B&B - 2022 Issue II - Inspiring the Next Generation

2022 | Vol. 74, Issue II

Inspiring the Next Generation Investing in the future of horticulture

Planting Seeds for a Career in Hort with Washington Youth.

Cultivating Future Horticulturists through Scholarships & Research.

Creating Pathways for Career Placement & Professional Development.

Being a customer-member means a lot. This year it pays even more.

It’s no secret that it pays to be a Northwest Farm Credit Services customermember. This year patronage dividends total $165.2 million. Because when we do well, our customers benefit. That’s the Northwest Farm Credit difference.

800.743.2125 | northwestfcs.com

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Contents

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

Features

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

2022 | VOL 74. NO. II Editor Breanne Chavez

10 Funding the Future

of Horticulture

WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund announces 2022 recipients.

14 Inspiring Future

Horticulturists

Q&A with Julie Vanderwal, Oroville School District, about how their Root to Science program is inspiring future horticulturists & how the CPH certification is playing a role!

18 WSDA Nursery License Research Fund Supports Local Research Find out more about the new 2022 funded projects.

20 Horticultural

Research Institute Announces 2022 Awards

(Above) Skagit Horticulture grown, learn more at www.skagitgardens.com

Published Quarterly By: Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association.

PO Box 219 Sumner, WA 98390-0040 253.661.6055, info@wsnla.org Deadlines:

News, Classified ads, Advertising

Columns 4

From the President

6

Executive Director

8

Legislative Update

Departments 22

Calendar of Events

22

WSNLA Marketplace

22

WSNLA Career Center

5pm on February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. To place an ad, contact Breanne at (800) 672-7711 or breanne@ wsnla.org. WSNLA reserves the right to refuse

any ad which is misleading, unethical, contrary to WSNLA policy, or does not pertain to the industry.

Comments to the Editor: Interested in sharing your opinions and comments with B&B readers? If you take the time to share your thoughtful comments, WSNLA will be sure to share them with B&B readers. Please submit to breanne@wsnla.org.

WSNLA

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

Executive Director Breanne Chavez e-mail breanne@wsnla.org Finance & Operations Director Holly Osborne, CPH e-mail holly@wsnla.org © 2022, Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association

www.wsnla.org Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 3

WSNLA

Message from the President ] Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

Timothy Gray WSNLA President Pacific Stone Company Everett Out there reading this is a dozen+ past presidents of WSNLA. So at least a good baker’s dozen of you understands the dread I have at the beginning of writing each of these Messages. Many of you know that once you get me talking about a subject it’s not easy to get me to stop. Which is why many a childhood report card had comments like “He talks too much in class.” Ah, our formative days being educated!

The rest of our lives are filled with many methods of education. My parents set me on my own horticultural lifetime incredibly early. They taught me about plant shopping at Ernst-Malmo Nursery in our Rainier Beach neighborhood, and I loved it. By age 6 or so I announced my intention to be a nurseryman when all grown up. My first ‘nursery’ was a cleared patch in our new Stanwood home’s forested back yard. At age 12. I dug up vine maples, birch, bigleaf maples, and other natives that were then planted in neat rows of sawdust. There were no customers, so clearly this wasn’t a good business model. I have one of those vine maples growing on my Camano property. High school agriculture and horticulture classes followed.

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Serving the green industry since 1937!

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In our area we have an excellent network of educational programs that grow and sustain our horticultural community. Edmonds Community College, South Seattle Community College, and Lake Washington Institute of Technology come to mind immediately. I audited two years at Edmonds CC in the early 1980’s to gain the horticultural knowledge without taking any exams! Check out WSNLA’s GardenWashington website for the complete list of horticultural programs available at www.gardenwashington.com/ careers/schools/. Have no fear, Huskies and Cougars, you’re on the list.

It takes a certain kind of person to choose a nursery or landscape career. One trait needs to be an acceptance of the fact nobody gets very rich in this business. You have to love this to do this for a lifetime. Still, we gain ‘wealth’ in so many other ways. It’s been a rare moment over the decades when thinking about my career choice that regret enters my

Most people in our industry wake each day looking forward to the day ahead, and at day’s end each of us has a sense of accomplishment.

Not to say it’s all smelling roses, that’s far from the truth.

Still, the good vastly outweighs the lows of our day, week, or year.

I have very few friends in other industries that love the job they do daily. brain. Most people in our industry wake each day looking forward to the day ahead, and at day’s end each of us has a sense of accomplishment. Not to say it’s all smelling roses, that’s far from the truth. Still, the good vastly outweighs the lows of our day, week, or year. I have very few friends in other industries that love the job they do daily.

I spent March 8th assisting with the CPH Plant Exam in Mt. Vernon. Wow! So exciting to see the dedication, knowledge, and even some dread expressed by these individuals taking the exam. Many of them are students in local programs, and most are employed by our Association member companies.

Currently our executive director, Breanne Chavez, is working to streamline and organize the process where you, our members, can establish named scholarships for individuals and families. Growing our Charitable Fund will help ensure that future generations have a source of financial aid as they gain knowledge to support their nursery or landscape careers.

At age 62 my thoughts are turning to when I can work in my garden full time. Spend some time on the road exploring this great nation. There’s a generational change taking place in our industry. So it’s more important now than ever that we support our local educational institutions and the students attending them. I hope you’re all enjoying this busy time for our industry!

WSNLA NEWS Update Your Records

WSNLA’s New Mailing Address Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association PO Box 219 Sumner, WA 98390-0040 Phone: 253.661-6055

New Utility Tree Program

WSNLA partners with City of Kirkland to launch new Utility Tree Certificate Program WSNLA is excited to announce that we are now partnering with the City of Kirkland on a NEW Tree Certificate Program.

All WSNLA member nurseries can redeem these certificates for tree purchases.

Certificates are limited to $150 per tree with a maximum total certificate use of $500 per property per year. The property owner is encouraged to plant trees that will reach at least 15’ tall with a canopy width of 10’. Unlike the Snohomish County PUD or Seattle City Light programs trees larger than that are OK. There is a prohibited list of trees.

City of Kirkland Tree Certificates cover the cost of the tree(s) along with up to 3 cubic feet of compost and mulch and up to two watering bags per tree. Shrubs or other plants are not covered. The Certificate will apply to the final purchase price, including sales tax.

For more information:: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/ Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/StormSurface-Water/Green-Stormwater-Infrastructure-GSI/TreePlanting-Rebates Questions? Contact Holly Osborne, CPH at WSNLA at holly@ wsnla.org.

