The Scoop Online - October 2022

Events

Introducing the Landscape Crew Member Apprenticeship Program

Cassie Larson announces MNLA’s newest program with benefits for both employers and employees.

Northern Green 2023 Schedule at a Glance

Check out the Schedule for a sneak peek of the courses to be offered at Northern Green 2023.

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MINNESOTA

Businesses Grow Here! 1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN

651-633-4987

Fax: 651-633-4986

Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986

www.NorthernGreen.org

Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association

to help members

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Randy Berg, President Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823

randy@bergsnursery.com

Matt Mallas, Vice-President SiteOne Landscape Supply 763-512-2849

mmallas@siteone.com

Terri McEnaney, Secretary-Treasurer Bailey Nurseries 651-459-9744 • terri.mcenaney@baileynursery.com

Faith Appelquist, MNLA-CP Tree Quality LLC 612-618-5244 • faith@treequality.com

Greg Krogstad

Rainbow Treecare 952-922-3810 • gkrogstad@rainbowtreecare.com

Patrick McGuiness Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC 651-331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com

John O’Reilly

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

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

Jim Shimon

Willow River Company — Landscaping & Tree Farm 715-386-3196 • jimshimon@willowrivertree.com

Cassie Larson, CAE

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

STAFF DIRECTORY

Executive Director: Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

Associate Director: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz

Dir. of Government Affairs: Felipe Illescas • felipe@mnla.biz

Education & Cert Mgr: Hallie Chasensky • hallie@mnla.biz

Communications Coor: Brianna Burns • brianna@mnla.biz

Regulatory Affairs Mgr: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz

Foundation Program Mgr: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz

Administrative Assistant: Louise Nemmers • louise@mnla.biz

Accountant: Pam Helgeson • accounting@mnla.biz

Advertising Sales: 763-295-5420

Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com

Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

Arborjet/Ecologel

Aspen Equipment

Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes

Bullis Insurance Agency

Central Landscape Supply

Compeer Financial

Cushman Motor Company

Davey Twin Cities Wood Products

Edney Distributing Co., Inc.

Fahey Sales Agency / Jeff Martin Auctioneers

Gertens Wholesale & Professional

Green Turf Sod Farms

Belzer Chevrolet

Keen Edge Company

Klaus Nurseries

Kubota

Lano Equipment, Inc.

Maguire Agency

Midwest Machinery

Minnesota Propane Association

Truck Equipment

Niebur Tractor & Equipment

Back Nursery

Companies

Hard Landscape Supply

Landscape Supply

Organics Recycling Facility

Meadow Nursery/Proven

Resultants

Tessman Company

Accent Lighting

Bobcat, Inc.

Midwest

Supply

Ziegler

Secret Weapon

October is a special month where pumpkins get to take center stage! For some of us, that stage is larger than most. Travis Gienger of Anoka is the “Pumpkin King” taking home the award for the largest pumpkin in North America in 2020. He’s got another one, dubbed “Maverick” growing this year that might nish out even larger! What is the secret? Well, Plaisted Companies’ own Total Garden Blend is a big component! Travis has perfected his craft for the last 28 years and has shared a few of his secrets. “First, we start the seeds early and try to get the most premium seeds possible. Then, I feel a big advantage is I use Total Garden Blend in the planting holes when starting the plants. Following that, a big component is that I bury the vines with the Garden Blend as well. Literally within a week you can see the roots popping out of the sides!”

What makes the Total Garden Blend better than other soils Travis has tried?

light and airy. You can squeeze it in your hands and it doesn’t compact.

allows for maximum root expansion.

soil holds a decent amount of water, yet drains well. That’s important as I sometimes water 14x a day! ”

Plaisted Companies is proud to be a vital part of Travis’s e orts. When you want to provide the very best, the best come to Plaisteds!

MNLA LANDSCAPE AWARDS SUBMISSION DEADLINE

due by 5:00 p.m.

Office, Roseville, MN

MNLA.biz/landscapeawards

PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION

This workshop meets MDA’s Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification requirements for Categories A (Core), E (Turf & Ornamentals), and Category P (Vertebrate Pests). Registration is open until November 11th or until class fills. Wellstone Center, St Paul, MN ➽ MNLA.biz

IRRIGATION SHOW & EDUCATION WEEK

Explore the latest technology and products, connect with others, and learn more about today’s relevant irrigation issues and solutions. Register before Nov. 1 for early-bird pricing. Las Vegas, NV ➽ Irrigation.org

NORTHERN GREEN 2023

the Date for the premier event for green industry professionals in the northern region. Exhibit booths are available. Registration is now open. Northerngreen.org

GREEN INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE APPLICATION

the

focus.

GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL

The Day on the Hill is a critical opportunity for YOU to build relationships with elected officials and raise awareness about issues impacting your business, workforce, and the industry as a whole. Sign up to join your colleagues in St. Paul. St. Paul ➽ MNLA.biz

MINNESOTA SHADE TREE SHORT COURSE

two-day course for everyone involved in urban forestry, arboriculture, and the green industry. Minnesota Certified Tree Inspectors will be re-certified by attending the entire short course. ISA Certified Arborist© CEUs are available for most sessions. Arden Hills ➽ mnstsc.org

are ©

Association, 2022, and may not be used

of

which is included with member

1813

$99 for one

Ave N., Roseville, MN

Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813

Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

are invited to

perspective.

ideas and manuscripts

whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the editor at brianna@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

Photo courtesy of Heather Sweeney, Moms Design Build

Cassie Larson MNLA Executive Director

Introducing the Landscape Crew Member Apprenticeship Program

Workforce shortages continue to be top of mind for all segments of the green industry,

while there are no quick fixes, MNLA has been tackling the issue from several angles. The angle I’d like to focus on today is the development and introduction of a registered apprenticeship program for landscape crew members.

MNLA is pleased to debut the Landscape Crew Member Apprenticeship Program, a program developed in part nership with the MN Department of Labor and Industry (MNDOLI), is designed to help contractors attract men and women looking for on-the-job training and opportuni ties for career advancement. A task team of seven devoted industry professionals representing a variety of business es from across the state met over the last year to help identify the skillset and training requirements desired for this program. Without this great group of volunteers, the program would not have materialized. We’re very grateful for their participation and support.

Why Should You Consider Apprenticeship?

