The Scoop Online – November 2013

Out & About Networking News Minnesota Grown

Volume 36 No. 11 Nov 2013

The Definition of Excavation

Also Inside

Building an Engaged Team

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

Volume 36 No. 11 Nov 2013

contents 20

32

44 HIGHLIGHTS

15 Impacts of Wire Basket Retention and Removal Dave Kleinhuizen and others report preliminary findings from their tree planting research.     

20 “Re-Imagining” the Garden Center What do consumers want now and in the future from our products and services?  

25 The Garden Center of 2025 Nick Sargent offers four predictions on the changes we’ll see in the next 10–20 years.  

32 Building a Rewarding Team Atmosphere Do you know what really matters to your employees? 

36 The Best Minnesota Grown Program Yet Why and how to be involved in this direct-to-consumer marketing promotion.  

44 EAB: How Can You Help Your Community?

Gail Nozal challenges everyone to take action now so the damage can be minimized. 

53 IN THIS ISSUE 8

Events

10 From the President Change is hard!

12 Out & About MNLA staff takes to the road!

40 MDA Alert Canada de-regulates soybean cyst nematode.

42 Worker Classification a Top Priority Patrick McGuiness notes that the DOL is focusing on enforcement efforts.

46 What Is the Definition of “Excavation”?

Tim Power shows the changes being proposed by the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety.

48 2013 MNLA Shootout Every autumn, the MNLA Foundation takes aim at bagging money for scholarships.

50 Networking News 53 Calling All Plant Lovers!

Do you have a new plant that you’d like to feature at Expo 2014?

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

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Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association 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.TheLandLovers.org www.NorthernGreenExpo.org

MNLA Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

debbie lonnee, mnla-cp, president

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 • debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com

heidi heiland, mnla-cp, vice-president

A Top Notch Equipment ................................................................................... 52 Arborjet .............................................................................................................. 4 Aspen Equipment ............................................................................................. 13 Astleford Equipment Co. .................................................................................. 24 Bullis Insurance Agency .................................................................................... 19 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus ..................................................... 51 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 51 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ................................................................................... 27

Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com

Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................................. 49

herman roerick, secretary-treasurer

Frontier Ag & Turf ............................................................................................. 39

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

bert swanson, mnla-cp, past president

Fury Motors ...................................................................................................... 39

Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. 218-732-3579 • btswanson2@gmail.com

Gardenworld Inc. .............................................................................................. 19

randy berg, mnla-cp

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

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • rberg@smig.net

scott frampton

Great Northern Equipment Distributing, Inc. ................................................... 31

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

Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ........................................................ 17

tim malooly, cid, clia, cic

Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................................. 28–29

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

mike mcnamara

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

bill mielke

Waconia Tree Farms LLC 612-237-1728 • bill.mielke@waconiatreefarms.com

cassie larson, cae

JRK Seed and Turf Supply ................................................................................ 19 Novozymes BioAg Inc. ..................................................................................... 13 Out Back Nursery ............................................................................................. 51 Plaisted Companies .......................................................................................... 41

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

Quality Insurance Service ................................................................................. 51

Staff Directory

RDO Equipment Co. ........................................................................................ 43

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

Specialty Turf & Ag ............................................................................................. 7

executive director:

membership director & trade show manager: Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz

communications director: Jon Horsman • jon@mnla.biz education/cert manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz government affairs director: Tim Power • tim@mnla.biz administrative assistant: Jessica Pratt • jessica@mnla.biz accountant: Norman Liston • norman@mnla.biz mnla foundation program director: Jodi Larson • jodi@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

ad list

Volume 36 No. 11 Nov 2013

➾ section title

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Titan Machinery .................................................................................................. 2 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. .................................................................................. 11, 47 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. .................................................................................. 19 Vermeer Sales & Service ................................................................................... 31 Ziegler CAT ......................................................................................... Back Cover All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2013, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA. The Scoop is published 12 times per year by MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville MN 55113.

Address corrections should be sent to the above address.

➾ calendar

NOV11 ➾

MNLA Event

NOV12

Webinar Online courses developed by the Ecological Restoration Training Cooperative

➾

612-624-3242 www.cce.umn.edu The Ecological Restoration Training Cooperative has developed five online courses that each focus on specific aspects of restoration practices.

Webinar Colorful / Blooming Shrubs for Minnesota Landscapes 1:00 pm Presented by Debbie Lonnee, Bailey Nurseries MNLA.biz Color is the name of the game, in the garden center as well as the landscape. In this webinar, Lonnee will present the best of the best in shrubs that will provide a pop of color to Minnesota landscapes.

MNLA Event

➾

jan7 Super Tuesday: Landscape Lighting Design & Technology: PLT Relicensure Minneapolis Conv Center 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz Learn landscape lighting design, installation and technology, and get a total of eight hours continuing education credits for your PLT license.

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jan7 Super Tuesday: Water and its Effect on the Green Industry Minneapolis Conv Center 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz Topics discussed in this informative seminar will be stormwater and environmental concerns, the environmental benefits of trees and landscape plantings, wetting agents, climatology, legislative issues and more!

Key:

Event Education

2013 MNLA seminars generously supported by John Deere Landscapes

MNLA Event

➾

MNLA/MTGF Event

NOV22 ➾

jan7 Super Tuesday: Save the Date!

MNLA.biz Attend one of the excellent pre-Expo education sessions.

Seminars include: Landscape Lighting Design and Technology (PLT Relicensure); A New Era of Leadership in the Green Industry by John Kennedy; MTGF – The Impact of Water; and an evening CEO Symposium.

See more on page 30.

Pesticide Recertification TIES Conference Center, St. Paul MNLA.biz This workshop meets MDA’s pesticide applicator recertification requirements for Categories A (Core) and E (Turf & Ornamentals).

MNLA Event

➾ MNLA Event

➾

jan7 Super Tuesday: A New Era of Leadership in the Green Industry Minneapolis Conv Center 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz Join John Kennedy, as he brings both depth and understanding to this vital aspect of any successful business: leadership.

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

MNLA/MTGF Event

jan7

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Super Tuesday: CEO Symposium Workforce 2020: Preparing for What (and Who) the Future will Bring Hyatt Hotel, Minneapolis 651-633-4987 MNLA.biz In this presentation, CEO’s will learn about the chief workforce indicators of change, how to position their companies to be innovative and responsive to these changes to attract top talent and win in the marketplace.

jan8–10 Northern Green Expo: Register today!

Exhibit Contracts Available Minneapolis Convention Center NorthernGreenExpo.org

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➾ from the PRESIDEN T

Change is hard!

Has your company had to change with the times the last five-six years? This economic downturn sure hasn’t been fun, compared to the growth years of the ’90s and early 2000s. Every business has had to adapt to these conditions, and I hope you have been able to weather the storm.

Debbie Lonnee

Bailey Nurseries, Inc.

the mnla has also had to adapt with the changes.

In 2011 we did a major strategic planning session, and even invested some money in some market research, to find out how best to serve our members. We made some sweeping changes, probably the most radical changes we have made in years, and for some of you, and even many of us on the board, the changes have been hard.

It’s not been easy, but we’ve made some great progress and even had some fun along the way, believe it or not.

One of the big changes we made was to eliminate many of our committees, and to create ‘networking groups.’ In our market research, we found out that a very valued member benefit was networking with others in the industry. Rather than having small, closed committees, we wanted to create an environment for all members to get together to learn from each other.

And we’ve had some great successes with this process.

The ‘commercial flower grower’ network, led by Dean Engelmann and my friend Jayne Roberts, has had some great networking sessions, including one in September at the farm of Tangletown Gardens. Jayne has stepped

up to rally this group, and has organized these fun and educational events. She has found some great venues to tour, excellent speakers and allowed time for fellow flower growers to talk amongst themselves where all can learn from each other.

We have networking groups for all major segments of the green industry, some are thriving and some are searching for just the right leader. Those that are participating are truly enjoying the process. Our next step is to encourage these networking groups to gather in ‘outstate’ Minnesota, from Duluth to Brainerd, Rochester to International Falls (hey, you guys are gardening up there, right?!?!?!). The groups may be smaller and more intimate, but a way to get together and network!