Cheers, Tim Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 5

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WSNLA Message from the Director ]

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Tim Gray WSNLA President Pacific Stone Company timg@pacificstoneco.com Katie Miller WSNLA President Elect Skagit Horticulture kmiller@skagitgardens.com Trevor Cameron, CPH WSNLA Vice President Sunnyside Nursery trevor@sunnysidenursery.com Kirsten Lints, CPH WSNLA Treasurer Gardens ALIVE Design kirsten@gardensALIVEdesign.com Gregory Smaus, CPH, EPC WSNLA Past President Rock Solid Landscapes gregory@rocksolidlandscapes.com

CHAPTER & CAUCUS LEADERSHIP Ingrid Wachtler, CPH Mt Rainier Chapter President Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery 253-265-6271 | woodbrk@harbornet.com Peter Van Well North Central Chapter President Van Well Nursery 509-886-8189 | pete2@vanwell.net Megan Pulkkinen, CPH, EPC Olympic Chapter President Megan Pulkkinen Landscape Design 360-265-5799 | megancph@hotmail.com Scott Pringle, CPH Wholesale Grower Caucus Chair Paradise Lake Nursery 206-930-4132 | paradiselakenursery@gmail.com Jami Burke Horticulture Supplier Caucus Chair Walrath Soil Technologies 253-531-7499 | jami@tewalrath.com

WSNLA members & programs lead efforts to grow the future of horticulture in Washington State.

Breanne Chavez WSNLA Executive Director It’s been a long and funky spring - a strong reminder of the relevancy weather has on our industry. Wild weather has been the trend nationwide. In early May, I attended the Nursery & Landscape Association Executives Conference and learned nurseries across the country had reported sales being down 15- 20% - this matching simliar reports heard from nurseries here in Washington. The overall consensus for why? The sales reports were coming from regions experiencing late Spring. Reflections after the season will determine other factors at play.

The Conference, which was the first since before covid, is an invaluable opportunity to meet with my peers, share ideas, collaborate on problem solving and unify initiatives on behalf of the industry. The NLAE membership is generously collaborative - it is a mindhive of excellence in horticulture association management, really. I came home with ideas and solutions that will build stronger WSNLA programs, advocacy, and resources for YOU! Aside from what I gained, I was excited to meet the new Executives taking the reins at State Associations - several that did so during the year the pandemic hit. It reminded me of the value of bringing like-minded people together to grow their knowledge, businesses and industry. THIS is what the WSNLA Community is about bringing the best and brightest together to advocate for a strong horticulture industry in Washington State! And, that is exactly what the WSNLA Community is doing to inspire the next generation of horticulturists!

Over the past several years, WSNLA – through its members and various program partnerships has been firmly planting efforts to inspire future horticulturists, provide career development opportunities to upskill or reskill, and build career pathways to ensure a strong labor force for the future. This issue highlights the multi front effort underway and is packed full of actions being taken, including how you can get involved!

WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund The WSNLA Community, through the WSNLA Scholarship Research & Charitable Fund, has awarded over $600,000 since 1978. In this issue, this year’s scholarship recipients share their professional ambitions as they work towards their careers in horticulture. As you read, their professional goals shine a light on the bright future of the horticulture industry. Turn to page 14 to learn more about this year’s scholarship recipients.

WSNLA is working with the PNW Christmas Tree Association to ensure a lasting legacy of horticulture research. Together, the two associations are planning to launch

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Help Promote Careers in Horticulture Here’s how:

GardenWashington Q&A Help build the GardenWashington Career Pages by sharing your career journey. Your story will help shape perceptions and inform individuals interested in entering the field. Visit the WSNLA Career Center at www. wsnla.org/networking to share your story. Be sure to submit a photo to be included.

WSNLA is committed to cultivating professionaism & developing future professionals.

a capitol campaign to establish an endowed horticulture research chair at WSU Puyallup Extension. Financial gifts made by the WSDA Nursery License Research Fund & WSNLA Scholarship & Reserach Charitable Fund will lay the foundation for a greater campaign to be funded to $1.5M over 5 years by industry stakeholders. With our industry facing impacts from climate challenge, pest & disease concerns, and the desire for advancements in sustainable management strategies, the urgency to establish this horticulture research role has never been more clear.

Inspiring Future Horticulturists Over the past two years, WSNLA has been cultivating relationships with high school horticulture programs to provide career resources & pathways.

The Certified Professional Horticulturist program has been working to develop a high school curriculum and certificate that can be adopted and adapted by schools across the state. On page 18, you can learn more about the work being done with Oroville School District. These initial efforts will establish resources for high school horticulture programs across the state.

Nursery Research Fund has funded a marketing campaign that will significantly build upon WSNLA efforts to promote careers in horticulture. This is an area where large strides are needed - and quickly! The funds requested will support development of video, outreach via in person and virtual career events, and support an advertising campaign that will include videos, awareness of online career resources and current industry job listings. Collectively, these resources will work to lay the groundwork for ongoing messaging and promotion of careers in horticulture to audiences throughout Washington over the longterm. Learn more about WSDA funded projects on page 20.

From planting the seed of interest to providing opportunities to upskill or reskill, WSNLA is committed to investing in the future of horticulture over the long-term. If you would like to help promote careers in horticulture, please reach out. (There are a few simple ways listed to the right. ) The collective ideas & efforts from all will make a greater impact.

WSNLA Career Panels – live and/or recorded sessions Connect with students at horticulture programs via ‘zoom career panel’ sessions, both in live and/or recorded sessions. To make this happen, we need a bank of professionals willing to participate on virtual panels. This will provide students a chance to ask questions to professionals directly and will also serve as online recorded resources.

Careers in Horticulture Videos The WSDA Nursery Research fund has awarded grant funds to WSNLA to develop and advertise videos promoting horticulture careers. The videos will be used to educate a broad audience about the breadth of careers available, also working to shape perception.

Career Events Represent your industry at career events hosted by Universities and Colleges throughout the PNW region in 2023. Ambassadors are needed to staff WSNLA tabletops at targeted career events.

If promoting careers in horticulture is something you are passionate about, please join the effort to help raise awareness about and help recruit the best and brightest to the horticulture industry! Contact WSNLA at 253.661.6055 or breanne@wsnla. org to get involved.

Promoting Careers in Horticulture WSNLA is excited to announce the WSDA Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 7 Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 7

Legislative Update

Advocating for Your Business & Industry

WSNLA’s business membership includes a diverse community of large and small growers, garden centers, landscape professionals and suppliers. It is the intent of WSNLA Board of Directors to ensure legislative activities focus in on overarching WSNLA member needs, while effectively balancing the diversity in business scale and location. To that extent, the following priorities have been identified, with member input, to guide and strengthen WSNLA legislative and regulatory activities throughout the State.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Washington Nursery and Landscape Association supports stewardship of the land and the plants and trees that grow upon it.

Our priorities include: • Promoting a positive business climate for growing and marketing plants and landscape services.

• Protecting our industry from burdensome regulation, taxes and fees.

• Working in a bipartisan manner and focusing on results.

• Ensuring policies are reasonable and based on sound science.

WSNLA will coordinate with other affiliated professional organizations to support our members on agricultural and environmental issues such as: • Water availability, management & quality • Urban planning and the inclusion of green spaces • Pesticide regulation • Open space taxation On general business issues, WSNLA will focus on impact to members. Such issues include but are not limited to: • Labor: availability, training, minimum wage, workers comp, health care, benefits • Simplifying business regulation including streamlining local jurisdiction business licensing • Taxes WSNLA Priorities drafted June – September 2017.

Member comment period January – June 2018.

Board approved June 2018.