Federal and state agencies have identified apprenticeship programs as a proven solution for recruiting, training, and retaining top-tier talent. The program will include 4,000 hours of prescriptive on-the-job training and 288 hours of classroom instruction.

Benefits For Business

• Highly Skilled

• Reduced

•

•

Productivity

Benefits For Workers

• Increased Skills

• Higher Wages

• State Credential

• Career Advancement

As a strategy to meet the need for skilled workers while increasing engagement and retention, registered apprenticeships offer a time-tested employee training system that can be customized to meet the needs of any business. The purpose of this program is to standardize required and expected skills and training necessary to work as a landscape crew member. And, customized and hands-on apprenticeships allow employees to learn and earn simultaneously.

Want to learn more about how your company can par ticipate?  MNLA hosted an informational webinar in early September that was recorded. You can visit www.mnla.biz to watch the recording and learn more about the benefits of participation in the apprenticeship program. For even more information, and how to get started you can also visit www.dli.mn.gov/business/workforce/apprenticeship. Still have questions? Please contact the MNLA office and we will happily connect you with additional informa tion and next steps.

Is Minnesota Ready for BIOENGINEERED SPECIALTY CROPS?

Implications from a Grower Study

Alan G. Smith, Marie Abbey, Corissa Marson, Carrie Stowers, and Chengyan Yue

AGRONOMIC GROWERS CANNOT GET ENOUGH of bioengineering (also known as Genetically Modified Organisms) but why are specialty crop growers so resistant? This article highlights the findings from a survey of Minnesota and Wisconsin specialty crop growers about their opinions regarding bioengineering.

We also attempt to determine if there are factors that could overcome potential bar riers to adoption of bioengineered specialty crops. Is there a trait useful or novel enough to trigger growers’ interest in producing bioengineered specialty crops? Does the method of bioengineering matter to growers?

There are two types of bioengineering methods we considered in this study, genetic modification, and genetic editing. Genetically Modified (GMO, or GM) crops are produced by introducing DNA or modified genes from other organisms into a plant. Gene Edited (GE) crops are produced by altering a piece of the plant’s own DNA. It makes changes in specific genes to modify characteristics of the plant. No new DNA is added in GE crops. The purpose of genetic modification and gene editing are often to introduce traits such as herbicide tolerance, pest (insect and virus) resistance, health benefits, and novel ornamental traits. The primary differ ence is that GM crops have foreign DNA introduced to the plant while GE crops do not. We tried to make clear that when we refer to bioengineering, we were talking about GM and GE, not hybridization or other conventional breeding methods.

Bioengineered crops currently make up over 90% of the top agronomic crops grown in the United States, as you can see in Figure 1, while bioengineered spe

cialty crops are a fraction of a percent of total specialty crops grown in the US. Specialty Crops make up around 12% of the United States agricultural total.  While agronomic crop prices have continued to stagnate or decline, specialty crops have consistently increased in value because consumers are eating more fruits and vegetables. Accord ing to the USDA, the demand for specialty crops will outpace domestic production by an estimated 1.4% annually for the next decade. That deficit will be filled by imports unless more efficient production methods are found. Bioengineered specialty crops can help close the predicted supply and demand gap if adopted by US growers.

We can infer from the expansive adoption rate of bioengineered agronomic crops, that farmers thought the benefits of growing bio engineered crops outweighed the risks. Over a dozen survey studies have been conducted on why agronomic crop growers adopted bioengineered crops. One consistent finding is that yield increase and cost reduction are the primary motivational factors for farmers to adopt bioengineered crops.

Specialty crops are different. There are oth er potential benefits such as novel products like the sunset petunias, or the reduced envi ronmental impact of less spraying for pests and disease, but the most significant factor cited in almost every agronomic study is that bioengineered crops save time and money.

Many specialty crop growers have a more direct connection to their consumers that allows them to use that connection to market their specialty crops and receive direct feed back about their consumer’s needs. Consum ers also have more concerns and scrutiny of specialty crop production because produce is often eaten unprocessed. Agronomic growers avoid this extra layer of scrutiny because their crops are processed into products that do not resemble what comes out of the field.

Understanding specialty crop growers’ perception of bioengineering crops is very important because they are the gatekeepers of what new varieties come to market and they bear the majority of financial risk when growing new varieties. We attempted to measure specialty crop growers’ potential barriers to adopting bioengineering crops including their perceived risk to human health and environment, customer preferences and upfront monetary investment.

For pandemic reasons we distributed our survey online. We used the list of specialty crop growers from the Minnesota Grown

Directory. An anonymous link was also put into industry and extension newsletters.  We compensated participants with a $10 gift card for their time.

Our final sample consisted of 112 grow ers. A very interesting aspect of our sample was that over 70% of participants completed higher education. To put that in perspective, the average from the national farmer survey (which includes all farms, not just specialty crops) is 33%. The gross yearly income from farm operations tracks with the national aver age farm income ($92k); 70% of farms gross over $50k and 33% gross over $250k. Of the participants, 71% were male and 29% were female, this is also not unexpected as the gender breakdown of farmers in Minnesota is 84% male. Only around 26% of our survey participants were over 55, much lower than expected since 62% of all farmers in Minne sota are over 55.

Overall, we found that Minnesota specialty crop growers are not in favor of  adopting bio engineered crops. They have an actively nega tive opinion on both GM and GE potatoes, but they have a significantly less strong negative opinion of bioengineered petunias. However, growers are not alike, and we identified three segments of growers based on their different preferences for bioengineered crops. The first and smallest segment for both potatoes and petunias was avoiding all biotechnology

(we named the group “Avoidance group”).

When asked to choose crops to grow in a choice experiment, avoidance growers never chose GM or GE. Participants who held negative views towards yet not completely avoiding bioengineered crops constituted the largest group (we named the group “Nega tive group”). The final group held neutral or positive attitudes towards bioengineering (we named the group “Neutral/Positive group”). These are the participants who at some point chose GM or GE.

A very interesting finding from segmenting the growers down into these groups is if the crop is for food or ornamental use matters to growers in their adoption decision of bioengi neered crops. This can be seen in Figure 2 in the difference in Avoiders and Neutral/Posi tive groups comparing potatoes and petunias. Compared to bioengineered potatoes, grow ers are a bit less likely to avoid bioengineered petunias and a bit more likely to be neutral or positive towards them.

