Look for her column about the importance of grassroots advocacy on page 28 of this issue.

MNLA FOUNDATION Improving the Environment by Investing in Research and Education

1813 LEXINGTON AVE. N | ROSEVILLE, MN 55113 | 651-633-4987 | FAX 651-633-4986 | MNLA@MNLA.BIZ | WWW.MNLAFOUNDATION.COM

PARTNERS FUND You are encouraged to participate in the Research & Education Partners Fund at one of the participating suppliers recognized below. Your voluntary donation of Âź of 1% (0.25%) on purchases of plants and other nursery, greenhouse and landscape products at these suppliers is used by the MNLA Foundation to grow a brighter future for the industry.

On an invoice totaling $1,000 at one of these suppliers, your contribution will be only $2.50. Your individual contribution is small, but collectively these small contributions will add up to make a real difference!

Research for the Real World

Career Development & Promotion

TM

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

Scholarships

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