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Heather Hansen WSNLA Lobbyist The 2022 legislative session ended on time just before midnight on March 10. Most of the bills that could have been very harmful to small businesses and agriculture died. Among the worst were a bill that would have allowed the Department of Labor and Industries to write ergonomics rules. These rules could have limited the number of hours an employee could work at certain tasks and created other limitations on what employees could do that far exceed current rules.

Several bills would have created new buffers on land near any water including ditches and wetlands. Others would have added new requirements to the Growth Management Act, greatly restricting any construction, including widening a driveway or expanding a parking lot. Thankfully, none of those bills passed, but a work group was created to make recommendations for next year’s legislative session. The Governor’s office will convene a group including tribes, legislators, local governments, agricultural producers, commercial and recreational fisher organizations, business organizations, salmon recovery organizations, forestry and agriculture organizations, and environmental organizations. Their recommendations must include changes in land use laws to improve riparian habitat for salmon recovery. This implies new buffers. A final report must be submitted to the legislature by November 1, 2022. Expect proposed legislation in 2023.

Bills that will create more regulation for employers did pass. Starting in January 2023, job postings for employers with 15 or more workers in Washington must include salary and benefits information. The new law applies to any solicitation used to attract new workers. If it includes qualifications, it must also include salary information.

Now for the good news. While no broad tax relief passed this year, the state’s smallest businesses will get some relief from the business and occupation tax.

Beginning in 2023, businesses with less than $125,000 in annual gross income will be exempt from the B&O tax. Businesses with less than $250,000 annual gross income will get a 50% cut in their B&O tax. That results in about $60 million a year in total tax relief for about 125,000 small business owners.

The Conservation Commission received $1.3 million to develop a riparian plant

propagation program to implement riparian restoration projects. Plants will be made available for free or at a reduced cost to restoration projects. The Conservation Commission has pledged to work with WSNLA in developing this program. They do not plan to contract for planting until after July 1, 2023.

The Conservation Commission also received $2 million to provide technical assistance, education, and outreach to promote carbon storage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms. Grant funds may be used to promote cover crops, cost-share purchases of equipment, seeds, soil amendments, and development of conservation plans.

The Conservation Commission received $10 million to provide grants to landowners for riparian restoration projects. This is a significant amount of money. It remains to be seen how it will be spent.

The Department of Agriculture received an additional $354,000 to implement the pollinator health bill that passed last year and $5.874 million to eradicate Japanese beetle in central Washington.

The Commission on Pesticide Registration received $500,000 to fund research to develop alternatives for growers currently using organophosphate pesticides.

This year’s budget spent significantly more than any budget in the history of Washington State. It is very unlikely that this level of spending can be maintained.

Much of it is one-time funding but expect some new programs to be cut in future years.

At Budget Hearing, Secretary Vilsack Calls for Ag Research Funding and Labor Reform

By Evan Lee | Director of Policy and Government Relations at AmericanHort.

Agricultural research received top billing at a Senate’s hearing regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed fiscal year 2023 budget.

Secretary Tom Vilsack opened his comments to the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee by highlighting the federal government’s declining investment in agricultural research relative to other fields. Vilsack said, “at one point in time, [agricultural research] represented 4.3 percent of the overall non-defense research allocations in appropriations for the federal government. Today, it is 2.3 percent.”

Meanwhile, federal investment as a share of all food and agricultural research is shrinking as well. In his written statement, the Secretary shared the surprising statistic that federal funding represented roughly half of all public and private agricultural research investment in the U.S. between 1970 and 2008 but has since declined to under 30 percent. The difference is concerning because private investment tends to focus on more narrow projects with near-term commercial applications, while federal funding drives high-impact R&D that may take years to show results. Moreover, given the diversity of products, specialty crops such as nursery and floriculture are more dependent on federal funds for R&D than major commodity crops and livestock.

Nursery and floriculture sectors receive research funding via the Farm Bill and annual spending bills. When Congress renews the Farm Bill next year, AmericanHort and its partners will advocate for robust support of two key programs: the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. In recent weeks, we’ve also led an advocacy effort to increase funding in USDA’s annual investment in the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative.

Later in the hearing, Vilsack highlighted another area of alignment between our industry and his legislative priorities: H-2A and farm labor reform.

In a brief, but memorable exchange with the panel’s Ranking Republican, Secretary Vilsack once again called on the Senate to advance the House-passed Farmworker Modernization Act. He emphasized the “lack of confidence” farmers feel in the current system and said anything short of a legislative fix simply “puts a band-aid” on the problem. A longtime advocate for workforce reforms, the Secretary expressed frustration with the state of negotiations, saying he “cannot understand” how the FWMA can pass the House on a bipartisan basis with support of labor and agriculture communities, but stall in the Senate.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association is a state partner of the AmericanHort Lighthouse Program which provides WSNLA business members access to information on national advocacy efforts and a unified voice in DC on issues and matters that impact your business and industry.

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WSNLA

Scholarship & Research

Charitable Fund

Meet the Future of Horticulture 2022 WSNLA Scholarship Recipients Announced

2022 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Ali Black Fred Palmer Scholarships | $1500 Lake WA Institute of Technology | Environmental Horticulture Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2023 I am very interested in landscape design and would like to study gardens that make nature accessible to all. I am interested in how cities use design to create environmentally friendly community spaces. I would like to also like to include Spanish in my course studies because at some point in my life I would like to work or volunteer with migrant farm workers helping to improve the lives of those who grow our food.

Alissa Rae Brack Herbert & Marion Frost Scholarship, Windsor Bond | $1500 Edmonds Community College | Sustainable Landscape Management. Anticipated Gradation Date: March 2024 In the short term I am deeply committed to making Olympic Nursery thrive, proud, and profitable. I aim to improve my home farm and to have it be a symbol of inspiration to my community. In the long term, I aspire to go into employment for myself either though sustainable landscaping or self-sufficient farming. There is not a day on the farm that feels like “Work’. The gratification is addicting and I’m still riding the high of knowing that I’m finally pursuing that which brings me joy.

Marie Engstrom George Gillett Scholarship | $1500 Lake WA Institute of Technology | Environmental Horticulture Anticipated Graduation Date: Summer or Fall 2022 My goal is to combine my technical design and project manage10 - The B&B Magazine

ment skills with practical plant knowledge and hands-on energy to become a landscape designer.

Charles Falzon Jim Brown Scholarship | $1500 Lake WA Institute of Technology | Environmental Horticulture Anticipated Graduation Date: Winter 2023 My goal is to finish the Environmental Horticulture program at LWTech, and eventually meet with the American Horticultural Therapist Association in Seattle. I want to learn about how Horticultural Therapy can be a treatment option for patients that have always wanted to talk, but never know how to start the conversation or felt comfortable enough to accept help.

Aliyah Finch WAFLORA Scholarship | $1500 Yakima Valley College | Agri-Business Working in the wine industry and vineyard, plus talking to my Dad about his business [landscaping and yard maintenance] helped spark my interest in owning and operating a business in agriculture. I plan on going to Yakima Valley College to get my AA, then transfer to a 4-year university and get an agri-business degree.