For genetically edited petunias, the Neu tral/Positive group (33% of the sample) were only willing to adopt GM petunias if they cost less, but that discrimination does not apply to GE petunias. This indifference towards genetic editing may explain the gap between orna mental and food use crops.

Previous surveys of all types of farmers cite cost savings as the most compelling reason

to grow bioengineered crops but for Neutral/ Positive growers the potato yield and cost were not significant factors for grower selec tions. In fact, Neutral/Positive growers were willing to pay more for bruise resistance. They also had no preference between genetic editing and genetic modification.

When we looked at demographic results, we found that organic growers are not more likely to have negative opinions of bioengineered potatoes and petunias which was counter to our expectations. Another surprising demographic was that those who had a higher education degree are much more likely to have a negative opinion on GM potatoes. If you recall, 70% of our participants had a higher education degree. Other demographics did not significantly impact growers’ choice of bioengineered crops.

As new bioengineering techniques become easier and more accessible, a more diverse selection of bioengineered crops could become a reality. Bioengineering has already proven to be a time and labor saver in agro nomic crops and is now poised to bring those same benefits to specialty crop growers.

Bioengineering might be an effective way for specialty crop growers to scale up production to catch up with the ever-increasing demand, yet its success would be ultimately dependent on grower and consumer acceptance.

INDUSTRY AWARDS

TUESDAY, JAN. 10, 4:30-6:30 P.M.

$75 ($85 ONSITE)

Join colleagues and special guests in the Gallery at the Hilton Minneapolis for a celebration of Minnesota’s green industry on Tuesday, January 10, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening with your fellow professionals, delectable food, outstanding projects, and fun as we celebrate service, research, leadership, creativity, innovation, and dedication. Kick off your year in style at the Green Industry Awards Celebration!

$75.00 per ticket. One drink, all food stations, dessert & coffee included with ticket purchase. Cash bar is available throughout the event.

Laura Katen

REGISTRATION OPTIONS

Member:

Snow & Ice Management Companies:

MASTER CLASSES

7:30am

RELICENSURE

Speakers: Keith Radatz, and more Course Approval Code #: Pending on approval from MN Dept. of Labor and Industry

This course has been submitted to the Minnesota Dept. of Labor & Industry for approval for eight hours of continuing education requirements for the Power Limited Technician License, including 2 hours of code and 6 hours of technical training oriented specifically toward the landscape industry.

SELECTION AND USE OF PLANTS IN THE LANDSCAPE

Facilitator: Dr. James Calkins, Sustainable Horticultural Solutions

The class will focus on the principles and theory of plant design, site analysis, and specifically plant selection. Attendees will also learn how to develop quality bedlines, mix and match plants based on function and landscape characteristics, how to build flexibility into the plant design process, and the importance of the relationship between design and implementation. Class includes lecture periods and in-class exercises.

GOING BEYOND LEADERSHIP

Speaker: Steve Keating, Toro, Inc.

10:00am

9:30am

Think you already “know enough” about leadership? Well guess again. That attitude will cause poor leaders to fall behind the people who are open minded enough to realize that there will always be more to learn. This session will focus on helping you learn the right tools to be an inspiring leader, not just a manager. Managing is about stuff, like budgets, buildings, inventories and spreadsheets. We manage stuff. Leading is about people and only people. No one leads a business, they manage the business. They lead the people who work at the business. Leadership at its core is helping people deal with what’s happening in their lives. It is about helping ordinary, often “messy” people achieve extraordinary results.

Helping people achieve those results often means leading through change. With the speed that the marketplace is changing these days there has never been more for leaders to learn about how to lead effectively. Change is hard for most of us and leading through change is even harder.

Come and learn effective leadership tools and techniques to put to work every day. Plus, hear directly from four green industry leaders on what has worked successfully, and what has not, for them in their leadership journey.

Attend a Tuesday Master Class at Northern Green, Jan. 10, 2023 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

PESTICIDE RECERT. (CATEGORIES A, E, & P)

Cat. P: 7:30 9:00am Cat. A & E: 9:15am-4:00pm

Speakers: John Loegering, Angi Anbourn, Prof. Vera Krischik, Jolene Hendrix, Dominic Christensen, Nick Neylon, and more

Pending approval by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA), this workshop meets Commercial Pesticide Applicator Requirements for Category A (Core), Category E (Turf and Ornamentals), as well as an option to add Category P (Vertebrate Pest Control).

Licensed applicators with Categories A and E who last attended a recertification workshop in 2021, and newly-licensed pesticide applicators in 2022, must attend an MDA-approved workshop by December 31, 2023. By attending the Pesticide Recertification class and scanning in and out onsite with staff of MDA, applicators will obtain recertification credit.

NATURAL STONE WALL BUILDING

Speakers: Daniel Arabella, Arabella Stone Co. and Scott Frampton, Landscape Renovations, Inc

Stonework has become the pinnacle of the greatest landscape work, but that is a misleading stereotype. It is what is on the inside that counts. How are your techniques in building helping create a legacy that we can look back on? No matter what material you choose to use in your construction techniques, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the depth of character in the design and installation.

10:00am -

In this session, local dry stone expert Daniel Arabella will cover topics from design and construction techniques to trends in natural stone, and the latest in tools, skills, and equipment for installation.

Additionally, local landscapers will present case studies on recent projects – they will discuss the projects from start to finish including successes and how they overcame obstacles along the way.

Finally, the session will cover how to estimate and bid these projects so they are profitable!

NATIVE PLANTS FOR MINNESOTA LANDSCAPES

Speakers: James Wolfin, Twin Cities Seed; Brandon Miller, University of Minnesota; Dan Shaw, Board of Water and Soil Resources; Mary Meyer, Retired – University of Minnesota; and Gary Johnson, Retired – University of Minnesota

8:00am -

As urbanization continues to expand, native plants are often displaced by highly cultured species in these unnatural landscapes. The utilization of native plant species – where appropriate – can have significant value to pollinators and wildlife, to name a few. In this Master Class you will learn from experts which native plants would be most appropriate in practical settings such as lawns, landscapes, prairies and wetlands. Topics will include: lawns and pollinators, woody plants and managed landscape horticulture, native wetlands and prairies, native grasses, and native trees.

This theater with a huge screen in the center of the action hosts a variety of live events, featured interviews, video highlights, and educational content all tailored for green industry professionals.