I hope you’ll consider attending the next networking session that pertains to you! As always, if you have concerns, thoughts, opinions, about the process, feel free to contact me at Debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com. debbie lonnee can be reached at: debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com.

Volume 36 No. 11 Nov 2013

The Definition of Excavation

Also Inside

#9 Building an Engaged Team

Out & About Networking News Minnesota Grown

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

This month we focus on the future of the independent garden center business model. In our first article, Kip Creel identifies what the lawn and garden consumer wants from their plant purchases, and how to plan for growth in meeting those desires. Nick Sargent takes stock of where green industry businesses have come from, where we are now, and what all that means for where we’re headed. “If we keep sharp, nimble, and inventive; great things lay ahead for generations to come.” See full article, page 20.

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➾ out & about

&

An initiative of the MNLA Membership Committee is to stay in touch and thank members with occasional visits.

MNLA Communications Director Jon Horsman with the Bebergs Landscape Supply crew. From left to right: Tom Manick, Travis Lens, Jon Horsman, Jamison Larson, LeAnn Traffie, and Randy Mayer.

Gary Anderson of Gary Anderson Landscaping with MNLA Executive Director Cassie Larson.

Brian Biermeier and MNLA Education & Certification Manager Sue Flynn at Biermeier Greenhouse.

Tim Winters, owner of Winco Landscape & Design proudly displays his MNLA Member sign. If you’d like to have your own sign to display at your place of business, contact Mary Dunn at mary@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

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Brandie Flaxbeard, Steve Radtke, and Melissa Alm of Minnesota Irrigation.

Chad Hagman, owner of Stars & Stripes Lawn & Landscape, with MNLA Membership Director & Trade Show Manager Mary Dunn.

Jon Horsman and Cassie Larson enjoyed their visit to Bleeker’s Nursery & Landscaping in Andover.

Are you ready for tomorrow?

Actinovate SP and Actino-Iron join Met52 as a part of the Novozymes family of biological plant protection products. For more information, please visit www.bioag.novozymes.com. ®

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®

Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries we create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers’ business and the use of our planet’s resources. ®Actinovate and Actino-Iron are registered trademarks of Natural Industries, Inc. 2013. Met52 is a registered trademark of Novozymes A/S. ©2013 Novozymes. All rights reserved. 0713

Nov-halfpagehorizontalFNL.indd 1

ScoopAd_AspenEQ.indd 1

9/25/2013 12:13:12 PM

7/12/13 12:57 PM

20: Preparing CEO Symposium – Workforce 20 will Bring for What (and Who) the Future .

Sarah L. Sladek, XYZ Universit

y | 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m

ion to attract top talent, drive In order to position your organizat ers better, employers need to breakthroughs, and serve custom lution of the workforce. In this understand and prepare for the evo ut the chief workforce indicators presentation, CEO’s will learn abo companies to be innovative and of change, how to position their act top talent and win in the responsive to these changes to attr marketplace.

Learn how to: nging employer-employee • Capitalize on and manage cha es. relationships and workplace attitud nt-based work model me mit • Adapt your workplace to a com and enforce a culture of learning. tional, diverse, and global • Keep a blended, multi-genera workplace engaged. ent supported by • Promote leadership developm measurements and results. ess plan.

• Develop a workforce preparedn istered by Dec. 13 (includes $149 for MNLA members if reg tation and dinner). networking reception, presen

Landscape Lighting Design & Te chnology (PLT Relicensure)

Ed Lethert, Ed Lethert Associ ates, Inc.; Tim McKay, Vista Pro fessional Outdoor Lighting; Nels Peters on, N Design Partners 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This class provides a total of eight hours of continuing education cre dits (2 clock hours of specific National Electrical Code (NEC) training and 6 hours of technical training) for the Power Limited technician license , with material orientated specifically tow ards the landscape lighting special ist.

The following landscape lighting topics will be covered: light and its characteristics; design technique s; selecting the correct lamp and fixtures; choosing the correct tran sformer (power source and wire size s); electrically engineering the system ; and system installation.

Take away greater knowledge abo ut landscape lighting design, installation and technology, and get continuing education credits for your PLT license. $129 for MNLA/MTGF members if registered by Dec. 13 (includes lunch).

SPONSORS:

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 | Minneapolis Convention Center

Register online at MNLA.biz!

There will be NO onsite registration. Note that registration fees are separate from those for the Northern Green Expo.

Water and its Effect on the Green Industry

ate, and Minnesota Mark Seeley, Dept. of Soil, Water and Clim LLC, and Public Radio; Chad Tinkel, C&C Arbor Solutions Spier, Don ; ana) Superintendent of Urban Forestry (Indi p, Inc.; Grou gn Desi Precision Labs; Peter MacDonagh, Kestrel Water oly, Malo Tim Dr. Brian Horgan, University of Minnesota, p.m. in Motion | 8:00 a.m. – 3:00

en center Arborists, cemetery managers, facility managers, gard architects, managers, golf course superintendents, landscape tors, opera designers and maintenance supervisors, lawncare agers should municipalities, park supervisors, and sports turf man attend! following This important and timely seminar will include the the topics: stormwater and environmental concerns, tings including plan e scap land and environmental benefits of trees and more! y tolog stormwater mitigation, wetting agents, clima Dec. 13 $65 for MNLA/MTGF members if registered by (includes lunch).

A New Era of Leadership in the Green Industry

John Kennedy, John Kennedy Consulting |

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Managers, foremen, owners and anyone interested in becoming an effective leader should attend!

Join international speaker, author and strategist John Kennedy as he brings both depth and understanding to this vital aspect of any successful business: leadership.

From understanding the three qualities of effective leaders to the art of communication and confidence, Kennedy brings a wealth of experience, examples and expertise to the table to share with the audience. We can’t deliver the same “old” leadership in this vibr ant “new” economy.

Kennedy will dig deeply into creating a world-cla ss team and building a culture of measurement and momentum that will stand the test of time. From motivation, evaluation and possible termination, he covers a lot of ground in a very short period of time. You won’t want to miss the toolbox of insights and ideas that you will be able to be put to use the very first day back on the job! $129 for MNLA/MTGF members if registered

by Dec. 13 (includes lunch).

Impacts of Wire Basket Retention and Removal

on Establishment and Growth of Acer platanoides and Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis1 Richard Hauer2, Andrew Koeser3, Jeff Edgar4, and Dave Kleinhuizen5

➾ tree study

Studies supported by:

Introduction

Within the professional arboriculture literature and best management practices, partial or complete wire basket and burlap removal is recommended at the time of planting to reduce barriers to root growth and limit the potential for long-term root girdling. While backed by many anecdotal accounts, this recommendation is not fully supported by the limited original research published in the scientific literature. Furthermore, some nursery producers worry about the effects of wire-basket removal on early transplant survival (i.e., during the tree warranty period). To address this void in the research, a series of landscape trials are underway within the Upper Midwest (United States) that assess the effects of various levels of wire basket retention and removal (i.e., full, partial, and no removal) on the growth and stability of balled-and-burlapped honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) transplants. This presentation highlights primary findings for this study, including: planting time requirements, mid-summer measures of stress (via chlorophyll fluorescence), and end-of-season growth measurements (i.e., caliper growth and twig elongation). Initial findings from this work show an increase in time associated with both levels of wire basket removal. More importantly, growth and measured plant stress did not consistently vary significantly between treatments within the first 1–2 years for the species and site conditions tested.

A

Objectives

B

This research effort develops an understanding of the effects of wire basket and packaging removal practices on tree survival and establishment. A five- year study was initiated in 2011 to answer: 1. How effective various wire-basket-removal practices (i.e., no removal, partial removal, and complete removal) are in reducing root conflicts with balled and burlapped packaging materials; 2. Time required to remove root ball packaging materials; 3. Root ball disruption (visual rating) during packaging material removal; 4. Survival, growth, and establishment of trees by treatments during the establishment time period; and 5. When fully established, trees will be pulled to failure to see if whole-tree stability differs by treatment.

Results and Implications

C Figure 1. Examples of study treatments that included the removal of no root ball packaging materials (A, Intact), the partial removal (B, Partial), or full removal (Remove).

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• After one growing season, no mortality of study trees occurred as a result of treatments.