Amberly Guerrero Junkoh Harui Scholarship, Johnnie Holmason Scholarship | $1500 Montana State University | Engineering, with minor in horticulture. Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2026 After graduation [high school], I plan to attend to four-year university to pursue a career in engineering and a minor in horticulture.

My high school foundation with nineteen dual-credit courses has prepared me for a rigorous degree in the STEM field and engagement in agriculture. As a first-generation American and college stu-

All of these applicants have one thing in common: a passion for horticulture.

It’s the same passion that brought all of us into this chosen field in this industry.

Let’s all work to help make sure these students and their passion for horticulture have the means to grow and thrive. dent, I have unique experiences listening to my father’s stories when he was cultivating land in Mexico and hearing about all the sacrifices, he made to provide opportunities for me to excel in America. His stories fuel my drive to succeed in academia and establish my goals.

Once earning my bachelor’s degree with a horticulture minor, I plan to work alongside organizations to engineer solutions that address global issues such as hunger and poverty. Not only do I plan to repay my parents for their sacrifices, but I also hope to empower others, so they do not encounter the same inequities I experienced. Horticulture and engineering serve as a unique combination that will help me accomplish my career goals.

Emily Hall Ray Holmberg Scholarship | $1500 Edmonds Community College | Ornamental Horticulture/Nursery and Greenhouse, Urban Agriculture certificate, and Landscape Horticulture certificate. Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2023 My long term education goal is to transfer to Evergreen College and pursue an undergraduate degree in Botany. I have always had a great appreciation for plants, but since starting my education journey, I feel I am in a community and career field that I have fallen in love with.

There is a richness and vastness to the horticulture field that I can never be bored of. I am grateful to be a part of this community and am excited to see where the future can take me.

Samantha Henry Olympic Chapter Scholarship | $1000 Edmonds Community College | Landscape Horticulture certificate Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2023 Sustainability is no longer adequate for our times, as we’ve clearly demonstrated we cannot sustain the Earth even now. My focus as a student, and going forward into my second career, is regeneration, healing the land that has been damaged and neglected and revitalizing our ecosystems that have been altered. Parallel to my own regeneration, I aim to improve the health and happiness of humans as we reintegrate ourselves into the greater web of natural life.

R. Jerry Rosso, CPH WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund Board Member It is critical for our industry to have an infusion of new students into the study of horticulture .

Frankly speaking it is our responsibility to make it possible to give students every opportunity to have the ability to study our great industry.

Today students are finding the cost of education ever increasing at both Community Colleges and Universities. With your help in funding the WSNLA Scholarship Fund, we can help offset a portion of these costs for the recipients of our scholarships. Oftentimes the scholarship can make the difference between a student completing their degree and joining our industry or not.

The applicants come from all walks of life, High School Graduates, College Students working on an advanced degree and professionals looking to make a career change. All of these applicants have one thing in common: a passion for horticulture.

It’s the same passion that brought all of us into this chosen field in this industry. Let’s all work to help make sure these students and their passion for horticulture have the means to grow and thrive.

These scholarships would not be possible without your donation and make a difference in our industry’s future. More importantly, your donations directly help students who are studying to be part of this great industry.

Donate Today @ wsnla.org/ MAKEADONATION

Continue on next page for more.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 11

Don Marshall, CPH WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund Board Member

Over the years I have seen the huge impact that the WSNLA scholarship research charitable fund has made in the lives of the recipients. It has made not only a financial impact but a validation that all the hard work of their education and endeavors are worth it. It is more than financial help, the recognition says,”you can do this and do it well”. They are always so appreciative and feel supported by our industry. Thank you to WSNLA and its members.

Continuing my education will equip me with the proper tools to positively impact the planet. I have partnered my horticulture studies with courses in Herbalism, Ethnobotany, and Thana botany – which gives a holistic view of how humans intersect with plants.

Using all these disciplines, I hope to specialize in organic, edible, medicinal and native landscaping to restore the Earth and ourselves in tandem.

Emily Magee Leno Bassett Scholarship | $1500 Edmonds Community College | Landscape Design degree, with Urban Agriculture certificate.

Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2023 After graduating with my degree, I plan to start a business with a focus on incorporating edible plants into residential ornamental landscape design. Before starting my own business I plan to gain experience completing an internship for a local company that executes similar work…

Jeffrey Kurt Oliver Peter Van Well Sr. Scholarship, Bert Snyder Scholarship | $1500 Edmonds Community College | Horticulture, Sustainable Landscape Management. Anticipating Graduation Date: Fall 2023 One possible career path would be to own or work at a nursery that specializes in grafted fruit trees. I am also exploring the idea of design and/or maintaining small urban food forests. I think there can be a lovely balance of food production and ornamental beauty with food forests, and fruit trees would be a centerpiece. I think urban food forests could be a great way to fight food insecurity and serve the local community through food donations and beautifying public spaces. I would love to incorporate being of service to my community into my calling.

Nicola Reynolds Marland Edwards Scholarship | $1500 Lake WA Institute of Technology | Environmental Horticulture Anticipating Graduation Date: 2023 I love to share the peace that growing and caring for plants can 12 - The B&B Magazine

Jeffrey Leonard, CPH, EPC WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund Board Member I have been most honored to serve on the WSNLA Scholarsip and Charitable Grant Board. I believe that this year’s scholarship applicants are some of the best I have reviewed yet.

bring. In addition, I have a strong passion for practicing horticulture in a sustainable way, having studied the effects of climate change at university in the UK in the 1980s. It is important to me to take responsibility for my own horticultural practice and do this as sensitively and as sustainable as possible.

I would love to begin working in a nursery/garden center and to be able to share the knowledge I have gained from the Environmental Horticulture course at Lake Washington Institute of Technology with customers and clients.

Kristen Stubbs The Walters Family Scholarship | $1500 Edmonds Community College | Horticulture Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2023 My focus in school will be to learn about PNW natives and how to incorporate more of them in either the home garden or urban environments. Creating more spaces that benefit our native birds and wildlife is a goal for me. I continually see the loss of our canopy trees and wild areas with the large influx of people to our region.

It’s so important to try and save what there is left or return a little wildness to our backyards.

I would like to find a company in the North Sound region where I could use my eye for design and local plant knowledge to assist businesses and home owners with creating beneficial landscapes in harmony with nature. There is so much more we can do besides putting in large swaths of grass.

GRANT AWARDS Arboretum Management Internship | $2500 South Seattle College Arboretum This position was created to ensure continuity in the care and management of the Arboretum, through student participation. The student intern oversees regular maintenance of the Arboretum, volunteer work parties with the general public, supervises other student interns and volunteers and assists in plant installations and garden renovations. The Arboretum is a five-acre laboratory

for South’s Landscape/Horticulture students. It also serves as a public garden for the students, faculty, community and the Green Industry. The collection of plants includes many used in the CPH examination and we have always encouraged and welcome candidates to browse the gardens in their studies.

WSNLA Scholarship & Research

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

Charitable Fund

RSBG Retail Sales Internship | $2000 Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden This internship introduces horticulture students to the practical aspects of managing a retail nursery through their actual management of the RSBG Garden Gift Shop Nursery located near the entrance to the RSBG. The Retail Internship is designed to augment classroom training with actual work experience. The student will work with RSBG staff to price and arrange plants available for sale, assess effective plant sale strategies, and maintain the sales areas in an attractive and professional manner. Students have the opportunity to work with unusual and rare plants and to take into consideration their care and landscape uses and to use this knowledge to assist our customers as they consider possible purchases from our extensive collection of unusual materials.