Come

booth 1127 and meet NASCAR driver, Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of racing legend, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

picture and an autograph, and a selection of Team Earnhardt swag!

TRADE SHOW FEATURES

Connect + Grow on the go! Campfires are hubs for gathering and learning, but they’re not your typical general session.

&

On Wednesday, grab a FREE lunch gift card* at a lunch sponsor's booth to use at the Mill City Grill concession stands, the trade show cafés, or the Dunn Brothers Coffee in Lobby C. Pick up your lunch gift

at one of the booths shown below!

*Available to the first 1,800 attendees. Only one gift card per person can be given. Redeemable on Wednesday ONLY. More details on the back of your gift card.

Lakeshore Campfire

SUPPORTED BY:

• Our Commercial

• A Minnesota State Patrol officer will be on hand

state

discuss the

requirements.

SEEK & SEE

10 exhibitors have items hidden in their booths. Find them all, then drop off your completed card in the big drum in Lobby C to be entered into a drawing!

THROUGHOUT THE TRADE SHOW!

Looking to grow more efficient on your hardscape sites? Join Frank Bourque and his team of presenters for live hands-on demonstrations and interactive sessions that will help improve your team's efficiency.

• Hardscape Tools & Technologies

• How to Significantly Increase Paver and Slabs Installation Efficiency

• New Technologies and Techniques to Increase Your Retaining Wall & Raised Patio Installation

• Features and System Automation for Outdoor Sound, Light, and Fire Features

in 2023!

These

hosted discussions, trade show floor walkabouts, demonstrations, and more…

Backyard

WITH

VENDORS

University Of Minnesota Turf Grass Research Update Eric Watkins

Opening Keynote: Communicating for Maximum Impact Lauren Katen | Main Aud

Trade Show Open

LMN Landscape Case Study

LMN Representative

Reducing Soggy Turf with Three Drainage Solutions

John Raffiani

Young Retailer Panel

Hayden Lawler, Additional Panelists TBA

Landscape Plants That Are Rocking the Industry

Kerry Ann Mendez

Reduced-Risk Management at Theodore Wirth Golf Course

Chris Aumock

ANSI Pruning Standards Update Dr. Chad Rigsby

CEO & MGMT Track: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP, Pt. 1 Dr. Jermaine Davis

How to Employ Legal Temporary Labor: Navigating H-2A and H-2B Arnulfo Hinojosa | Theater

Landscape Management Industry Chat Lakeshore

Introducing Innovative New Adhesives from Belgium Chandler Carlson | Backyard

Rain Gardens—Design and Maintenance For Water Quality and Habitat | Matt Kumka | Theater

MNLA Certification Exam—Study Tips

John Moe, Cert. Task Team | Lakeshore Research For The Real World—The Year In Review Jim Calkins | Backyard

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Demo Sandbox

Incorporating Fruits In The Designed Landscape Brian Smith | Theater Arborist/Tree Care Industry Chat Lakeshore

Pan American Seed—New Varieties

Sean Valk | Theater

Hosting A “First Green” Field Trip At Your Facility Nikk Dickerson | Backyard

Landscape Design Industry Chat | Lakeshore

Hardscape LIVE!

Frank Bourque | Sandbox

Turfgrass Economics 101: 2023 Edition Ryan Demay | Theater

Professional Gardening Industry Chat Lakeshore

Soil Moisture Sensing Technology John Raffiani | Backyard

Sports Field Design For The Monday Morning Quarterback Ryan Demay | Theater

Landscape Diversity In The Upper Midwest: Underutilized Woody Plants | Brandon Miller | Lakeshore Website/Google Marketing Domination

David Kaminski | Backyard

Dealing With Scale Speaker TBA Gator Base... Yes, This Stuff Really Works Keith Ehmke

Perennially Yours—Low Maintenance, High-Impact Perennials By Season | Kerry Ann Mendez

Irrigation Auditing 101 Craig Otto

Training and Standards For Seasonal Staff League of Minnesota Cities

Reduced-Risk Management: The What, The Why, And The How Paul Koch

Hardscape LIVE! Frank Bourque | Sandbox

CEO & MGMT Track: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP, Pt. 2 Dr. Jermaine Davis

Single Rope Systems (Climbing Demo, Pt. 1) Wesley Full | Theater

Landscape Lighting Hot Products | Steve Pallas | Lakeshore Hot Topics In Retail Katie Elzer-Peters | Backyard

Single Rope Systems (Climbing Demo, Pt.

Using the Soil as an Ally, Not a Foe

Dan Ament

7:00 AM – MNLA Annual Meeting | 101 FG

Trade Show Open

Healthy Cities and Healthy People: The Importance of Trees, Part 2 Kathleen Wolf

Translating the Wild into Designed Landscapes

Thomas Rainer

Global Trends in The Retail/Garden Center Space

John Kennedy

Greenkeeper App! Transforming the Way Turf Managers Make Decisions

Bill Kreuser

The Equipment of Today Bill Gardocki

PCA Smart Salting Brooke Asleson

Interactive Track:

NAME THAT PLANT – PLANT ID TRAINING, Pt. 1 Facilitator: Dr. James Calkins

Hardscape Trends Panel Tree Care Topic

Kent Honl

Benefits of Managing Smart Application of Water

John Raffiani

Functional Planting: Creative Adaptive Plant Systems

Thomas Rainer

Soil Science 101 (The Basics)

Kristi Walker

Sustainability Through Precision Turfgrass Management

Bill Keruser

Garden Trends, Pt. 1

John Kennedy | Theater

Update On Palmer Amaranth, A Prohibited Eradicate Noxious Weed In Minnesota

Shane Blair, Denise Theide | Lakeshore Silica Regulations

TBA | Backyard

Garden Trends, Pt. 2

John Kennedy | Theater

Conifer Needle Cast Diseases

Gary Wyatt | Lakeshore Park and Sports Turf Industry Chat Backyard

Hardscape LIVE!