• The removal of packaging materials significantly increased the time to plant, doubling time from approximately 2.5

Figure 2. Study trees harvested and moved on-site to planting locations (A) at the research locations at Silver Creek Nursery, Manitowoc, Wi (B), and Hardwood Creek Nursery, Forest Lake MN (C).

minutes to 5 minutes for partial and full removal of materials (trees were already next to pre-dug holes). • Root ball cracking was observed with a mean index of 0.3 (0= No Cracking) for the intact treatment and to 1.7 and 1.9 (2= Moderate Cracking) for the partial and remove treatments respectively. • Growth of trees as a measure of twig elongation was similar among treatments except for honeylocust growing at the november 13

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➾ tree study

Growth of trees as a measure of twig elongation was similar among treatments except for honeylocust growing at the Minnesota location. At that site twig elongation was less for the intact (no packaging material removed) treatment. This may be a function of twine that appeared to cause stem compression.

However, this speculation has not been confirmed as of yet through anatomical investigation.

Figure 3. Time study to plant a tree that was positioned at the planting hole. Letters indicate significant difference at the 0.05 level.

Minnesota location. At that site twig elongation was less for the intact (no packaging material removed) treatment.

This may be a function of twine that appeared to cause stem compression. However, this speculation has not been confirmed as of yet through anatomical investigation.

• No difference among honeylocust was found with chlorophyll fluorescence for all treatments. Norway maple did show a difference with the partial removal having the lowest florescence at both locations.

• The study is continuing with chlorophyll and growth measurements continuing for at least 2 more growing seasons.

• A final component of this study will include examination for root system defects and for difference in root strength from a pull study.

1. This Study was supported by the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund, the Wisconsin Arborist Association and in-kind donations from Silver Creek Nurseries, Inc., Hardwood Creek Nursery, Inc.; Figure 4. Elongation of twigs after one growing season. Letters indicate significant difference at the 0.05 level within a tree species and site grouping.

2. Associate Professor, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Horticulture, IFAS, University of Florida – Gulf Coast Research and Education Center; 4. Owner, Silver Creek Nurseries, Inc., Manitowoc, WI; 5. President, Hardwood Creek Nursery, Inc., Forest Lake, MN.

NORTHERN

GREEN

EXPO

Figure 5. Chlorophyll fluorescence as a measure of mid-summer stress.

Letters indicate significant difference at the 0.05 level within a tree species and site grouping.

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want to learn more about current tree planting best practices?

Join Dr. Bert Cregg, associate professor of horticulture and forestry at Michigan State University (MSU) for a Northern Green Expo session called “Tree Planting: What Matters, What Doesn’t, and Why.” Dr. Cregg will review the scientific research on tree planting and highlight factors that warrant the most attention for your next planting job.

➾ cov er story

cover story

“Re-Imagining”

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the

Kip Creel | StandPoint

he Garden Center

I often get asked what I see as the “future of the local garden center.” My belief is that there will always be a place for specialty retail in this industry.

Some consumers will always pay a premium for higher quality plants, better service, and access to advice. 

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➾ cov er story

T

he purchase and enjoyment of plants is a function of life-stage.

The desire to own a home, decorate it, and “make it my own” is alive and well. For now, we have to contend with some economic and demographic headwinds. For one, the group of homeowners who are at peak earnings and spending on home improvement is historically small. Secondly, we are not generating new home owners at the same pace we have in the past.

There is an awful lot of handwringing these days about the “changing consumer.” Without question, interest levels, shopping patterns, and the way consumers get information about gardening have changed dramatically. What I find really interesting, however, is that what drives value as it relates to buying plants hasn’t changed… .at all. Not one iota. We’ve been studying the lawn and garden consumer for over 15 years and they still want the same things from their plant purchases: • Quality • Reduce my fear of failure • Garden performance • Unique colors, textures, and shapes • Show me where and how to use plants There should be some comfort in knowing this. Sure, the face of your customer and what they expect from you as a retailer may change, but they want the same things from plant purchases as their parents. Nobody knows how to deliver on these value drivers better than the locally-owned garden center. Nobody.

Long-term growth in sales and profits requires a constant balancing of innovation (new ideas) and execution (that is, getting stuff done.) Businesses need new ideas and should constantly experiment. Nevertheless, they still have to “make the doughnuts” and do the things that pay today’s bills. Good managers always know the right balance of “yes” and “no” when it comes to trying new things and stretching the organization’s offerings.

In large corporations there is typically a rigorous method in place for managing the pipeline of new product and services that are introduced to the market. At the very front end, organizations do a very broad assessment of their markets, industries, and customer base for big trends. They then marry this insight with their technologies and core competencies — what they do well.

The intersection of trends and capabilities are referred to as “platforms”— a business catchphrase for focus areas. Within each platform, organizations brainstorm new product and service ideas.

They fill their pipeline with concepts, refine these concepts, kill weaker ideas, and ultimately decide which projects to fund and which products to launch.

There are many exciting opportunities to “re-imagine the garden center” and “fill your pipeline”. A good starting point is to build some platforms. Examine what you do really well and identify how the changes with your customer intersect. We recently conducted this exercise with a group of retail garden centers, and developed four future growth platforms.

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Going Local

Health and wellness

As it relates to “local,” the independent garden center has many good things going for it. The default opinion of the consumer is that the garden center has “hand-picked” products that will do best in the local area. Do you? Can you claim that you buy local? The word “local” has many different meanings from supporting small business to reducing environmental impact. Localization has the potential of telling the customer that you’ve simplified things for them greatly and “reduced their fear of failure.”

We’re all pretty stressed out and there is scientific evidence that plants reduce stress levels and improve memory. According to our studies, consumers believe these claims and we typically pay top dollar to make us feel better. How can we tap into this consumer need with plants? (Check out the fascinating research from Dr. Charlie Hall at Texas A&M University. http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/ health-and-well-being-benefits-of-plants/#.UjyJM8bktw8) Coming up with new ideas can be fairly easy once you have focus areas. Execution is the hard part. Before rolling out anything new, make sure it fits your organizational competencies, have a plan to see the idea to fruition, know the costs and potential upsides, and have a way to measure success. Don’t try to implement too many new ideas at once. Do you homework and invest in the right projects. And, by all means, don’t be afraid to say no.

Now, go forth, and re-imagine your garden center.

Monetizing expertise

Most local garden centers are a brain trust of horticultural knowledge.

The consumer is getting less knowledgeable and what they find online can be confusing and contradictory. As an organization, how can you turn your expertise into dollars? Good examples of this are garden coach services and the landscape plans that are completed by retailers. Our panel of retailers really had a great time with this platform and came up with some really good ideas.

Aging in place

Your most loyal customer is getting older. What products and services can you offer that better meet the needs of this group?

Do you even know what his or her needs are?

Family engagement

I’m happy to report that among the youngest families there is a renewed desire to ensure children are taught about plants and gardening. It had “fallen off the radar” a few years back; today the local garden center is viewed as a place to engage the whole family.

Where is there money to be made here? What are you doing to draw in these young families, even if it is for promotional purposes?

NORTHERN

GREEN

EXPO

would you like to help build a “next gen garden center”?

Join Kip Creel at Northern Green Expo 2014 to participate in a workshop that will give you concrete ideas on new product and service offerings based on real consumer feedback.

The session builds upon the insights Kip will share during his “The Future of the Independent Garden Center” session at Expo, and takes you through exercises that will help reinvigorate your garden center.

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The Garden Center of 2025 Nick Sargent | Sargent’s Landscape Nursery

➾ the garden center of 2 0 2 5

Where is our industry headed?

D

epending on who you listen to we could all be headed for great things, disaster, or anything in between. I would like to take this chance to look 10–20 years down the road and imagine what will be important in the year 2025, what is similar to 2013, and what may be completely different.

To begin with, I would like to look back at the last 20 years. When I was just out of college all of our designs were done by hand. Estimates were done on an archaic DOS program, our garden centers used old fashioned cash registers that gave us only dollars sold per category for information, and telephones were simple. There were no cell phones, the internet was in its infancy and of no relevance to business, and customers had a long enough attention span to garden for the future with delayed gratification items such as fall bulbs.