Elisabeth C. Miller Library | $518 UW Botanic Gardens Provides funding for fourteen books to grow the library’s resource collection. The selections reflect the increased interest in food gardening, especially during the last year with many forced to remain at home. Environmental sensitivity is another important element for garden design both by professionals and home gardeners.

Books with an in-depth presentation of a genus or a group of similar plants are of great value to horticulturists at all levels.

Environmental Horticulture Student Intern | $2500, Jeanne E. McNeil Scholarship Lake Washington Institute of Technology Internship position will assist in the horticulture department during the growing season. Responsibilities include assisting students in the greenhouse and arboretum and the following: - Assisting in the management of the greenhouse with tasks such as watering and cropping, Integrated Pest Management and nutrient testing.

- Arboretum maintenance with tasks such as weeding, pruning, planting and design. The arboretum has been used for decades for WSNLA members to prepare for the CPH exam.

- The student in this position will also design and carry out a research project during their internship.

Industry Professional Development | $1750 Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association Provides matching funds for providing advanced, accessible and quality education to the industry. This funding matches the amount budgeted by WSNLA and helps to deliver virtual education to the industry providing an opportunity for industry professionals from all across Washington to tune in for professional development and training.

WSU Endowed Chair - Horticulture Research | $100,000 (Funds will be gifted as two pledges:$50,000 in 2022 and $50,000 in 2023) WSNLA is requesting $100,000 contribution from the WSNLA Scholarship Charitable & Research Fund to aid in funding a WSU Endowed Chair dedicated to horticulture research. These funds will join the $150,000 contribution made by the WSDA Nursery Research Fund to launch a capital campaign that will bring together aligning industries, individual businesses and stakeholders to pledge monetary gifts over a 5-year period, with the goal of reaching $1.5M.

Your Gift Matters to

The WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund is a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organization. Your donation to The WSNLA Scholarship Fund is fully taxdeductible.

For more information on contributing to The WSNLA Scholarship Fund, please visit www.wsnla.org/MakeADonation or contact the WSNLA office at (253) 279-7061.

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Inspiring Future Horticulturists

Q&A with Julie Vanderwal, STEM & Greenhouse Management Teacher in the Oroville School District, about how their Root to Science program is inspiring future horticulturists & how the CPH certification is playing a role.

(Left) Students taking cuttings for propagation at the Okanogan Highlands Lavender Farm. (Right) Grafting - Two 8th grade Oroville Greenhouse Management students learn grafting tips from local orchardist and science teacher Ed Booker.

About “Roots in Science” Julie Vanderwal has worked at the intersection of ecology and education for over 20 years. She graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (environmental technology) and from Barstow College (child development/ education). Julie has taught in outdoor and ecological education and public school contexts, working with all ages in Southern British Columbia, Northern California, South Eastern Quebec, and North Central Washington. She worked for a decade as Conservation Coordinator for the non-profit Okanogan Highlands Alliance, coordinating natural history education and stream restoration programs. She currently teaches Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Greenhouse Management at the Oroville Jr/Sr High School in Okanogan County, and coordinates career-based learning opportunities for students in the natural resources field. Julie Vanderwal is also a singer/ songwriter and enjoys bringing her guitar to class.

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Vanderwal started developing the Oroville School District’s garden and greenhouse “Roots in Science” program in the fall of 2020 when she was hired to start a school garden, teach students how to manage the District’s new greenhouse (under construction), and to teach STEM through the lens of horticulture and habitat restoration. The program scope includes student engagement in local native plant and stream restoration, an onsite plant nursery, student-designed and student-managed hydroponic and soil-based growing systems, and a farm-to-school vision. The district is making progress toward a system in which students grow produce to sell to the District’s food services company, Chartwells, for students to eat in the school cafeterias.

Career-connected learning is embedded throughout each of these program components. Students work directly with natural resource and agricultural professionals in internships and field trips that include grafting apple trees (see photos), propagating a wide variety of native and agricultural plant species, growing culinary mushrooms, designing and building growing systems, installing streambank soil bioengineering treatments, planting native species on upland and wetland restoration sites, monitoring local wildlife, and studying the salmon and water quality in the region around the school.

75% of the students attending Oroville School District qualify for free and reduced lunches, which means a large portion of enrolled families face significant financial challenges. The school

district recognizes the importance of opportunities to open doors for students, which drives the momentum behind student involvement in career-connected learning. For example, in order to graduate from Oroville High School, every student must participate in a work-based learning experience, either paid or volunteer, in their career area of interest. Through these experiences, students can make connections with industry professionals that can lead to high quality letters of reference, robust resume experience, compelling college and scholarship application content, and potential for future employment.

Laying the Foundation

How do you help your students envision themselves successful in the oftenoverlooked field of horticulture?

JV: By empowering youth to take on their own horticulture projects, it becomes easier for students to see their future selves as successful in that role, professionally.

Are there particular horticulture activities they enjoy doing/learning about most?

JV: Students have really enjoyed going on field trips to install native plants on restoration sites, and visiting local growing and value-added operations like the Okanogan Highlands Lavender Farm (see photo on opposite page). Oroville High School students also created exceptional models showing the parts of a flower, using very simple materials (see photo on next page). Their enjoyment of this activity is apparent through the high quality of their work. Also, the best looks of surprise have happened when students have seen their oyster mushrooms grow and when willow cuttings were left soaking long enough to grow both roots and shoots.

How do you go about introducing them to the various careers in horticulture?

JV: We observe a variety of horticulture careers by visiting local farm and restoration operations and talking with professionals about their jobs. Students also meet professionals through video calls and interviews their teacher has recorded with people like Chris Smith, Horticulture Department Chair at LWTech, who is able to talk about the industry as a whole, and Diane Haase, Nursery Specialist with the US Forest Service. The class also plays a game called “bus stop,” which is modified

to be about careers in horticulture. Two of the students pretend to be at a bus stop and one tries to find out what kind of horticulture job the other is going to, by asking questions that can be answered with a yes or no, and using information from the careers section of a horticulture text.

At class completion, what takeaways do you observe or hear from your students?

JV: Here are some student quotes: “I now have more information on how important an environment is to a plant.

I now have much information on getting seeds to sprout, why humidity and temperature affects plant growth, and the reason for seeds not sprouting in certain soil. I’ve learned far more about plant growth and their life stages, and even things like identification and cellular structure. I was very happy to take this class.” (8th grade student) “I have learned a lot about native plants and what it takes to grow and care for them. I am now able to better recognize them in the wild.” (9th grade student) “I gained experience such as learning about roots (fibrous and taproots), leaf margins, shape, etc. Learning how to identify plants by characteristics they may have. Planting some plants in a certain way for example some seeds may need to be in cold area, others may have to be put in a paper towel with a bit of water in order to sprout. Learning different parts of a flowers/plants (stigma, petals, fruits, leaves etc). Learning that some root words are related to body parts like palmate. “ (9th grade student) What motivated you to reach out to WSNLA as a resource for your program?