Frank Bourque | Sandbox

Professionalism, Organization & Communication: The Dynamics Between Equipment Managers and Superintendents

Hector Velazquez | Theater

Shrubs and Small Trees for Shade | Jim Calkins | Lakeshore Mycorrhizae Use for the Landscaper Melissa Flora | Backyard

10:45am – MPSTMA Annual Meeting | 101 FG

MN State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspection Demo Sandbox

Safety Topic

Jeff Bell | Theater

Turf Care on a Budget Ryan Demoy | Lakeshore

Winterizing Plant Materials—Fencing, Watering, Capping, and More Julie Weisenhorn | Backyard

Hardscape LIVE! Frank Bourque | Sandbox

12:00pm – MAC Luncheon | Lounge A

Landscape Awards Presentations, Pt. 1 | Theater Garden Center/Retail Industry Chat Backyard

Accepting and

CEO & MGMT.

WED., JAN.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

Dr. Jermaine Davis, Jermaine M. Davis Seminars & Workshops, Inc.

As the workforce sees the biggest shift in our lifetime, are you focusing on how to recruit and retain employees? Are you focusing on the right things to make sure your culture is attractive?

Is your organization’s climate friendly or unfriendly to diversity?

Does your organization say you are welcoming to diversity when in reality you are not? As a leader, it is imperative all team members learn how to communicate inclusively and work effectively across ALL dimensions of diversity. “Treating everyone the same” may sound logical initially, however it is a plan for disaster and colossal failure within diverse environments. Leading with an inclusive mindset is the key to building culturally inclusive teams and work environments as well as recruiting and retaining employees. In this engaging and thought-provoking workshop, the instructor teaches leaders how to behave, communicate, and think with an inclusive lens to create an environment that’s respectful of everyone. Identifying leadership blind spots is a key component to moving forward in this area. It’s important to engage in courageous conversations about diversityrelated issues. Dr. Jermaine teaches people how to address sensitive issues without feeling awkward, guilty, fearful, or uncomfortable.

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

THUR., JAN.

TRACK

8:00-10:00am

NAME THAT PLANT PLANT ID TRAINING

Facilitator: Dr. James Calkins, Sustainable Horticultural Solutions

Plant identification can be challenging but is an important and essential skill for all green industry professionals. This hands-on training will cover plant identification basics of: Shrubs (deciduous and evergreen), herbaceous perennials, roses, vines, small fruits, and trees (both deciduous and evergreen). This training is for anyone wanting to develop or improve their plant identification skills and will appeal to many green industry professionals including landscape management staff, garden center staff, landscape designers, landscape contractors, and professional gardeners.

Dr. Jermaine Davis

Dr. James Calkins

MNLA

With the intent of celebrating and elevating our profession, the MNLA Landscape Awards Task Team is calling all landscape professionals to participate in the awards program this year. MNLA has so many talented designers and specialists that assist our clients with diverse projects, and we want to see both your technical and aesthetic creativity. We are welcoming all sizes and types of installed landscapes, whether it is a small intimate area or a large opulent space. We appreciate new and innovative concepts and materials, and look forward to how these ideas will spur the imagination!

The online entry portal is open and we’re receiving entries for the 2023 Landscape Awards program right now. Go to www.MNLA.biz/landscapeawards to find the entry portal link and complete your entry by November 16! Full details are on the webpage and the entry form.

If you’re not familiar with this program, you may not know that...

• A Newcomer of the Year plaque is awarded to the top scoring project from a first-time entrant.

• You can work on an entry over several days. You can start a submission, save your work, and return to it later as needed.

• You can use our checklist to get organized. The Landscape Awards Task Team has created a tool to jumpstart your entry preparation. Download the checklist at MNLA.biz/landscapeawards. The checklist enables you to quickly see all you’ll need to gather, helps you double-check for the most common mistakes in an entry, and includes tips from a long-time award-winning entrant.

• You get a second chance. If an entry is incomplete or incorrect, entrants have one opportunity to amend their submission and resubmit materials. Plus, if you’re not a winner this year, you are eligible to enter the same project in future years.

• It’s a learning opportunity. All entries and notes from judges will be available during Northern Green (nonwinning entries will be anonymously displayed).

• There are no categories. Entrants don’t have to choose where their project fits; it just has to be an installed landscape.

• The criteria has expanded for plant labeling. Planting areas that do not have specific locations for each plant can be accepted for judging as long as a plant list and narrative describing the design intention for that area is provided. This narrative could appear in comments on the Work Responsibility Chart, in the Photo Descriptions, and/or in the Project Description. This expansion allows for inclusion of designers who follow an intentional process of placing plants onsite.

Questions? Contact Landscape Awards Task Team staff liasion Jon Horsman at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

Notable dates:

Nov. 16: Submission Deadline

Nov. 17: Entry Review Nov. 18: Notification of necessary entry revision Nov. 22: Resubmission Deadline

Nov. 23-30: Judging Dec. 5-9: Entry Status Notifications Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023: Green Industry Awards Celebration

Judging Reminders

• Entries are judged anonymously. Judges do not know who submitted the projects.

• The size and cost of a project are not part of the criteria for judging.

• In any given year, ALL entries could win awards, or NO entries could win an award. Entries are not judged against each other; rather each entry is evaluated by judges against standards of excellence.

Peach and Pizza event attendees learned about a stone fruit operation in Shafer, Minnesota at Stone Creek Farms. Owner Dan Shield explained to the tour group about the details and requirements of growing peaches in Midwest climates.

An entryway to one of the several private gardens toured during the Madison Bus Tour. These private sites were group favorites.

Summer

The first stop on the Madison Bus Tour was Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. We toured over 16 acres including the Rose Garden, Thai Pavilion, and the Sunken Herb and Perennial Garden.

Shot of one of the bridges at the Normandale Japanese Garden where MNLA hosted a group tour focusing on the maintenance required to keep things looking beautiful year-round.

A very engaged group listened to Dan Stevens, the Curator of the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens at The Arboretum in Madison as he discussed and gave great details about the many unique hydrangeas, lilacs, magnolias, fruiting trees and more.

ith today’s labor hiring challenges, it’s become fairly obvious that snow contractors need to re-evaluate how they hire and retain employees. The competitive wages for jobs in other industries that would demand much less from our employees are enticing for anyone who’s currently working in a winter environment. Such jobs are offering equal (or more, in many cases) money to work a consistent schedule without the rigors of battling the worst weather conditions at all hours of the day or night.

As our snow director, it makes me nervous to know that any of our outstanding employ ees could leave for a job that pays equal and gives them “better” working conditions. So, how do we address this? It’s been my philosophy for as long as I’ve been a manager that receiving and understanding feedback from my employees is paramount for me to succeed in my role, and also for the team to succeed as a whole. Our company truly believes in that same philosophy, which has made it very easy for me to grow in my roles over the years.