Annuals came primarily in 6 or 9 packs vs. 4" thriller, filler, and spillers, etc. Lastly, if a consumer wanted to buy plants, they thought of an independent garden center first. Now in Rochester, we have two Menards, a Home Depot, Lowes, two Wal-Marts, two Shopkos and five grocery stores all with significant garden departments!

What has NOT changed: I would argue that most aspects of our business have not changed much. We still sell annuals, perennials, woody plants, bulk mulch and rock, landscape supplies, gifts, and landscape services. Quality is still a prerequisite to have a successful business, as is good service. Going above and beyond good service to fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable service will truly set us apart from the box stores. The fundamentals of landscape design, as well as honest, personable sales of landscape services are much the same.

A clean, well-signed, and well-laid out garden center is still an advantage. Finally, giving the customer an experience that is enjoyable will lead them back to you time after time. All in all, I would say less has changed in the last 20 years than most of us think.

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Now to look to the future: Prediction #1

As Generation X and Y grow up and move into middle age groups, they will become ever more interested in gardening and landscaping.

Technology will rule, but in some ways this will lead them to a greater need for the natural world. Better yet, they will have more disposable income to spend on our products. I believe too much emphasis is put on studies that show the difference between Gen Y and the Baby Boomers. I believe that the younger generations will become more like the boomers as they age and lead our industry to great things.

Prediction #2

Well-run independent garden centers will maintain a foothold with a large enough customer segment to ward off being swallowed by the big boxes. For the garden center target market of female customers with significant disposable income, the well run garden center is, and always will be, more inviting, warm, and friendly than a box store. I proclaim that a well off mother with two kids, a beautiful house, nice car, and expensive restaurant habits DOES NOT CARE that a perennial from us is $9.99 when she could get it from Home Depot for $6.99 (even assuming it was of the same quality, which it usually is not). She enjoys shopping at an independent Garden Center, parking near the front door, and knowing she will receive pleasant service. Too often we lose sight of this because someone not in our target market proclaims “why are you guys so expensive?” We must continually remind ourselves that we cannot be all things to all people. A segment of lawn and garden consumers will go to the boxes based on price and that is okay. We must focus on our target market that is more interested in the total package of value we provide.

Prediction #3

Technology will surprise us in many ways.

What comes after the mobile and social network revolution is anyone’s guess.

However, it is fair to say that it will have a dramatic impact on our industry. Better information, easier ordering (at all levels), more knowledgeable customers, and more chances for connecting with customers are all a sure bet.

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Prediction #4

Some things will SHOCK us all. In the last 15 years we have seen many things that no one saw coming. One small example is that after years of declining shade tree sales, this year tree sales are up 25% for us. When I hear pundits proclaim things like “The glory days are gone in our industry, and they are NEVER coming back,” I think, “Who knows, maybe they will.” There is an overwhelming flaw in human nature that always believes that things will continue going in the direction that they currently are. This is easily seen in the stock market as the expert consensus is always lagging behind what is currently happening in the markets. My favorite phrase is “past performance is no guarantee of future results!” When my wife and I first entered the housing market we were told time after time “housing prices in America have NEVER declined,” inferring that they will never go down in the future. This line of reasoning brought America nearly to its knees. My point in all of this is that some things will happen, both good and bad, that none of us saw coming. No matter what the doubters say, the best times do lay ahead for those in our industry that keep the focus on exceptional quality, exceptional service, and creating a customer experience that leaves clients thrilled with your business.

Looking back 20 years makes me realize that the future is not so scary. Our industry has many businesses that have been through four, five, and six generations. If we keep sharp, nimble, and inventive; great things lay ahead for generations to come.

of Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. in Rochester can be reached at njsargent@sargentsgardens.com.

nick sargent

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âžž team atmosphere

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BUILDING A REWARDING TEAM ATMOSPHERE Over the last 50 years, a study has been done that attempts to discover the pulse of motivation and engagement in workplace America. It is a unique study because it not only asks the employees what matters most to them in a work environment, but it also asks the management and ownership what they feel matters to their employees.

John Kennedy | John Kennedy Consulting

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➾ team atmosphere

T

he companies whose management team is closest to the answers of the employees should be sent on vacation to Bermuda…. the companies whose management team is farthest away should be sent to me.

True leadership is the ability to know what matters to the employees, and to deliver each day on those values the employees desire.

And guess what…. money is not at the top of the list!

It’s actually not even in the top three! For a list of ten things that motivate your staff, go to www.UpSellingGreen.com. To get an even better indication…ask your team!

I have the joy of working with many wonderful growers, landscape companies, nurseries and garden centers. One company in particular that would be “headed to Bermuda” based on their understanding and commitment to the success of their associates and customers is SummerWinds.

SummerWinds Garden Centers are located in Northern California, Arizona and Missouri, and they are one of the most progressive examples of creating a wonderful work environment that I know.

From their annual corporate leadership “advance” (we don’t call them retreats for the obvious military reference) to their management summit, to their dedication to employee development, and finally to their undying commitment to the customer experience; SummerWinds continues to strive to become the world-class standard for both sales and service in our industry.

I first met SummerWinds at the ANLA Management Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky a few years back. I was invited to present at their management summit (a meeting of general managers and assistants from their roughly one dozen store locations).

From that successful meeting, I was invited back to speak at their senior leadership meeting the following year.

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From our open discussion of strategic planning and sales growth in a tough economic climate, it was determined that retaining good employees was invaluable to the success of SummerWinds and its customers. However, Recruiting new talent to replace the underperformers was also addressed. (Some folks look at the unemployment rate as a crisis…I see it as an opportunity to “trade up” to a better team!) We also discussed the issue of Image at the location level and keeping consistent the message of colorful, vibrant plants and people. Our third item to be tackled in our leadership advance was Service and the importance of continuing to deliver on their key retail operating standards (KROS). And finally, the whole reason for this article…Engagement.

SummerWinds has a set of guiding values that afford “unity in leadership and consistency in service”…a culture of RISE. Each day, each location is challenged with a certain value that they will drive for that day (Recruitment, Image, Service, Engagement).

“You can’t expect what you can’t inspect!”

An awesome way to keep the associates engaged is through training on product knowledge and mini-games to drive sales and success.

We pick a certain product line or outcome that is worth applying effort in order to gain an outcome. (Inevitably, the better the effort… the better the outcome!)

One such example is to see how each store can raise its average transaction amount over the same time last year. So far, a majority of the locations are seeing great results with the associate’s engagement in the “UpSelling” process.

One of the top ten values that matter most to employees is “feeling in on things,” and SummerWinds does an exceptional job of not only communicating to their associates, but also rewarding them for a job

well done. Each location that wins the challenge gets a free lunch for the victory. Over the course of the next few months, they will continue to track other areas of improvements and compete with other store locations for the greatest overall improvement. (They emulate the NASCAR points system!) Another great company that has bought into this idea is Greenstreet Gardens in Lothian, Maryland. Ray Greenstreet has a beautiful property in the Chesapeake Bay area and recently incentivized his staff to “UpSell” their product line of Bumper Crop…. they had a cubic foot goal to sell for the month and had already exceeded that goal by the third week of the month!! Well done team!!!

With that victory, every employee will receive a gift card with a dollar amount to spend as they wish (not a Greenstreet Gardens gift card!).

You see, if it’s good for the company and owner, it should be good for the employee as well…sharing the success and outcomes based on the efforts is key to the engagement factor of any successful organization. On a scale from 1–10, how would you rate your engagement factor??? If it’s 7 or below, it’s time to make some serious efforts in shaking it up! Go to UpSellingGreen.com for a list of ideas to incentivize, engage and motivate your team.

I work with another group in Maryland that incentivized the landscape division to increase the profit margin on each job sold as well as the average price of the job…when those two deltas are reached, not only is the sales team winning, the entire company wins…and a dollar amount is shared amongst them all.

I work with a grower in South Carolina that measures safety. For each 90 days without injury, the entire staff gets a pizza party. You would think that pizza wouldn’t be a motivator, but at this nursery is certainly is…they eat it up!!!

Lastly, there is a client of mine in New York that through our partnership and the consistent application of effort in “UpSelling,”

he is now UP 40% over this time last year…numbers don’t lie!

