OCTOBER 25, 2019
In Every Issue: Calendar TNLA Events & CEU Opportunities A Word From the State
Featured: Best of Texas Spooky Sale Advocacy Tools for Members TEIL Applications Due 11/1 Texas Hemp Production Workshop Grower Summit 2019 Product Rodeo and Education Corral Advertise in the Membership Directory EXTENDED! Paid Sick Leave Update West Texas Workshop Featured Member Benefit Partner
TNLA Working For You is an exclusive member benefit we bring straight to you on a bi-weekly basis.
TNLA Green Magazine First Look November/December
TEXAS EXCELLENCE IN LANDSCAPING AWARDS
APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 1 APPLY IN UP TO SIX DIFFERENT CATEGORIES A: COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION B: COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE C: RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION D: RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE E: SPECIAL PROJECT F: UNIQUE FEATURES G: DESIGN
APPLY AT TNLA.AWARDSPLATFORM.COM
TABLE OF CONTENTS -FLIERSCOVER FEATURE: Texas Excellence in Landscaping Award TNLA CALENDAR A WORD FROM THE STATE Legislative & Regulatory The Green Report Podcast Overtime Rules Change January 2020 San Antonio- New Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Schedule to Go Into Effect Dec. 1 Education Texas Hemp Production Workshop Grower Summit Texas Excellence in Landscaping Award Member Benefit Partner Scholarships Nursery/Landscape EXPO 2020
TNLA GREEN MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER TNLA CAREER CENTER MONSTER OF A DEAL BEST OF TEXAS SPOOKY SALE FIND YOUR NEXT JOB ON TNLA'S CAREER CENTER FIND YOUR NEXT EMPLOYEE ON TNLA'S CAREER CENTER DIGITAL MARKETING SAVVY WITH JACK JOSTES UTILIZE TNLA'S ADVOCACY TOOLS ADVERTISE IN TNLA'S MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY DEADLINE EXTENDED GROWER SUMMIT 2019 SCHEDULE GROWER SUMMIT 2019 SPEAKERS HEMP PRODUCTION WORKSHOP SCHEDULE HEMP PRODUCTION WORKSHOP SPEAKER SNEAK PEEK
TOGETHER WE ARE CULTIVATING A STRONGER TEXAS GREEN INDUSTRY.
If you are new to TNLA and want to find out more about your Region offerings, please contact Sara Fern. Please submit Region photos to ashley@tnlaonline.org
CALENDAR OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
31 Best of Texas Sale Ends Order Yours Today
1 TEIL Applications Due Apply Today
3 Region IV Meeting AgriLife Dallas
31 Career Center Sale Ends Post Your Job Today
12 Region I Meeting Peterson Brothers Inc.
11 Region II Christmas Party Cadillac Bar
12 Region II Meeting Plants for All Seasons
13 Region V Christmas Party TBD
18 Monday Management Webinar Vendor/Subcontractor management for a true partnership
16 Monday Management Webinar Kicking off 2020! Baseline your team NOW to set the tone for the year
19 Region V Wild Game Feast Guaranteed Hydromulch
EVENTS & CEU OPPORTUNITIES
TNLA GREEN CEU QUIZ November/December NOVEMBER 12, 2019 Baylor Club 1001 South Martin Luther King Blvd. Waco, TX 76704
NOVEMBER 13, 2019 Texas Farm Bureau 7410 Fish Pond Road Waco, TX 76710
Go to tnlaonline.org today to get more information about the Texas Hemp Production Workshop and register today!
Go to tnlaonline.org today to get more information about the 2019 Grower Summit and register today!
EVENTS & CEU OPPORTUNITIES MONDAY MANAGEMENT WEBINAR SERIES
VENDOR/SUBCONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT FOR A TRUE PARTNERSHIP MONDAY NOVEMBER 18 | 11:00AM CDT REGISTER TODAY AT WWW.TNLAONLINE.ORG
MONDAY MANAGEMENT WEBINAR SERIES
KICKING OFF 2020! BASELINE YOUR TEAM NOW TO SET THE TONE FOR THE YEAR MONDAY DECEMBER 16 | 11:00AM CDT REGISTER TODAY AT WWW.TNLAONLINE.ORG
FEBRUARY 25- 27, 2020
LET'S Rodeo! WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL CENTER: WATT ARENA 1501 RIP JOHNSON DR FORT WORTH, TX 76107
March 26-27, 2020 | Alpine, TX
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
Legislative & Regulatory
THE GREEN REPORT PODCAST New Green Report – EP. 6 On TNLAONLINE.ORG Now! Cities Requiring Paid Sick Leave In the past two years, major cities across Texas have expanded their regulatory authority by creating new employment mandates on businesses of all sizes. As Texas employers struggle to comply, the business community, including TNLA, have begun to push back on these patchwork regulations. This episode we speak with Annie Spilman, Texas State Director for NFIB and spokeswoman for the ASSET coalition on the fight against cities creating employer mandates.