Check the pulse

Feedback from every level of your company will tell you a lot about what’s going well and areas that might need improvement. Our field staff is a mix of year-round labor (we perform landscaping in the green months) and labor that works for us only in the winter. This staff group is the backbone of our snow operations, so it’s vitally important that we understand their thoughts and feelings.

Preseason check-ins. Every fall, we have a snow meeting with our field staff to go over the upcoming season and refresh on standard procedures as well as new implementations. These new implementations are generally things that we learned from the previous year and are almost always the result of suggestions from the prior year’s team. When the crews see that we take their suggestions seriously, it engages them much more and they are far more willing to share their honest opinions.

In-season adjustments. There is constant dialogue with the crews after each event to get their feelings on how we did. Did we come in too early or too late? Did the new equip ment work well? Did the new route seem to be more efficient or was there no improve ment? Because we ask our crews constantly, we can make small adjustments all the time; and it really gets the crews to buy in. It allows them to feel comfortable telling me, our other snow managers, or even the owner their out look without fear of being punished for their

Annual Meeting Notice

Official Notice: Notice is hereby given that the annual membership meeting of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association will be held at 7:00am on Thursday, January 12, 2023 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.

DHS to Supplement H-2B Cap with Nearly 65,000 Additional Visas for Fiscal Year 2023

On October 12, 2022 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL), announced that it will be issuing a regulation

that will make available to employers an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year (FY) 2023, on top of the 66,000 H-2B visas that are normally available each fiscal year. By making these supplemental visas available at the

outset of the fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2022, DHS is acting swiftly to address employers’ needs for additional seasonal workers. At the same time, DHS and DOL are working together to institute robust protections for U.S. and foreign workers alike,

including by ensuring that employers first seek out and recruit American workers for the jobs to be filled, as the visa program requires, and that foreign workers hired are not exploited by unscrupulous employers.

honesty. Usually when the crews talk among themselves and “outnumber” the managers, you get better feedback. When I ask one crew, they generally are standoffish to start. If I ask two or three crews together, they start speak ing up because they feel a bit safer.

While this approach is very effective, it’s very informal; so, route managers and their employees have a more formal conversa tion at the end of the season as well. Once they feel safe and know there’s no negative repercussions for bringing ideas to the table, they’re much more willing to talk openly in a one-on-one setting.

Transparency is key

We hold quarterly reviews to really drive home the fact that we care and want to know how we can improve. We try to talk as little about compensation and wages as possible and really focus on questions that elicit conversation about what the company can improve, what our managers could do better to support them, and their thoughts on what works and what doesn’t.

To get ahead of the inevitable talks about compensation, we allow the crews to see our wage scale for all field staff. This helps to eliminate the typical “he makes this much and I’m more skilled than him” conversations that we used to have. Now the crews can see their pay range based on the skills and certifi cations that they have.

The quarterly reviews give us a leg up on our competition (snow or any other company) when they try to recruit our employees. When our crews have a good relationship with their managers, it allows them to come forward about any potential opportunity to leave for any number of reasons. The crews feel com fortable laying out their offers and seeing if

USUALLY WHEN THE CREWS TALK AMONG THEMSELVES AND “OUTNUMBER” THE MANAGERS, YOU GET BETTER FEEDBACK.

we have the ability to match or close the gap. Many times, they’re willing to take less money because they know they’re in a good environ ment with our company.

This same system carries over to our salaried employees. Our owner sends a quar terly review via a questionnaire that we fill out and submit. We track the number-based scale responses and bring up areas of con cern in our team meetings. There are also open-ended questions that allow for a written response to directly address feelings about our managers or the company’s direction. I always feel great after submitting my review because I know I can be honest and don’t have to fear being blackballed or punished for my thoughts. And most times, at least a portion of my suggestions get implemented in our business.

I highly recommend setting up a review system that drives conversation about the work environment instead of always about the individual employee and wages. It’s brought us a lot of great ideas and allowed us to invest in new technology and equipment with great buy-in from our staff because they’re involved in the process. In a time where the market for employees is compet itive, make it easier on yourself by investing time and energy into your workforce and understanding the view of the company through their eyes.

➽ JOSH HOWVER, ASM, is snow director for Cornerstone Partners Horticultural Services in Elgin, IL. Contact him at joshh@cphort.com.

TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

SUBCONTRACTOR’S PLAYBOOK

A SOLID GAME PLAN CAN LEAD TO MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Subcontractors often play a pivotal role in the ability to add snow removal to your business’ service offerings. Each company has a different strategy for how much of their business is performed using subcontractors, ranging from a 100% subcontractor model to an all-in-house model. It can be challenging to know the best mix for optimal responsiveness, efficiency and profitability. So, how do you determine the right model for your business? And how do you go about selecting the right subs for the job?

Reprinted with permission from Snow Business Magazine

Assess your capacity

If your business already has trucks, equipment and labor, you’ll first want to quantify what can be allo cated to your snow removal operations. At that point, you’ll need to decide whether to invest more capital to grow your in-house resources or hire subcontractors to help supplement your in-house team. If you have (or plan to buy) the equipment and just need supplemen tal labor, consider industries with mostly seasonal work. For example, roofing companies are a good source of labor because their business slows dramati cally in the winter.

If you determine that bringing in subcontractors is right for your company, start by evaluating your current book of work and determining where your resources will be allocated. Factor in any growth for the upcoming season and then see where the oppor tunities exist. Each company’s growth plans will vary, and it’s important to manage growth to avoid over committing and falling short of customers’ expecta tions. Most companies target double-digit growth, and some can see growth of more than 20% to 30% when entering a new market.

Vetting and selecting subs

Once you’ve done your homework, start the vetting process. Consider meeting prospective subs at their facility to see their equipment and to meet their team as you consider the following:

Operational capabilities: Do they have what you need: plow trucks, medium-sized loaders, large loaders, hand labor, etc.?

Experience: How long have they been providing snow services? What is the average tenure of their team?

Existing workload: How much work do they current ly have? Is it direct with customers or are they also subcontracting with other contractors who may be competitors?

Awarding sites

Once you’ve vetted your subcontractors, it’s time to think about awarding sites and issuing contracts.