(But if you torture them enough they will confess to anything!)

Engagement is key to the success and profitability of your garden center, farm, nursery, distribution or landscape firm. What are you doing each and every day to engage your staff, your crew, your employees and yourself to create a culture worth keeping? Motivation is just the start; the systems and strategies to support and extend the motivation over a long period of time is where the money is.

Are you investing wisely?

These great companies have, and the return on their investment is already providing an UP tick in Selling Green!

One location is UP an average of $5.00 per transaction at their garden center (Do the math at your place…how much would that amount to for the rest of your selling season?).

ENGAGE…ENRICH…ENJOY!

NORTHERN

GREEN

EXPO

want to become a better leader?

John Kennedy is an author, strategist and consultant to the green industry and resides in Sykesville, Maryland with his son Benjamin. He is the keynote speaker at the Northern Green Expo in 2014, and will present “A New Era of Leadership in the Green Industry” during Super Tuesday, January 7, 2014.

John can be reached at john@ishakeitup.com or 443.605.7095.

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Get Involved in the best

Minnesota Grown Program Yet! If the Minnesota Grown Program is not familiar to you — NOW is the perfect time to change that! If you are a proud member — there are a lot of new and exciting things going on this year!

Jessica Miles | Minnesota Grown Program

T

he Minnesota Grown Program is a statewide partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota producers of specialty crops and livestock. It was created over 25 years ago to help producers differentiate their product and to help provide direct-to-consumer marketing assistance. The Minnesota Grown Program now has over 1,100 diverse members including farmers markets, garden centers, nurseries, Christmas tree growers, meat producers, fruit and vegetable growers, and producers of honey, wild rice, maple syrup, cheese and other gourmet products.

The Minnesota Grown Program has two levels of participation: 1) The Minnesota Grown Annual Labeling License, $20: This is

an annual license (expiring December 31 of the year in which you apply). With it, you receive the right to use the trademarked and highly trusted Minnesota Grown logo. You can use this logo on any product that was grown or raised in Minnesota. A product that was raised in another state and processed in Minnesota is not eligible to be labeled as Minnesota Grown.

This license will also give you access to unlimited FREE promotional materials. This includes an assortment of stickers, price cards, posters, table talkers and more. (We also have two NEW promotional items, including plant stakes, to introduce to you — read more below!) These materials can be used to help identify your products, showcase local plant varieties, and also be offered to your retail customers. You are also entitled to participate in the labeling costshare program, where Minnesota Grown will reimburse you 50% of your costs, up to $200, if you put the Minnesota Grown logo directly onto your packaging, labels or permanent signage. Please reach out to Cassie Boadway after you are a member and before you start any work on the materials. (Cassie.boadway@state.mn.us) Do you sell your product through wholesale outlets? With your Minnesota Grown license, you can get a listing in the online Minnesota Grown Wholesale Directory. Designed to be used by wholesalers, restaurants, schools and other institutions, the

Wholesale Directory makes it easy to find larger quantities of fresh, local food and plants. The FREE wholesale listing gives you the ability to showcase the different products you offer, a history of your business, and your insurance and certifications, if any. We have also recently enabled a “request a product” feature. Potential clients can now submit an email request for a certain product and Minnesota Grown will pass it on to only those listed in the online Wholesale Directory.

2) Minnesota Grown Directory Listing, $40: Do you grow trees, shrubs, perennials, flowers or other plants and sell them directly to consumers? For just $40 more, we can feature your business and link you directly to consumers through our annual printed and online directories. In your listing, you can highlight your plant varieties, additional services offered, company background, location — whatever you’d like! We distribute the directories statewide through tourism centers, libraries, individual members and direct orders.

This is a great, affordable advertising tool that, on average, gets used more than 4 times and is kept for over 12 months. Our online directory is also very popular. We have nearly 250,000 unique annual visitors who remain on our site for over four minutes while viewing 7.5 different pages. According to Google, those numbers are roughly twice the average of similar sites! You must carry a valid Minnesota Grown license and sell your product directly to consumers to be listed in the directory. In order to guarantee a spot in this year’s directory: sign-up by Jan 31, 2014!

When you participate in both programs, for only $60 you can get a year of advertising to consumers who are interested in buying locally and directly from the grower. So what are you waiting for?

Join today! New members may apply online by clicking on the “Members Box” at www.minnesotagrown.com, or by contacting Jessica at 651-201-6170 or jessica.miles@state.mn.us to request an application by mail or for additional questions.

Although the primary role of the Minnesota Grown Program is to promote locally grown products, we also have the ability to provide november 13

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➾ minnesota grown

The Minnesota Grown Program is also excited to announce the release of two new promotional materials, rubber bands and plant stakes! The rubber bands are 2 inches long by ½ inch thick and have the Minnesota Grown logo and words “Minnesota Grown” printed on it. It’s great for leafy greens, bundling carrots or closing bags — among many other possibilities!

our members and partner associations with customized market research. During the spring of 2013, we partnered with MNLA to conduct a statewide survey of garden center customers. We received a total of nearly 2,000 completed consumer surveys from thirty-eight garden center locations throughout Minnesota!

The survey’s 26 questions covered a variety of topics, beginning with questions about their visit history, leading into questions about purchase behavior and ending with demographics. The responses will help us better understand why consumers select specific locations at which to shop, what they buy and how they can best be reached through marketing efforts. We can track from each location separately to provide participating garden centers with access to their own customer responses in addition to seeing the overall statewide averages.

We’re very much looking forward to presenting our findings with MNLA members at the Northern Green Expo on January 9, 2014.

So, why is this year so exciting for Minnesota Grown members?

The Minnesota Grown Program has lots of exciting changes in store for the upcoming year and directory issue. After launching our first full-color Minnesota Grown Directory in print, we’ve been working on updating our online directory. We will launch a brand new website this winter! The URL will remain www.minnesotagrown. com. Not only will the new website have a brand new look, but it will be faster and easier for consumers to use to find local farmers and producers. Consumers will also be able to quickly connect with Minnesota Grown’s Facebook page, Pick of the Month E-Newsletter plus, news/seasonal information and events occurring at Minnesota Grown member farms. We will now have an events calendar page and have a scrolling events-feed across our home page — allowing consumers to see what is going on right now in Minnesota and making member events more noticeable. Minnesota Grown members will also see huge improvements with the new website.

It will be easier to find information, like press releases, member updates, order promotional materials and add photos/events.

The Minnesota Grown Program is also excited to announce the release of two new promotional materials, rubber bands and plant 38

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stakes! The rubber bands are 2 inches long by ½ inch thick and have the Minnesota Grown logo and words “Minnesota Grown” printed on it. It’s great for leafy greens, bundling carrots or closing bags — among many other possibilities! The plant stakes are 1 inch wide by 4.5 inches tall and have the Minnesota Grown logo printed on them. These are great for starter plants, potted plants, take-homes in baskets and more! They have plenty of room for you to write a price or add your own logo.

While it can be debated, the biggest news we have to tell current and potential members is about our new DEADLINES! We will be releasing the 2014–15 Minnesota Grown Directory in April, 2014 (it is usually released in May of each year). We want the latest edition of the directory available when consumers are starting to crawl out of hibernation and starting to think about spring, planting their flowers/gardens and planning their summer activities. We wanted to be able to distribute the latest edition at Earth Day events throughout April. With moving the directory up one month, we needed to move all new and renewal application deadlines up as well. While the annual Minnesota Grown license will still expire on December 31, you will have until JANUARY 31, 2014 to renew your license and be guaranteed a spot in the printed directory. As always, we will accept applications at any time throughout the year and will always make additions to the online Directory. Renewals will be mailed starting November 1, 2013.

With so much happening in the Minnesota Grown Program, now is the perfect time to renew or join the program! Contact Jessica today for questions or details on the program. We look forward to helping connect you to local consumers, branding your product as Minnesota Grown and getting out and go local!

jessica miles is on MNLA’s Communication + Technology Committee and is the program coordinator for Minnesota Grown. She can be reached at jessica.miles@state.mn.us or 651-201-6170.