OVERTIME RULES CHANGE JANUARY 2020 Starting January 1st 2020, the new threshold for overtime calculations will go into effect. The Department of Labor approved an increase in the overtime threshold for employees to $684 a week ($35,568 annualized) up from the previous amount of $455 a week ($23,660 annualized). The new rule is expected to prompt employers to reclassify more than a million currently exempt workers to nonexempt status and raise pay for others above the new threshold. For the FLSA's executive, administrative and professional exemptions—the so-called white-collar exemptions—employees must perform certain duties and earn at least the salary threshold. To find out more details on this coming change please review the article in the link here...
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
Legislative & Regulatory
SAN ANTONIO - NEW PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE SCHEDULE TO GO INTO EFFECT DEC. 1 The City of San Antonio recently approved changes to their PSL ordinance, now titled "Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance" which is scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 1. Regardless of the fact that the city is likely to face additional lawsuits due to questions of constitutionality, employers should be prepared to comply with the ordinance.
TEXAS CHANGES COMING FOR H-2A PROGRAM
Employers can obtain the materials and find out more HERE Additionally, the city will be hosting several upcoming Q&A seminars: Monday, October 28, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Pre-K 4 SA East Campus Tuesday, October 29, 9:00 am - 11:00 am, San Antonio Botanical Gardens Monday, November 4, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm, Central Library Thursday, November 7, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Southside Lions Senior Center Wednesday, November 13, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Online Webinar
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
Education
TEXAS HEMP PRODUCTION WORKSHOP Please join us for our November 12, 2019 Texas Hemp Production Workshop at the Baylor Club in Waco, Texas. Not only is this a great event for growers, but it is open to anyone in the Texas Green Industry who is interested in learning about this new and upcoming product. You'll hear from industrial hemp experts from across the US and discover all that hemp has to offer. Register Here!
GROWER SUMMIT Join TNLA in Waco on Wednesday, November 13 at the Texas Farm Bureau Headquarters for the 2019 Grower's Summit. This full day of education will feature topics you asked for, and industry experts from across the country. Lunch is included in registration! Register Here! Make Sure to check out the Grower Summit Schedule and Speaker Feature Page in this newsletter!
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
TEXAS EXCELLENCE IN LANDSCAPING AWARD Does your business deserve to be considered and AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS? Do you have projects that you feel deserve STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION? TNLA’s Texas Excellence in Landscape Awards, aptly known as TEIL Awards, should be a consideration for your company. The TEIL Awards are a highly sought-after program that allows companies to turn in projects that they feel are deserving of higher recognition by industry peers. In fact, the projects would not just be recognized, they will be celebrated at the Nursery/Landscape EXPO’s Awards Fiesta!
TEXAS CHANGES COMING FOR H-2A PROGRAM Submission is easy and convenient. TNLA’s new online submission portal allows
companies to easily and quickly submit photos and descriptions either on site or when you finally get back into your office. (TIP - Submissions of high-quality photos are a must! Also, add as much technical information as you can for the descriptions. The more the judges can see and know about the project, the better chances that no questions will come up while your projects are being judged). Project submission is also aided by the online platform, so you will know exactly what fields to fill out and how you need to fill them out. It is pretty much a less than 10-minute process that could land you years’ worth of promotions to your clients. And some bragging rights to your business peers! The TEIL Awards program is an easy and cost-effective way promote your companies’ level of expertise, as well as giving your clients the benefits of working with “An AwardWinning Business”. Hurry to submit your projects, TEIL Submission Deadline is Friday, November 1!
A WORD FROM THE STATE Hear it straight from the State Office
MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER One of the many benefits of being a TNLA Member include TNLA's Endorsed Service Providers & Member Benefit Partners. One of our fun and exciting Member Benefit Partners is Texas RX Prescription Savings Card! Members get discounts on all different kinds of prescriptions and coverage for the whole family! Print Your TX RX Card Here Check out your TNLA Member Benefit Partners Here!
SCHOLARSHIPS We are accepting on-line scholarship applications for the 2020-2021 school year between September 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019 from students interested in the fields of Horticultural and Agriculture. If you know of a deserving student interested in these fields of study, please send them to the following website for more details: tnla.awardsplatform.com If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Cheryl Staritz at cheryl@tnlaonline or 512.579.3863.