Make the match: Ensure you match their resources with the correct site and their experience level. Sites that require large equipment should be awarded to contractors who have that equipment and experienced operators. Likewise, smaller sites should be awarded to smaller subcontractors who have trucks.

Start small: It’s important to only award what they can handle; and if it’s your first time working togeth er, you may want to start with only a few sites. This allows you to get a season under your belt and ensure expectations, communication and results meet your and your customers’ expectations.

Check the map: Consider the proximity of the sites and where they are in relation to the sub’s office or existing work. Focus on route density to reduce travel time between sites.

Insurance: It’s important to ensure the subcontractor can meet the minimum requirements you have in your contract. Most larger operations will have this for their normal business, but many smaller companies may need to increase their limits to be able to meet your requirements. This can be one of the most daunting parts of bringing on a new subcontractor; but if you have a little patience and work with them and their insurance agent to help facilitate the process, it can go a long way toward starting a long-term partnership.

Before you hit the road

This is also the best time

Winter is here!

You’ve done your prep work and now the first weather event of the season has arrived. Execution during this first event is critical to the success of the partnership and to ensuring that customers’ expec tations are met. Check in with subcontractors after the first and all major subsequent events, to make sure you’re in alignment on:

• Performing to the agreed upon contract

• Monitoring performance and managing quality expectations

• Sharing updates from the customer regarding service

• Communicating regularly

• Timely administration to ensure they get paid promptly

See you next year

Once the season has ended, it’s a great time to have a postseason meeting. Meet in person to discuss how the season went and recap all feedback – positive and negative. Discuss what next season looks like. If everything went well, is there an opportunity for growth? Don’t let this be just a transaction – plan to stay in touch in the off-season and build a partnership. In the end, only you can determine the best path for your business, but don’t let the prospect of adding subs into the mix deter you. If you invest the time and ener gy in properly vetting and communicating with your subs, you’ll gain the ability to manage capital expenses at a reasonable level, ensure you can cover all of your clients’ sites to avoid turning down the right work, and have the opportunity to exponentially grow your book of business.

The Ultimate Bagger for the Ultimate Mower. The all-new WrightVac system is designed to meet the demanding needs you face everyday as a professional landscaper. Our goal was to create a bagger system to match the performance of the mower. This means the WrightVac was engineered to produce enough airflow to prevent clogging even when mowing at max speed. In addition, the WrightVac shares the same heavy-duty low-maintenance elements as our other mowers resulting in a truly commercial-grade powered bagger. WrightVac is now available on WSZK, WZXL and WZXT model Wright Commercial Mowers.

Our mission is simple: Improving your productivity and bottom line through reliable supply and support of premium outdoor power equipment.

Distributor: Keen Edge Company Email: sales@keenedgeco.com Find a dealer near you at www.wrightmfg.com

➽ JOSH NICHOLS, CSP, is a regional snow manager for Ruppert Landscape, headquartered in Laytonsville, MD. Learn more at www.ruppertlandscape.com.

Reprinted with permission from Snow Business Magazine

THE SNOW AND ICE MANAGEMENT

industry always places a priority on the level of service (LOS) that’s provided to a client.

Many organizations look at components such as:

• Trigger points

• Snow and ice amount thresholds

• Specific site requirements such as size, type, surface material, piling spots, etc.

• Number of personnel along with their qualifications and experience

• The type of equipment to be used

• Materials requested and provided

All these aspects of a sound LOS are neces sary, but we must take it a few steps further to be effective and efficient, and to create strong, long term relationships with clients in which all parties see an extraordinary value. We’ll work through different phases in the strategy below for a better understanding how to take our LOS to the next level.

Phase 1: Understand your capabilities

Fully understand the capabilities of your organization. This includes components such

as the number of personnel, structure, their qualifications and experience; the assets that you manage; how you approach safety; deter mining the risks you’re willing to take on, as well as those you’re not; and how you currently manage your snow and ice program.

Without knowing these areas of the orga nization throughout your process of meeting with clients and developing site requirements, it’s going to be extremely difficult to develop a sound action and operational plan come time for snow and ice events.

Phase 2: Developing the specifications

Meet with the client to develop the site spec ifications and put together the contract. You must reflect on Phase 1 in this situation. As you’re working with the client and discussing the service they’re seeking, you must consider how your organization is going to accomplish its objectives and meet the client’s needs.

Do not overcommit you and the company to performing a service that you can’t implement or sustain for the duration of the snow sea son. Whether it’s due to a lack of equipment, personnel or experience with a specialty ser vice, know your limitations and only commit to specifications you can successfully adhere to. For standard components of the service

KNOW YOUR OPERATIONAL RISKS

Don’t forget to discuss snow operations with your safety professional to look at operational risks. Know these before you develop site requirements with the client so you can be prepared to identify potential hazards as you’re developing the specifications. While this isn’t an ex haustive list, it can help you get started:

• Increased slip, trip, and fall areas

• Areas that may induce thaw and refreeze pooling

• Site drainage zones

• People and/or vehicle traffic at the time of service

• Emergency entrance and exit points, as well as high-traffic areas

• Potential landscaping or parking areas that may be damaged

• Loading docks and ramps

• Utility boxes, lines, equipment

• Site type (such as medical, commercial, residential, etc.)

MAKE

And

step of the way.

on

to give

COMPEER.COM

Jennifer

(320)

WHETHER IT’S DUE TO A LACK OF EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL OR EXPERIENCE WITH A SPECIALTY SERVICE, KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS AND ONLY COMMIT TO SPECIFICATIONS YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY ADHERE TO.

GET FOR

• Explore the professional profiles of event speakers and attendees

• Send in-app messages and exchange contact info

• Network and find attendees with common affiliations, shared networks, and social profiles

• Receive update notifications from organizers

• Access the event agenda, GPS guidance, maps, and parking directions at your fingertips

“northerngreen”

specifications, discuss areas such as:

• Lot size, as well as problem areas such as low and high spots, more-shaded versus less-shaded areas, surface material, drain and gutter locations, and piling zones.

• Desired times of service, such as before a business opens at 7 a.m., after the business closes at 6 p.m., etc. Whatever the time may be, you want to set specific time and response guidelines.

• Safety concerns, including entrance and emergency exit, fire lanes, hydrants, walking paths and sidewalks from the street, parking lots, or any other areas leading to business entrances, and other high-traffic areas.