âžž MDA ALERT

MDA ALERT Canada De -reg ulates Soybean Cyst N ematode Stephanie Visker

Export Certification Program Coordinator Minnesota Department of Agriculture

effective november 25, 2013,

Canada will no longer enforce import regulations related to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines). Nursery stock exported to Canada from infested states, like Minnesota, will no longer need to prove freedom from soybean cyst nematode (SCN) via costly and labor intensive soil testing or the use of soil-less growing media.

Currently, Canada restricts the import of soybean seed, potatoes, root crops, and soil/soil-related matter, alone or associated with plants. Plants with roots, regardless of having been washed free of soil, must be certified free from SCN. This means the plants must have been grown in soil-less media or have been grown in a field that has been lab-tested and found free of SCN. Collecting soil samples from the fields is labor intensive, time consuming and expensive for growers. SCN certification requirements have caused many small Minnesota nurseries to decide against selling to Canadians, even though they may be located along the Canadian border.

Current import regulations for SCN in Canada are far more stringent than domestic requirements. Discrepancies between domestic and import regulations are not allowed under International phytosanitary standards, which state that regulated pests may be present in limited locations but must be officially controlled.

Control measures must be equivalent for domestic and

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imported articles. Furthermore, Canada acknowledges that SCN is currently present in at least half of all Canadian fields producing soybeans and 75% of all soybean fields in Ontario.

The de-regulation of SCN by Canada will ease trade between Minnesota and Canada. It will also level the playing field between nurseries in SCN-infested states and those that are not known to be infested. SCN numbers must build up for several years before it is present at detectable levels. The US de-regulated SCN in 1972 and it has likely spread to many states without official identification/detection. Nurseries in those states are currently able to ship without SCN testing, while those in SCN-infested states like Minnesota, cannot.

In summary, the de-regulation of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) by Canada will allow the export of US plants into Canada without costly SCN testing. It will also ease the restrictions on shipping soybean seed, potatoes, and root crops. Canada will continue to prohibit soil and will require all imports to be free of soil. Time will tell how Canada will implement this restriction on field grown nursery stock like balled and burlapped trees. Currently they may be imported as long as the growing field is negative for SCN. No matter how Canada regulates particular commodities, the de-regulation of SCN will greatly benefit Minnesota nurseries exporting to Canada.

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➾ legal issues

Worker Classification (Employees or Subs) Remains a Top Priority On September 10th, U.S. Solicitor of Labor, M. Patricia Smith said that the Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, views employee misclassification of employees as independent contractors to be “workplace fraud.” She also noted that worker misclassification usually results in the violation of many laws and often does not meet overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Patrick McGuiness

Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC

it is not particularly surprising that worker classification will remain a high priority for the new Secretary of Labor. The Department of Labor has been working with 14 states, including Minnesota, to coordinate enforcement efforts on worker classification issues. Many other states have informal arrangements when working with the Department of Labor. In the long run, it is not worth the financial and reputational risks that accompany misclassifying workers.

Just because you label someone as a subcontractor does not make them one. Time after time when talking with business owners I ask them about their employee situation and get the response; “I don’t have employees, I just give my laborers 1099’s and have them sign a subcontractor agreement.” Just because a company takes these steps, does not mean they are in compliance with the law.

So how do you figure out how to classify workers? The U.S. Department of Labor has extensive guidance on this subject. In general, an employee, as distinguished from an independent contractor who is engaged in a business of his own, is one who “follows the usual path of an employee” and is dependent on the business that he serves. The factors that the Supreme Court has considered significant, although no single one is regarded as controlling, are: (1) the extent to which the worker’s services are an integral part of the employer’s business (examples: Does the worker play an integral role in the business by performing the primary type of work that the employer performs for his customers or clients? Does the worker perform a discrete job

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that is one part of the business’ overall process of production? Does the worker supervise any of the company’s employees?); (2) the permanency of the relationship (example: How long has the worker worked for the same company?); (3) the amount of the worker’s investment in facilities and equipment (examples: Is the worker reimbursed for any purchases or materials, supplies, etc.?

Does the worker use his or her own tools or equipment?); (4) the nature and degree of control by the principal (examples: Who decides on what hours to be worked? Who is responsible for quality control?

Does the worker work for any other companies?

Who sets the pay rate?); (5) the worker’s opportunities for profit and loss (examples: Did the worker make any investments such as insurance or bonding? Can the worker earn a profit by performing the job more efficiently or exercising managerial skill or suffer a loss of capital investment?); and (6) the level of skill required in performing the job and the amount of initiative, judgment, or foresight in open market competition with others required for the success of the claimed independent enterprise (examples: Does the worker perform routine tasks requiring little training? Does the worker advertise independently via yellow pages, business cards, etc.?

Does the worker have a separate business site?).

These factors are looked at as a whole, so the fact that a worker may invest in their own facility and satisfy factor #3, does not mean the worker is a legitimate independent contractor. If all the other factors make it appear that the worker is an employee, then the company may still be in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Having employees involves many responsibilities. There are additional taxes that need to be paid, workers compensation insurance to carry, and many other considerations. However, these considerations are small compared to the fines and other repercussions if your company is caught in violation of the law.

While it may save money in the short term, it is illegal to fraudulently treat someone as an independent contractor if they are actually an employee. If you are labeling someone an independent contractor and they are seriously injured while working for you, you can still be held responsible. There are many other scenarios in which the business owner does not come out ahead in the long run.

Take a look at your company. If you are improperly labeling your workers, it may be time to consider taking the step of having true employees and the responsibilities that come with them.

This article provides general information on employment law and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given. If you would like more information regarding employment law or other legal matters, please contact Patrick McGuiness at Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-206-3203 or pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com

NORTHERN get your ceu’s at green expo

GREEN

EXPO

The Northern Green Expo will once again afford you the opportunity to maintain many common green industry certifications and licensures. If you’re looking to stay current, be sure to attend one of the following programs: Need Aquatics Recertification (category F)? There will once again be a 2 hour aquatics recertification program available on Thursday from 2:00 pm–3:50 pm. In addition to this course, you must also attend the pesticide applicator recertification track on Friday to obtain recertification credit.

As always, CEUs to maintain your pesticide applicator license will be available between 7:30 am–3:35 pm on Friday.

All sessions during Expo qualify for MNLA-CP Recertification points. In addition to these opportunities, many programs during Expo will qualify for CEUs. Check with the governing body of your certification to determine criteria for CEU applicability. Some that may qualify include: International Society of Arboriculture ASLA-MN Irrigation Association MGCSA MN Tree Inspector Recertification National Concrete Masonry Association

visit www.northerngreenexpo.org to learn more! november 13

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The Emerald Ash Borer:

How can you help your community?

You’ve probably read many articles about the emerald ash borer and are bracing for another one. Well this one is not touting the latest technique or how to find the emerald ash borer.

I am writing this article to challenge everyone to take action. We all have busy lives but how much do you really know how emerald ash borer will be impacting your life, our communities, and our environment?

Gail Nozal | S&S Tree and Landscaping Specialists

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M

any of us remember the days (and some may not, but bear with me) of thousands of elm trees that stood all across Minnesota. They embodied our urban landscape and many remain because of our strong commitment to urban forestry. While ash trees may not epitomize an urban landscape like the elms did, our landscape does stand to change considerably like it did when Dutch elm disease killed thousands of elms in the 1970s and 1980s. This urban forest crisis, as predicted, will be much worse. In 1974, Minnesota (Laws 1974, chapter 355, section 66) was in a much better position financially to handle Dutch elm disease because we had a very strong group of tree advocates that were able to help legislators understand the importance, and secure millions of dollars to assist cities with the removal and sanitation programs. We know that many trees will be removed, treated and replanted, but do we really understand the economic impact these trees will have on Minnesotans and their communities? Beyond the economic losses, there will be many other losses, specifically the environmental and social benefits that will be lost when the ash trees are gone. This will be a big and overwhelming problem to say the least, but we all need to start somewhere. We are fortunate to be able to learn lessons from those communities to the east that suffered the effects and economic pressure caused by EAB. However, it would be much to our benefit to begin evaluating if our community is ready to handle this economic burden created by the loss of these trees in our communities.

Research has been done to show the economic crisis that communities will face and a few of the articles that have been written are listed as references you can use with your community.