NURSERY/LANDSCAPE EXPO 2020 Find Your Greatness by exhibiting at the 2020 Nursery/Landscape EXPO August 13-15, in San Antonio. Grow your business in Texas by reserving a booth today at Texas' premier horticulture show. Click here for additional information & to reserve your booth today!
TNLA
Green Nov/Dec 2019
CHAMPIONING THE GREEN INDUSTRY TNLA’S ADVOCACY SCORED SOME BIG WINS AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE A
TNLA Green November/December 2019
TNLA
Green
Nov/Dec 2019
CONTENTS 10. Cover Story: Championing the Green Industry
TNLA’s advocacy scored some big wins at the Texas Capitol during the 2019 legislative session.
08. TNLA Joins ASSET
The coalition advocates policies that strengthen Texas’ small business economy.
02. President’s Letter:
18. Green Vision:
04. News:
20. Bugs & Fuzz:
The green industry needs labor to grow strong and endure. The latest industry updates from TNLA.
16. Commentary:
Will Texas Solve the Water Challenge?
Beautyberry Again! CMBS in Kansas and South Carolina
24
Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies
24. Notes from SFA Gardens: Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives
November/December 2019 TNLA Green
1
RE-AUTHORIZIN BY CUTTINGS CR PESTICIDE DISPO SECURING THE “ EXEMPTION CRE CHAMPIONING INCREASED COS THE GREEN“H POLLINATOR RESTRICTIONS INDUSTRY O EMINENT DOMA PROPERTY RIGH EMPLOYMENT-R TNLA’S ADVOCACY SCORED SOME BIG WINS AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL By Ryan Skrobarczyk • Photos by Phil Kline
10
TNLA Green November/December 2019
NG CITRUS PROP REATING A STAT OSAL PROGRAM “HOOP HOUSE” EATING LIABILIT A ST FOR H-2A EM HEALTH” BILLS N ON NEONICOTIN AIN REFORM – P HTS BLOCKING C RELATED MAND s the primary advocate of the Texas green industry, TNLA was hard at work for its members during the 86th Texas legislative session. From Jan. 8 to May 27, the association worked tirelessly to support policies that ensure Texas will continue to be a great place for the green industry to do business and to oppose burdensome legislative proposals that would threaten the economic viability of members’ businesses. Among the hundreds of bills Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law are the large property tax and school finance reforms, which should yield (at least temporarily) tax benefits to residential and commercial property owners. Smaller reforms will have a big impact. The continuation of the grower’s property tax exemption on overwintering structures and the creation of the statewide pesticide disposal program have numerous economic advantages for green industry professionals. Perhaps even more important, TNLA was successful in killing many harmful bills. Proposals to create new, unfounded pesticide restrictions or to place barriers on federal labor programs could have had lasting, negative industrywide ramifications. Without the support and involvement of our members and allies, TNLA’s political voice wouldn’t have been as strong or effective. For the first time TNLA hosted Advocacy Day at the Texas Capitol, and it was a resounding success. In partnering with our industry allies, TNLA members were able to come to Austin as one unified voice and meet with policymakers and their staff. TNLA members could hear from state elected officials and communicate their needs directly. Stay tuned for details on next session’s Advocacy Day. HERE’S A LOOK AT TNLA’S 2019 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD.
November/December 2019 TNLA Green
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MONSTER OF A DEAL EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OFFER
FREE 30 DAY JOB POSTING USE CODE:
Monster19 OFFER VALID UNTIL 10/31/19 ONE TIME USE ONLY
GO TO CAREERS.TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY TO POST YOUR JOB!
BEST OF TEXAS LANDSCAPE GUIDE
SPOOKY SALE OCTOBER 11-31
10% OFF
ORDER ONLINE AT TNLAONLINE.ORG OR EMAIL SARA@TNLAONLINE.ORG
KICKSTART YOUR GREEN INDUSTRY CAREER ON TNLA'S CAREER CENTER Easily find jobs that are available in the Green Industry Upload your resume for employers to see Search for a position that matters to you Use one of the many RESOURCES available Get customized job alerts for new openings Fast & easy application process
S E R
R U O
S E C
GO TO CAREERS.TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY TO GET STARTED!