JV: I started teaching at Oroville High School during the peak of the pandemic, and my first 6 weeks of teaching were done fully remotely, working with many students whom I had never met in person.

Our district was among 3% of districts in WA state to not miss a day of learning due to the covid pandemic. We then opened our doors optionally for students to attend in person starting early in October of 2020, and allowed the rest to continue remotely.

The remainder of the year, I taught both remotely and in person, via concurrent Zoom, video recordings, and direct inperson instruction. To meet this challenge, my first steps focused on identifying

An 11th grade student tries grafting for the first time.

resources – primarily professionals who could interact with my students and help bring the content alive, and who could help me figure out how to create opportunities for students to earn industry certifications remotely. Online research serendipitously led me to LWTech’s Environmental Horticulture program, and in particular, the Growing Certificate.

I reached out to Chris Smith, who was instrumental in my successful launch into teaching about careers and training in horticulture. He suggested I reach out to the WA State Nursery and Landscape Association, which has proven to be one of the most exciting collaborations of my teaching experience so far!

Through your involvement on the CPH Steering Committee, what is your vision for the CPH Level I certificate tailored for high school students?

JV: The Oroville School District aims to provide industry certification opportunities to help our youth succeed with meaningful employment after high school. Living in an economically depressed, remote, rural community, our students face many challenges that students from more affluent areas may not be affected by. When I first learned about the Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) certificate, I wanted my students to have an opportunity to earn it, so that they could leave high school job-ready, with a concrete skillset and achievement on their resume.

Continued on the next page.

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What do you consider your biggest challenge or ‘hill to climb’ to be?

I really enjoyed visiting a local organic-family owned farm.Visiting the Figlenski Ranch and the Antoine Valley Ranch was so much fun and we gained experience on planting Sagebrush properly.

I really enjoyed doing some fun projects we did such as designing a small greenhouse made out of Corrugated plastic sheets, it was a challenge where we design it, put a plant inside it and put it outside to observe if it survived in the cold winter, did a data chart do put down temperature/how the plant was doing. We did posters about leaf’s, leaf veins, leaf margins, leaf shapes, etc. Which was pretty nice. Going to the greenhouse is a very fun experience to go daily.

Watering plants, transplanting, trimming willows, planting more seeds to containers, making Perlite which helps occur mineral that is added to garden soil to improve aeration, water retention and drainage. And many other things has well. We made a model of flowers to master the concept of flower parts to identify them by making a model out of different material such as paper, pipe cleaner, and other materials as well, which was pretty fun to do.

Doing some microscope work was so cool to put leafs, plants, etc under it and observing a closeup of the objects was so cool. It helped with observing skills with the object under the microscope then drawing what we see throughout the observation.

(9th grade student)

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(Above) School students enjoy creating models showing the parts of a flower, using very simple materials. Their enjoyment of this activity is apparent through the high quality of their work.

However, after reviewing all of the components, I realized that it would be too rigorous and overwhelming for our high school students to achieve within one school year, during a period that only lasts for 45 minutes a day.

The first modification was to discuss a “Level 1”, simplified version of the CPH certificate that is appropriate for high school students. Next we grappled with how to make this kind of achievement accessible to my mixed grade level Greenhouse Management classroom, which includes grades 8-12, as well as students with disabilities who still might find the content too intimidating. This is where we envisioned a system that breaks the Level 1 CPH certificate into four progress certificates that students can earn over the course of their high school experience, with any three of the progress certificates equating to a Level 1 CPH certificate. This way, even if students don’t earn the full Level 1, they will still have a certificate on their resume, giving them an advantage in a competitive posthigh school employment environment and the confidence that comes with achievement. In addition, regardless of how many progress certificates they earn, any involvement will help prepare students who later go on to study for the established Certified Professional Horticulture certification.

JV: Overall, the biggest challenge I face is navigating the complexity of moving so many different program components forward at once. Building this program feels a lot like building a house. There is a certain sequence that the various systems need to be constructed in, but unforeseen issues can hold progress up in one area, which has ripple effects across – in this case – the curriculum, planned activities, related supplies needed, and program deliverables and outcomes. Similar to house construction, one needs a solid blueprint and the ability to keep the finished product in mind, while balancing the unexpected twists and turns along the way. It helps to take a deep breath and look around at the progress that has been made, and to appreciate the smiles on students’ faces along the way.

Why is this work important? How does it bring value to your students’ learning?

School? Community?

JV: This work brings opportunity in the face of adversity, and is important on a variety of scales. On the family scale, students are learning how to grow their own fresh vegetables and other plants, a skillset that they may bring home now and/or in their future. Across our community, these skills can help build self-sufficiency and healthy lifestyles.

On the job market scale, the Roots in Science program is increasing student capacity to apply and interview for jobs, to gain the skills needed to show up on time and follow instructions in the workplace, to be a team player, and to learn skills specific to the agriculture, horticulture, and natural resource fields.

On the educational scale, our students are applying theoretical concepts in a hands-on environment where they can see the cause-and-effect at play in their work. They are becoming personally involved in the scientific method and the engineering design process. On the watershed scale, students are helping make our local habitats better able to support wildlife, and are helping restore ecological function in degraded streams.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, on the personal scale, students are learning that they are capable of being in charge of projects, being successful in things

they have never tried before, and able to make a difference in their world. This sense of efficacy can make the difference between despair and hope, between just wondering what to do next, and actually opening a door – and finding that it leads to more opportunities.

Looking Forward:

Looking forward, what benchmarks are you hoping to reach to determine your success?

JV: A successful program will include a small group of students earning the Level 1 CPH certificate, a larger group of students earning mini-certificates, and all students demonstrating mastery of their hands-on skills in the greenhouse and garden. Success will also be measured by the implementation of a student-led farmto-school program that regularly sells fresh produce from the school garden and greenhouse for consumption in the school cafeterias. An additional benchmark will be increasing numbers of students placed in paid and volunteer internships in the

agriculture, horticulture, and natural resource fields.

How can the horticulture industry help you and your students?

There are two key ways that the horticulture industry can help. One is by engaging with students through video calls and in-person meetings to discuss aspects of your work that pertain to content the students are learning about.

For example, if you are an expert at propagating via softwood cuttings, it would be a huge help for you to video call with my class and bring us into your nursery and show us the steps that you typically follow. The other key way the horticulture industry can help is to consider placing a student in an internship with your organization or business.

Internships can be done remotely through weekly zoom meetings between mentors and students, and by setting clear, actionable objectives that students can work toward from school and from home. Paid internships are particularly

beneficial as these experiences can give a student a glimpse of what it is like to earn your own income through your own hard work and dedication. Creating these kinds of positive experiences early on can help develop healthy work habits and attitudes that continue into adulthood. These kinds of experiences may also encourage students to build on their initial success and pursue careers in horticulture.

What additional thoughts would you like to share?

JV: The Oroville School District is deeply grateful to the WA State Nursery and Landscape Association for the impactful and sincere collaboration that the WSNLA has been so ready to cultivate with us. You have made it clear from day one that our students’ futures matter, and that you are willing to think outside of the box and co-create opportunities where they have not existed before. Thank you so much!