It will take all of our voices and the efforts of the MNLA Government Affairs Committee and MNLA consultants to help communities prepare for the devastation ahead. Take time today to reach out to your city officials to find out how you and others in your community can help prepare for the economic and environmental losses to our communities from the emerald ash borer. Together, through effective communication with our legislators and educating our communities, we can help minimize the impact of this immense economic issue on the road ahead.

Sydnor, T. Davis, Bumgardner, Matthew, and Subburayalu, Sakthi., Community Ash Densities and Economic Impact Potential of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Four Midwestern States. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2011. 37(2): 84–89 Kovacs, K.F., et al., Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S. communities, 2009–2019, Ecological Economics (2009), doi:10.1016/j. ecolecon.2009.09.004

is a member of MNLA’s Government Affairs Committee and Director of Tree Care Services at S & S Tree Landscaping Specialists. She can be reached at gail@sstree.com.

gail nozal

The red star indicates where we are now on the projected ash mortality curve based on data gathered from other US cities.

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➾ G ov ernment Affairs

What Is the Definition of “Excavation”?

MS 216D Proposed Changes

The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MN OPS) conducted a series of meetings in 2013 with stakeholder groups including MNLA, to develop possible changes to the Minnesota statutes and rules that regulate the One Call Excavation Notice System, otherwise known as Gopher State One Call (GSOC).

Tim Power

MNLA Government Affairs Director

mn ops would like to propose these changes through the Legislature in 2014. The excerpt below shows MN OPS’ proposed changes in the definition of “excavation.”

The existing definition is shown, with proposed deletions noted by strikethroughs and proposed additions noted by underlining.

216D.01 Definitions: Subd. 5 – Excavation.

“Excavation” means an activity that moves, removes, or otherwise disturbs the soil by use of motor, engine, hydraulic or pneumatically-powered tool, or machinepowered equipment of any kind, or by explosives.

Excavation does not include: (1) the extraction of minerals; (2) the opening of a grave in a cemetery; (3) normal maintenance of roads and streets if the maintenance does not change the original grade and does not involve the road ditch; (4) plowing, cultivating, planting, harvesting, and similar operations in connection with growing crops, trees, and shrubs, unless any of these activities disturbs the soil to a depth of 18 inches or more; (5) gardening unless it disturbs the soil to a depth of 12 inches or more; (6) planting of windbreaks, shelterbelts, and tree plantations, unless any of these activities disturbs the soil to a depth of 18 inches or more; (7) The use of non-mechanized hand tools or equipment unless it involves driving, twisting or like activities into the soil at any depth in a manner that is reasonably capable of damaging an underground facility; 46

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(8) An underground facility operator or representative using non-mechanized hand tools or equipment to locate the operator’s underground facility, provided reasonable precaution has been taken to protect the underground facilities; (9) An excavator using non-mechanized hand tools or equipment within two feet on either side of a marked location of an underground facility, provided that a valid notice meeting the requirement of section 216D.04, subdivision 1 has been generated and provided reasonable precaution has been taken to protect all underground facilities; or (10) Vacuum extraction provided reasonable precaution has been taken to protect the underground facilities.

The use of hand tools is not addressed in the current statutory definition of excavation, so persons using hand tools are technically not required to call in “locates” to GSOC prior to digging. MN OPS’ proposed changes would address hand tools and force persons using hand tools that use a driving or twisting action (form pins, tree anchors, etc.) to call in “locates” prior to digging. The proposed changes would also protect excavators who have properly called in a “locate” and are using hand tools within the markings of that locate while exercising appropriate care.

MNLA believes that MN OPS’ proposed changes will not significantly impact its members who are currently complying with the GSOC system. However, there may be an increase in the number of landscaping projects that will require a “locate” due to “driving or twisting” actions using hand tools. We hope that the updated statute and rules will result in increased safety.

➾ shootout recap

2013 MNLA Shootout Another fabulous crowd gathered for the MNLA Shootout on September 18, helping to raise money to support MNLA Foundation scholarships. People left the event with full bellies, great memories, bragging rights and an exciting array of prizes!

Congratulations to our winners!

Champion Team

second place Team

Dale Doudrick & Bryan Bodsberg of Central Turf & Irrigation, along with George Stockburger Jr., George Stockburger Sr. & Jim Edens of Rainmaster Irrigation, Inc., took the prize as MNLA’s Champion Shootout Team for 2013.

Flurry Winners: After battling it out in a tie-breaker, Derek Boomer (left) and Ryan Boomer (right) of Kerker, Inc., emerged as the winning Flurry Team.

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Bryon Kuglin & Steve Hamacher of Autumn Oaks teamed up with Patrick McGuiness & Bryan Zlimen of Zlimen & McGuiness to earn the second highest score for the day.

Rabbit Shoot Winner: Dave Meyer of Law’s Nursery receives a Light Logic™ transformer & system from Tom Callahan of Unique Lighting Systems, the Rabbit Run Game Sponsor.

Raffle Winner: In an unbelievable twist of fate, George Stockburger Sr. took home the $500 raffle prize for the second year in-a-row!

A special thank you to all of our sponsors for helping to make this event possible!

Beverage Sponsors: Carlin Sales and St. Croix Tree Service

Dinner Sponsor: Novozymes Bio Ag Inc.

Game Sponsor: Unique Lighting

General Sponsors: DOW AgroSciences Nufarm Americas Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. and T.O. Plastics logos needed.

Don’t miss your chance to apply for MNLA awards!

November 20 is the deadline for both the newly revamped Landscape Awards program and DEADLINE: the brand new Member of Excellence program! To learn more about how you 20 14 may qualify for either award, click the link on the home page of www.MNLA.biz. Both programs feature a realtime digital online entry process. Winners will be notified in mid-December, and will receive a crest to use in their company’s marketing program. Full rules are posted on the online entry form.

NOV. 20

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

OneThirdSquareAwardsPromo-NovScoop.indd 1

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10/31/2013 1:25:23 PM

➾ networking

networking news Professional Gardener Meeting Date:

9/13/2013 place:

Heidi Heiland’s home in Plymouth

We enjoyed a of tour of Heidi Heiland’s home landscape. The Heilands have embraced numerous green building and landscaping techniques. A permeable paver driveway, numerous rainwater collection systems, bee hives, a brood of chickens, a vertical vegetable garden, shoreline stabilization, floating filtration islands and a geothermal system were all incorporated into their lakeside landscape.

Heidi encouraged everyone to make a visit to Cascade Meadows Wetlands and Environmental Science Center in Rochester. The mission of Cascade Meadows is to “raise the water and energy ‘literacy’ of the citizens of southeast Minnesota.” They have exhibits on sustainable buildings techniques, stormwater management and wetland habitats.

We discussed ideas on how to influence our customers to choose more “earth-friendly” techniques in their landscapes. How can we start trends in an area so that neighbors of our clients start to copy the rain gardens /native plant gardens/ low-mow lawns we install and make the large expanse of irrigated lawn less admired? How can we best create relationships between people and plants and the larger neighborhood they live in?

There was also discussion about the difficulty of finding organically grown annuals. The decline of bee populations is a concern. Growth regulators often do the job too well. What can we do to encourage more growers to grow organically? Can MNLA help with this? Would the higher prices of organic annuals be difficult to sell to the general public?

Commercial Flower Grower Meeting Date:

9/17/2013 place:

Tangletown Growing Range in Plato.

Hosted by Dean Engelmann

Approximately 80 people attended and growers were “chatting it up.” A great tour and lots of good information — “news you can use” — shared. A great mix of new and old industry professionals were there.

CEO

Topic: Employee Education and Career Development for Retention

Meeting Date:

Top Takeaways:

9/25/2013

1) Several use Dale Carnegie Sales Training for salespeople.

place:

Wild Onion, St. Paul

2) Ongoing training can be used to retain and recruit good employees.

3) LS Training, Davey online and on-the-job mentoring programs are used.

4) Some form of agreement limiting access to business information is desirable if you are going to invest in employee education.

Suggested MNLA program idea: Student recruitment for hort programs.

Garden Center Meeting Date:

10/2/2013

Topic: Home Runs and Foul Balls of the 2013 season Top Takeaways: 1) 7 for $7 sun perennials and 7 for $7 shade perennials.