FIND THE EMPLOYEE WHO IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL Quickly & Easily Post Jobs Online Easily Find Resumes Posted by Job Seekers Easily Manage Applications Set Up Email Alerts Get Statistics and Activity Reports on Your Openings Sharing Options Available Employer Branding & Featured Employer Opportunities Job Posting Enhancements Available TNLA Members Receive Discounted Prices
PRICING 30-DAY INTERNSHIP POSTING
FREE Member/Non-Member 1 Posting 30 Days Online Resume Search Access
30-DAY SINGLE JOB POSTING
$150 Member/$250 Non-Member 1 Posting 30 Days Online Resume Search Access
GO TO CAREERS.TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY TO BEGIN YOUR SEARCH
Get Digital Marketing Savvy Amazon Best Selling Author, Jack Jostes, will help you upgrade your business’ online presence with savvy digital marketing skills and get you motivated to up your game in this digital era.
FALL COURSE DATES: November 2019 – January 2020 COURSE PRICE: $250 Early Bird | $325 Per Person Limited to 30 Participants
EARLY BIRD SPECIALS $75 off registration Signed copy of Get Found Online The Complete Guide to Responding to Negative Online Reviews Jack’s 100% Money-Back Guarantee
REGISTER AT WWW.TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY!
STAY ENGAGED BY UTILIZING TNLA'S ADVOCACY TOOLS
LEADER LIST BRINGING YOU THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
A TNLA member-exclusive benefit, this newsletter is sent out with political notices, Legislative alerts, and highlights of TNLA advocacy work. Sign up and during the Texas Legislative session receive a weekly newsletter featuring all of the Green Industry related action.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER GET ENGAGED WITH YOUR LEADERS AND STAY UP-TO-DATE ON CURRENT ISSUES
We are all stronger when acting together so be sure to check on the TNLA Legislative Action Center. Here is where you can participate in our grassroots campaigns concerning federal and state issues. With the ease of pushing a button, send electronic communication directly to your elected official on the issues that matter to your business.
GET STARTED AT TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY!
FINAL AD ARTWORK AND UPGRADES ARE EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 26, 2019
Advertise in TNLA's Membership Directory and Buyer's Guide There's Still Time! By Aligning your marketing strategies with TNLA your company will be able to reach customers within the Texas market directly! TNLA’s membership Directory and Buyers’ Guide Receives over 6,000 Impressions through direct mail to TNLA members and Certified Professionals and is handed out throughout the year at TNLA events plus receives over 10,000 impressions digitally! Spiral Bound referencing important information about TNLA and the industry with sections including: About TNLA Business Member Company Listings Individual Member Listings TNLA Regions (leadership and company listings) Greenline and Hardline Product Listings (products listed in alpha order with company information) Digital links to advertiser's website included Contact advertising@tnlaonline.org or Call 512-579-3861
-Schedule at a Glance7:30-8:30 AM 8:30-8:45 AM 8:45-9:45 AM
REGISTRATION + COFFEE TEXAS FARM BUREAU WELCOME + INTRODUCTIONS
H2A & TX HOUSING BUREAU UPDATES FEWA + Texas Workforce Commission
10:00-10:50 AM
This panel presentation will cover the H-2A program requirements and briefly look at some of the newly proposed changes.
ROAD RULES - COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT: A TEXAS OVERVIEW Major Chris Nordloh & Lt. Monty Kea
11:00-11:50 AM
This panel will be covering an overview of our Commercial Vehicle Enforcement operations, facilities, and technologies and Covered Farm Vehicles with Q&A afterwards.
UPDATES FOR LICENSED APPLICATORS Dale Scott
12:10-1:00 PM 1:10-2:00 PM
Major changes are coming to licensed applicators. Get the inside scoop from TDA’s Dale Scott.
LUNCH NEONICS...NOW WHAT? Dr. Mengmeng Gu
2:10-3:10 PM
There have been many debates on the role of neonicotinoids. This presentation focuses on facts about honeybees, their role in agriculture and health of bee colonies, and the role of neonicotinoids on this issue.
PLANT PREMONITION: SELECTING ORNAMENTALS IN AN ERA OF RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE Dr. David Creech With long range climate models predicting a warmer and more erratic Texas climate, selecting plants for the future perhaps means we need a new way of looking at the way we evaluate plant materials.
3:20-4:20 PM
ACRES ONLINE LIVE Chris Beytes
4:20-4:30 PM
A fast-paced presentation covering the important horticulture industry trends. Chris combines nearly four decades of industry experience, professional journalism skills and a wary sense of humor to keep it informative, fact-based and fun.
CLOSING
Proudly Partnered with:
GROWER SUMMIT SPEAKERS DR. MENGMENG GU Neonics...Now What? Dr. Mengmeng Gu is an Associate Professor/Ornamental Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in College Station, TX. She is the liaison between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, and serves on TNLA Education Committee and Park & Patio Task Force. Dr. Gu is the Project Director of the multi-disciplinary multi-state Specialty Crop Research Initiative project ‘Systematic Strategies to Manage Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, An Emerging Exotic Pest’.