• The importance of using specific equip ment for the job, as well as liquid and granular materials.

JOB BOARD

The Northern Green Job Board has gone online! Post and find jobs for free on the Northern Green app. To get the NG23 app, download the Whova app on your mobile device. The event code is “northerngreen”. Click on Community at the bottom, then scroll down to Job Openings. Search openings already posted, or fill in the form to post opportunities at your company. Use the rest of the app to make your agenda and connect with fellow green industry professionals!

THE

INVITATION

IS:

“northerngreen”

GET FOR

• Enforcing the plan of allowing the snow contractor to determine material usage based on professional experience and qualifica tions (such as being a CSP or ASM).

• An Emergency Operations Plan for severe storms such as ex cessive ice, wind, blowing snow, blizzards, etc. Advise the client how you will respond in mild to severe scenarios, and what that service will offer them.

There’s a growing list of resources at my.sima.org that can help guide you on many of these tasks. If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for, reach out to the SIMA staff at info@sima.org; and remem ber that you have a very large network of snow professionals with tremendous experience through SIMA.

Phase 3: Implementing an operational plan

Now it’s time to take all your planning work and put it into action. This can be a challenging phase since you’re communicating expectations, response plans, personnel and equipment prep, and more, to all of your clients.

It’s beneficial to map out how you want to prepare for the season and ensure you’re meeting the site specifications by planning process es and response plans with every level of staff from administration, laborers, supervisors, equipment and shop managers, and operational managers. Make sure they understand what’s expected of them as far as workload, response times, preparation and performance. Identify areas of potential training, scheduling and improvements to increase your level of preparedness and effectiveness.

Have documented backup plans that can be referred to in case they are needed. Make sure drivers, operators, laborers and all other staff members are well-informed and prepared to tackle the certain and uncertain roads ahead.

Continuous improvement

Don’t think that just because your strategy is set for the season and that you have everything in place the way it needs to be, that you won’t need to improve in various areas. As a supervisor and manager, listen to those working and dealing with the hustle and bustle of doing exceptional work for your organization; be innovative and persistent.

Have periodic staff meetings to discuss what went well and what didn’t; what ideas people have to improve processes; and more. Finally, listen to the client. When concerns arise, address them col laboratively and find the root cause. Communicate professionally and develop a level of service for the client that lasts.

MICHAEL WAGNER, CSP, is fleet and safety manager at Designscapes

Inc. Contact him at

or mwagner@designscapes.org

Gary Pahl, right, stands with Dave, left, at their drivethru lane where customers can pick up a box of fresh sweet corn.

&

Visiting with members at their shops and at shows

Membership Director Jon Horsman loves getting out to supplier shows and connecting with the MNLA community.

A beautiful fall day at Pahl’s Market.

The Goldemans from East Bethel grew Goldeman’s Greenhouse from a hobby into a thriving family business.

Clear signage carries the Pahl’s Market branding as customers navigate their large footprint.

Contest

Paulette Sorenson MNLA Foundation

Stillwater – 3rd place

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FFA CHAPTERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE 2022 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR FFA LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONTEST.

Seven schools and over 80 FFA students competed in the annual compe tition outside of the Miracle of Birth Center on August 25, 2022. This contest was intentionally selected for public exposure and is located at the Como fair entrance where thousands of fairgoers pass the plots. The quality of this year’s displays was excellent and demonstrated the students’ creativity and hard work.

The final placings are as follows:

• Buffalo — Grand Champion

• Dassel Cokato — Reserve Champion

• Stillwater — 3rd Place

• Paynesville — 4th Place

• Plainview-Elgin-Millville — 5th Place

• Forest Lake — 6th Place

• Sibley East — 7th Place

The design theme of this year’s contest was butterfly gardens. This allowed students to learn more about plants that attract bees and pollinators, including milkweed — the monarch caterpillar’s only food source. Planting butterfly gardens helps in the conservation of butterflies as well as other native insects and helps preserve native plant species.

Teams from each school submitted their design and installed their plots beginning in June so it would be fully established by opening day of the State Fair.

FOUNDATION

Buffalo – Grand Champion

Dassel Cokato – Reserve Champion

GREETINGS, FELIPE!

We are pleased to introduce you to the newest addition to the MNLA office! Welcome to Felipe Illescas as the new Government Affairs Director.

Felipe joined the office at the end of August and comes to MNLA after most recently lobbying for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. During his time there he passed significant legislation supporting breweries across the state. Prior to that, he served as Tax Policy Advisor for Governor Tim Walz and as Sr. Legislative and Policy Director for the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. Felipe comes to MNLA with more than a decade of public policy

experience and is excited to bring his breadth of knowledge and expertise to help advance the mission of MNLA.

Felipe completed his MBA in Ver mont thinking he would return to the corporate world; however, he ended up discovering his passion for public policy while writing his thesis and has been working in public policy since 2009.

Felipe is a proud father and recently dropped off his daughter for her first semester at Marquette University where she will be studying Mechanical Engineering. He lives in St. Paul and enjoys mountain biking, skiing, tinker ing with cars, and carpentry.

Entrees had an irrigated 14' × 14' plot in which to work, and all construction must have been completed by students with minimal assistance from advisors. This event challenged students to follow and execute a real-world design plan and gain valuable field experi ence. Teams were judged on design, correct and clear labeling, con struction, specimen quality, accessories/lighting, and adherence to the design plan. Safety, time, and working as a team also were important considerations.

Karen Filloon, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Southview Design has been judging this competition for the past five years. She is a garden design expert with a degree in landscape design and horticulture. She is also an MNLA Certified Professional.

“We hold ourselves to a high standard of work, so I focused my scoring that all gardens adhered to the scorecard and presented a clean landscape design. This was a great way to help students reach a higher level of execution that would prepare them to be leaders in the landscape and horticulture industries.”

The MNLA Foundation also thanks Bob Marzolf, a long-time MNLA member, retired Agriculture teacher, and FFA leader who plays a vital role in the success of the competition and in providing experiences and opportunities to students.

“There is a huge impact from having events such as the Landscape Design & Construction Competition that creates awareness about agriculture programs in schools, especially at highly visible locations. FFA is alive and well, and certainly offers more than cows and plows.”

Paynesville – 4th Place

Forest Lake – 6th place

Sibley East – 7th Place

Plainview-Elgin-Millville – 5th place

The