2) Straw bale gardening seminars are a hit.

place:

Purple Onion Café, Minneapolis

3) Misses — Events that didn’t work: spring open houses and fall festivals Ideas for future meetings — It was agreed the Purple Onion is a nice atmosphere for meeting, but may possibly deter some people who don’t want to come into the city. One idea would be to meet at a host garden center where we would dig into one topic. A few ideas for topics were: 1) Stock rooms and warehouses, how do you stock your store?

for a list of upcoming mnla networking group meetings, visit mnla.biz.

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2) How do you set up your shrubs and trees for best display, also how do you keep plants up on windy days?

3) How do you efficiently get customers through checkout lines on the busiest days? This would need to be done in a slow season so the group could congregate around the checkout lanes.

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NOVEMBER 2012 | www.MNLA.biz

19

➾ ex po

calling all plant lovers!

N ew Plant Forum B ac k for 2 0 1 4 G reen E xpo

Coleus `Honeycrisp’

Siberian Iris

the green expo will bring back a fan favorite in January 2014 – The New Plant Forum. This exciting session is for those who are all about plants! Participants will hear about cutting edge plants introduced within the past several years. Only plants that are readily available in the trade will be presented.

So, we’re putting out a call to all MNLA members…do you have a new plant that you’d like to feature? Read on to find out how you can participate… how do i apply to participate?

Individuals who want to participate in the New Plant Forum should complete the New Plant Forum application which can be found online at www.NorthernGreenExpo.org. The application should be returned to MNLA Education and Certification Manager Sue Flynn by e-mail at susan@mnla.biz or via fax at 651-633-4986. A committee of industry professionals will pick the best of the applications to be presented at the Northern Green Expo. Given time constraints, it’s possible that not all applications will be presented.

EXPO

mnla welcomes members new

Amerigas Propane LP; Minnetonka, MN; Ed Moktarian, 952-232-8947 ECO Surface Solutions div. AJP; Goshen, IN; Bill Kinney, 574-533-1109

what is the application deadline?

Jeff Hoheisel Professional Tree Care; Hillman, MN; Jeff Hoheisel, 612-388-1889

Applications for the New Plant Forum must be submitted no later than December 1, 2013.

Krogh’s Inc.; Woodbury, MN; Jerry Krogh, 651-578-9130 Ready Property Preservation; Big Lake, MN; Laura Adams, 763-370-8794

NORTHERN

GREEN

The patio at EuroAmerican, the home of Proven Winners.

MNLA President Debbie Lonnee will once again be the moderator of this popular session.

MGI Landscapes & Outdoor Living; West Fargo, ND, Megan Gray, 701-532-0212 Minnesota Valley Nursery; Shakopee, MN, Sue Lindstrom, 952-445-7120

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âžž the last word

PR E SEN TAT I O NS

A N D

D E M O NS T R AT I O NS

I N

January 8

11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Information & Demo

2:15 - 2:45 p.m.

Pruning Trees & Shrubs in the Garden Center

Angela Orshinsky

TBG

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.

How to Conserve Bees on Your Property Vera Krischik

10:45 - 11:15 a.m.

Pruning Trees & Shrubs in the Landscape

12:45 - 1:15 p.m.

New Winter Hardy Gladiolus

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Pennisetum: New Forms and New Names

1:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Working Safely Around Utilities

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Information & Demo

4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Information & Demo

Craig Pinkalla

January 9

SH OW

1:30 - 2:00 p.m.

IPM: Biological Control Strategies

Join the conversation on Twitter. #GreenExpo14

THU.

T R A D E

10:45 - 11:15 a.m.

What You Need to Know about Plums, Cherries and Apricots Neil Anderson & Emily Hoover

WED.

T H E

Neil Anderson

Mary Meyer

TBG

Xcel Energy

9:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Pruning Trees in the Nursery

FRI.

January 10

TBG

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Information & Demo TBG

book your The hotel blocks at the Northern Green Expo hotels often sell out early, so don’t be left out in the cold. hotel rooms Book your hotel rooms now! now for The Hyatt Regency Hotel Minneapolis is the headquarters hotel and is connected by skyway to the Convention Center. green expo! The Hyatt features Prairie Kitchen and Bar and a deli-style market. Room Rate: $98. Reservation Phone: 1-888-421-1442.

Expo hotel info here, Kim.

The Millennium Hotel is connected by skyway to the Hyatt Regency and the Minneapolis Convention Center and is newly renovated! Discounted Room Rates Available! Room Rate: $98. Discounted rooms are limited so make your reservations now by calling toll free 866-866-8086.

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Incredible educational value at Northern Green Expo – just look at these garden center speakers!

There are many more great seminars and speakers to look forward to at the 2014 Northern Green Expo! To view the entire preliminary schedule-at-a-glance, visit www.NorthernGreenExpo.org.

Northern Green Expo 2014 Keynote

Join international speaker, author and strategist John Kennedy as he presents his “greatest hits of innovation and change.” This is a completely customized presentation that will only be seen at our event, so if you have seen John before, you will not have seen John like this!

John will blend a wonderful balance of insights, ideas, and innovations set to a backdrop of music and fun. From garden centers to golf courses and all points in between, John will bring MTGF and MNLA under one roof to make sure you are “Taking Care of Business,” ready to handle the “Pressure,”“Let The Good Times Roll” and “Don’t Stop Me Now!” as you take off to a new trajectory of excellence, engagement and excitement!

JO

HN KENNED

Y

Kennedy will also present a Super Tuesday session entitled A New Era of Leadership in the Green Industry.

John Kennedy has presented to over 250,000 audience members over the last 17 years and has made a dramatic impact in scores of companies and associations within the green industry. His client list includes Gertens, American Plant, Armstrong Garden Centers, Lancaster Farms, Spring Meadow Nursery, Natural Concerns Landscaping, Parsons Nursery, Manor View Farm, Walters Gardens, Marina del Rey Garden Center, Dambly’s Garden Center, Riverbend Nursery, McHale Landscape Design, SummerWinds Garden Centers, L & L Nursery Supply, Prides Corner Farms, as well as state associations including Florida, Minnesota, West Virginia, California, Oregon, Wisconsin and North Carolina … just to name a few!! John’s reputation as a sales strategist and customer experience consultant to our industry continues to grow, as does his proven track record of success and repeat partnerships. John specializes in leadership development, teamwork, and creating sales and service cultures. He has authored two books. Visit John online at www.upsellinggreen.com.

The Future of the Independent Garden Center

Learn what consumers want and how you can shape your store to fit their needs. During this session he will share insights from a focus group of Generation X and Y consumers and their ideas on what the future garden center should look like. The consumers were asked to envision a store that inspires them to create something new. The only other requirement was this space had to sell plants. Through a series of brainstorming exercises and the assistance of an illustrator, consumer participants created product, service, and merchandising concepts that can be incorporated into your business. This session is for owners, managers, merchandisers, or other independent garden center employees.

KIP CREEL

Building the Next Gen Garden Center

Participate in a workshop that will give you concrete ideas on how to improve merchandising, along with ideas for new product and service offerings based on real consumer feedback. Throughout this session Kip will take you through exercises that will help reinvigorate your garden center with fresh product, service, and merchandising ideas. This session builds upon the insights shared during “The Future of the Independent Garden Center” session. By focusing on actual consumer needs, you will identify actionable ideas that can be implemented in your own business. This session is for owners, managers, merchandisers, or other independent garden center employees.

Kip Creel is president of StandPoint, an Atlanta-based firm that studies the consumer and uses this information to assist companies with the development of new products and services. StandPoint utilizes a proprietary technique called SCORE that starts with an understanding of consumer needs, involves ideation of new solutions, and the development of product and service concepts. StandPoint is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the home and garden industries, which includes lawn and garden, outdoor living, landscaping, horticulture, home décor, home improvement, kitchen and bath, and new home construction. For a decade, Kip has been the industry’s top source for market information and solutions, sharing a knowledge base that spans the supply chain from manufacturing to the consumer.

Kip holds a bachelor’s of science in microbiology and statistics and a master of business administration in marketing, both from the University of Florida.

January 8–10, 2014 Minneapolis Convention Center www.NorthernGreenExpo.org

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