LLC

www.BIRINGERNURSERY.com

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WSDA Nursery Research

Fund Supports Local Research Did you know that a surcharge is assessed on fees collected by nursery retailer licenses for the purpose of creating an industry research fund?

There are more than 6,000 nurseries in the state of Washington, and each obtains a license to sell plants, and ensure they remain free of quarantined pests. WSDA collects a surcharge to the license fees of 20 percent and uses those funds to support research that benefits the state’s horticulture industry.

Nursery Advisory Committee Members Roger Canfield, CPH - Puget Sound Plants Nursery Grower Dan Meier, Briggs Nursery Large Scale Wholesale Nursery Todd Snyder, C&O Nursery Fruit Trees Rick Longnecker, Buds & Blades Landscape Jeff Sample, Terroir Nouveaux Nursery Vineyards Richard Roozen, WA Bulb Company Bulbs Jeff Van Lierop, Country Green Turf Turfgrass Theresa Knutsen, Raintree Nursery Online Nursery Open Position Floricuture/Greenhouse Representative Garden Center Representative Breanne Chavez WSNLA Executive Director - ex officio WA State Department of Agriculture Committee Adminstrators: Cindy Cooper, Plant Services Program Manager - retired June 2022 Lara Massey, Program Specialist If you are interested in learning about service on the WSDA Nursery Advisory Committee, please contact Breanne at breanne@wsnla. org.

The WSDA Nursery Advisory Committee advises WSDA’s director regarding the administration of the nursery inspection and licensing duties of the Plant Services Program and of the nursery research fund.

Each year the Nursery Advisory Committee reviews research proposals and awards funding to support research that benefits the Washington State nursery and landscape industry. Projects selected this year include: NEW PROJECTS

WSU ENDOWED CHAIR: ENSURING A LASTING LEGACY OF HORTICULTURE RESEARCH. AWARD: $150,000. Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association, representing a diverse community of horticulture businesses, is requesting $150,000 from the WSDA Nursery Research Fund to be used as a monetary gift towards establishing an endowed faculty chair at Washington State University, creating a lasting legacy that will service the horticulture industry with relevant and science-based research specific to our Washington climate and needs. This gift will formally launch a capital campaign that will bring together aligning industries, individual businesses and stakeholders to pledge monetary gifts over a 5-year period, with the goal of reaching $1.5M. Benefits to the Industry: In a rapidly changing world, the pace is often driven by the private sector, but much of the long-term thinking, basic research and most fundamental discoveries occur inside universities. The creation of an endowed chair will create a lasting connection between industry with professors, researchers and students who inspire innovation and creative ideas in a competitive environment, as well as establish a lasting gateway for the brightest minds to enter into the Washington horticulture industry. Through coordinated expression of industry needs, the benefits of an endowed chair are endless.

PROMOTING CAREERS IN HORTICULTURE. AWARD: $26,000. Project Managers: Breanne Chavez, Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association Our goal is to promote careers in horticulture by overcoming current perceptions through promoting to and educating audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. The funds requested will support development of video, outreach via in person and virtual events, and support promotion of videos, awareness of online career resources and current industry job listings.

Benefits to the Industry: This grant project has universal impacts with positive outcomes for all segments. A variety of horticulture businesses are being identified to ensure a wide range of horticulture careers are showcased. Promoting careers is a need essential to growers, retailers and landscape professionals. Developing future professionals and ensuring a healthy workforce is vital to the overall health and growth of our industry.

The deliverables of this project have a high outcome for success and work to lay the groundwork for building stronger key relationships, establishing ongoing messaging and longterm promotion of careers in horticulture.

DEVELOPING “CERTIFICATION 101” WEBINAR AND MODULE SERIES FOR THE WA STATE CERTIFIED PLANTING STOCK PROGRAMS. Program Manager: WSU Clean Plant

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Center NW. Objective 1: Create a working group and outline content. Working with WSDA regulators, WSDA certification program managers, Clean Plant Center Northwest staff, WSU extension specialists, and subject matter experts within the state certification projects to develop an outline of content to be covered in a webinar and training module program.

Objective 2: Develop webinar and module content, format and visual aid materials. Utilize the working group and subject matter experts to develop content for an overview of WSDA, tree fruit, and grapevine certification programs that cover state regulations, virus identification, impact/value of virus-tested material, best management practices, and resources available. This content could be in the form of a webinar, training modules, or simple visual aid materials as part of a resource library. Once content has been developed and created, project collaborators will plan and schedule a series of presentations to growers and industry groups.

CONTINUING PROJECTS

WSDA MAHONIA TRIAL AT SOUTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AWARD: $17,500. Project Manager: Richie Steffen, Elisabeth C. Miller Botanic Garden.

Objectives of this project include introduction of new and promising species, forms, and cultivars of Mahonia to the PNW; Produce finished, field-ready nursery stock from new introductions for field trial; Observe and characterize the potential and limitations of these plants based on a broad matrix of characteristics related to environmental adaptability, relative ease of nursery production, pest and disease resistance, and ornamental merit; Stratify and rank these plants for overall horticultural potential in terms of environmental adaptability, relative ease of nursery production, pest and disease resistance, and ornamental merit; and Distribute plants assigned to the highest tier of the evaluation to the USDA National Cereals Laboratory for Black Stem Rust resistance/susceptibility screening.

The Miller Garden will assist this continuing project in the following ways: • Select the plants with high horticultural value to PNW gardeners.

• Write a full description of each selected plant with the name it will carry into commerce (non-patented).

• Work with the USDA cereals lab in Minnesota to submit cuttings/ plants for their evaluation of rust resistance.

• Publicize the release of newly available Mahonia selections for PNW gardens once they are added to the federal register as “rust resistant.” Since the Mahonia currently on trial are all domestically available, publicity would focus on making wholesale producers aware of the changed rust resistant status of approved plants as well as publishing this change in gardening materials available to the general public. Due to the length of time it may take to produce and test plants for the USDA lab, most publicity would be focused beyond 2022.

AWARENESS OF STATE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR FRUIT TREE, GRAPEVINE AND HOPS PLANTING STOCK. AWARD: $20,000. Project Managers: Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director, Washington Wine Foundation and Scott Harpe, Washington State University - IAREC. In this project will conduct market research to: 1) Identify participants and non-participants in the state specialty crop nursery certification programs for fruit

tree, grapevine and hop planting stock. 2) Conduct surveys to determine the perceptions of the certification program, and current messages being used at the nursery level, and 3) Use this information to develop a series of clear messages targeted at increasing participation in the program, and uptake of certified plants by growers. The second objective is to raise awareness and adoption of state nursery certification programs by developing and distributing outreach materials. Working with industry stakeholders, WSU extension, and state agency representatives, input will be collected to develop a campaign to increase participation in state certification programs and the implementation of the programs to growers. Once messaging and best method of distribution are determined, a timely rollout would occur.