DR. DAVID CREECH Plant Premonition: Selecting Ornamentals in an Era of Rapid Climate Change Dr. Dave Creech is Professor Emeritus, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas. After a long career teaching, he now directs SFA Gardens, a 128-acre on campus horticultural resource. His research interests includes fruit production, ornamentals evaluation, and woody tree and shrub studies. He has authored numerous scholarly and trade articles, lectures widely and has accumulated a long list of international work since 1981. He signs all his correspondence "Let's keep planting."
CHRIS BEYTES Acres Online LIVE Chris Beytes is editor of GrowerTalks and Green Profit magazines and author of the Acres Online newsletter, which reaches more than 23,000 industry folks in 66 countries. He's a graduate of the University of Florida, with a degree in journalism and a minor in ornamental horticulture. He and his wife ran their own greenhouse business in Florida before he joined Ball Publishing in 1993. Chris travels the world to stay current on the latest horticultural production, marketing and retailing trends and strategies.
JARROD SHARP FEWA Jarrod Sharp is General Counsel at FEWA, where he advises the association on matters relating to the H2A and H2B programs. Jarrod also serves on the steering committee of the H2B Workforce Coalition, and regularly meets in Washington D.C. with legislators and agencies about guest worker program reforms.
DALE SCOTT Director for Environmental and Biosecurity Programs Dale has a Bachelors from Texas Tech University and Masters in Integrated Pest Management from West Texas A&M University. Dale came to TDA in 2003 with previous experience in the sorghum seed and chemical industries. He has worked in previous positions as Coordinator for Pest Survey as well as Coordinator for Pesticide Product Evaluation and Registration. Dale has been in his current position since March of 2016
MAJOR CHRIS NORDLOH Texas Department of Public Safety
Major Chris Nordloh, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Coordinator for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is the lead CVE agency for the state ofTexas.He has been with the DPS since 1996 and CVE since 1999. A graduate of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, Major Nordloh is responsible for developing poliCies related to CVE for DPS and local agencies, oversees the Motor Carrier Bureau and the Compliance Review and Safety Audit programs and supervises the CVE Training Units. He is responsible for oversight of federal grants related to CVE. He is responsible directly to the Chief of the Texas Highway Patrol Division and is his liaison to the field with respect to CVE operations.In addition, he is responsible for updating the Texas Administrative Code relating to commercial vehicle regulations and enforcement.Major Nordloh coordinates enforcement efforts between DPS and the FMCSA and the CVSA. Major Chris Nordloh, program manager for commercial vehicle enforcement at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Proudly Partnered With:
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 8:30-9:30 AM
REGISTRATION + COFFEE
8:30-9:45 AM 9:45-10:45 AM
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
TEXAS HEMP POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Wendy Foster
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
HEMP IN TEXAS: LAWS, REGULATIONS & PERMITS Dan Hunter
12:00-12:50 PM 1:00-2:00 PM
LUNCH
ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF HEMP PRODUCTION Dr. Tyler Mark University of Kentucky
2:10-3:10 PM
PLANT PREMONITION: SELECTING ORNAMENTALS IN AN ERA OF RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE Jeff Lake Elemental Processing, Kentucky
3:20-4:20 PM
ACRES ONLINE LIVE Travis Higginbotham The Hemp Mine LLC, South Carolina
4:20-4:30 PM
CLOSING
REGISTER AT WWW.TNLAONLINE.ORG TODAY!
Featured Speakers Tyler Mark
Associate Professor of Production Economics University of Kentucky Tyler's applied research interests include digital agriculture, simulation methods, broadband availability in rural areas, precision agriculture, precision dairy, dairy policy, renewable energy feedstocks, and hemp economics. Current and previous topics include factors that impact the profitability of Kentucky farmers, broadband internet's impact on precision agriculture data transmission, the economic aspects of hemp production in Kentucky, and the development of the Kentucky economy.
Travis Higginbotham The Hemp Mine, LLC
Travis has a BS and MS in Horticulture. Much of his original horticulture experience came from being Director of Research and Development at Battlefield Farms. While at Battlefield he did much work on lighting and product development. After Battlefield Travis he transitioned over to become Global Director of Horticulture Service at Fluence Bioengineering. Travis helped build a global technical support team focused on supporting all horticultural market segments with an emphasis on Cannabis. Travis is now the CSO for The Hemp Mine where they specialize in suppling stable hemp genetics and hemp consumer products.
More Coming Soon! Go to www.tnlaonline.org today to learn more about the Texas Hemp Production Workshop