Benefit to Industry Statement: Currently, no outreach programs exist promoting awareness of, use of, or value of using certified planting stock. The “clean plant” slogan has been used to date largely within the National Clean Plant Network but the tie between “clean” and “certified” has not been well made. Now, nurseries and growers find that the messaging falls short when used as a justification to purchase and use certified plants.

Additionally, there is a lack of understanding of what certification is or does and how it might benefit a grower of tree fruits, hops or grapes.

EFFICIENT TREE FRUIT VIRUS AND PHYTOPLASMA DIAGNOSTIC SCREENING USING RNASEQ. AWARD: $38,000.

Project Managers: Kimberly Cotton-Price, Ph.D. & Seanna Hewitt, Ph.D., NuPhY, Inc. This project will lay the groundwork for NuPhY to optimize and then provide an RNA sequencing (RNAseq)-based virus and phytoplasma detection service that is fast, reliable, and cost-effective, even in asymptomatic plants. The goals will be achieved through the following objectives: 1.) Compare the detection limits of RNAseq and RT-PCR using LChV-2 and X-disease phytoplasma as a case study. 2.) Optimize RNAseq workflow and data analysis; test infected cherry and apple materials for multiple viruses and phytoplasma(s) at once.

Benefit to Industry Statement: The nurseries in Washington State, particularly within the horticultural crop sector, are among those that are currently underserved in pathogen testing capacity, and, in the rest of the PNW, nurseries and growers are suffering similar limitations. With our high-throughput, RNAseq-based, diagnostic platform, expansion of NuPhY’s testable crops from apple and cherry to any horticultural crop requiring comprehensive virus/ viroid and phytoplasma screening services will be achievable.

Provision of this much-needed service to nurseries will aid in preemptive mitigation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses that are incurred each year as a result of virus and phytoplasmaassociated pathogens.

Establishing Camellia sinensis as a new crop for the Washington nursery industry | Award: $9025. Dr. Carol Miles, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC. This project will develop methods for propagating tea from cuttings, establish a tea planting, and develop a tea propagation and planting guide, thereby supporting a sustainable emergence of tea production in Washington. This project will establish new cultivar trials conducted within the state and relevant to the climate and hardiness zones of the Washington nursery and nursery best practices.

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Horticultural Research Institute Announces 2022 Grant Awards The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the foundation of AmericanHort, proudly announces the portfolio of research projects receiving 2022 funding.

Projects reflect HRI’s research priority areas of quantifying plant benefits, creating innovative solutions, gathering consumer insights, and producing practical and actionable solutions. HRI is providing a total of $417,039 in financial support this year.

“Now celebrating its 60th year, HRI is more relevant to the success of the horticultural industry than ever before,” said Alan Jones (Manor View Farm, Monkton, MD), HRI president. “The projects selected for 2022 funding represent a diverse selection of research topics showcasing ‘The Power of Plants.’

To date, HRI has supported $9.5 million in research grants and scholarships and looks forward to expanded funding as the endowment continues to grow.”

The Horticultural Research Institute’s mission is to direct, fund, promote and communicate horticulture research.

Supporting research that challenges current methods and bridges the divide between businesses and the consumer is exactly how HRI helps build prosperous businesses, advance the green industry and fulfill its core vision.

“HRI supports projects where the outcomes impact the bottom line for industry businesses,” said Jennifer Gray, HRI administrator. “The projects selected for funding encourage innovative solutions, provide practical application, and will garner valuable information companies can use to grow their businesses.”

QUANTIFYING PLANT BENEFITS Measuring the Benefits of Plants: Improved Cardiovascular Health and Well-being from Visual Exposure to Plants - J. Hollander, Tufts University.

New research findings and tools in biometrics have advanced this field drastically and offer significant opportunities to better quantify the 20 - The B&B Magazine

benefits of plants. These new tools dramatically improve understanding of how the unconscious human mind responds to plants and what that means for cardiovascular health and wellbeing.

These technologies give us the means to compare horticultural elements in ways that were not possible before bringing complex data to bear to quantify the benefits of plants.

CREATING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Creation of emerald ash borer-resistant “lingering ash” cultivars for restoration of ash as landscape and street trees - S. Merkle, University of Georgia.

North American ash species are under threat of destruction by the emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis), an exotic wood-boring beetle that has destroyed millions of ash trees.

“Lingering ash” trees are individual ash trees that have been identified as potentially EAB-resistant by their persistence in populations where EABinduced mortality exceeds 99%. Clonally propagating these lingering ash trees or selected progeny from them would allow clonal testing of potential EAB-resistant genotypes to confirm genetic-based resistance and the development of elite EABresistant ash cultivars for production by the nursery industry and planting by landowners and municipalities as landscape and street trees.

Stimulating adventitious root formation in recalcitrant woody plants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes - H. Liang, Clemson University.

Some woody plant species are notoriously difficult to form adventitious roots. This project aims to examine the rooting stimulation effect of Agrobacterium rhizogenes, a soil-borne gram-negative bacterium that induces ‘hairy roots’ in dicotyledonous plants, on cuttings of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and yellow-flowering camellias.

The project objectives are to: Evaluate the effect of A. rhizogenes on promoting rooting and identify optimal strains and reveal the physiological and biochemical responses during adventitious root

formation induced by A. rhizogenes.

Tulipalins: A Natural Fungicide for Greenhouse Hydrangeas from a Tulip Bulb Waste Stream - T. Gianfagna, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey. Tulip bulbs from cut flower production are considered a substantial waste-stream product. Tulip bulbs have been found to contain tulipalin lactones, these compounds have antifungal properties especially against Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis is a soil borne fungus that affects greenhouse-grown hydrangeas at several stages of production by damaging the flowers and the leaves. We think that a possible way to control Botrytis would be by using a natural anti-fungal spray or compost containing tulipalin.

GATHERING CONSUMER INSIGHTS Enhancing Marketplace Acceptance of Native Plants - A. Rihn, University of Tennessee. Traditionally, retailers have not had highly effective marketing of a wide variety of native plants and educating their customers about which plants are native in their region. Some retailers may perceive that consumer may be unaware of the many benefits that native plants provide or that consumers are not interested in environmental benefits. Goal: Take the first step to enhance the marketing of native plants by assessing consumer demand, profiling consumers by their values and native plant acceptance, and identify consumer preferences for native plants to ultimately increase eco-conscious plantings in landscapes that improve environmental health and biodiversity.

Images of People or Plants: Which Sells More Plants? - B. Behe, Michigan State University; J. Mundel, Arizona State University. A majority of signage in both the independent retail garden center (IGC) and home improvement centers (HIC) show images of plants, not people. This is due largely to a desire to show consumers what the mature plant will look like. However, a theory called image congruency states that people identify strongly with products used by people who “look like they feel”.

Our objective is to identify which helps sell more plants: images of people congruent

Supporting research that challenges current methods and bridges the divide between businesses and the consumer is exactly how HRI helps build prosperous businesses, advance the green industry and fulfill its core vision. with the observer holding a plant or an image of the plant itself.

PRODUCING PRACTICAL AND ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS Improved Irrigation Efficiency Through Modeling and Spatial Distribution Analysis - P. Bartley, Auburn University.

Improper irrigation management in container production can seriously affect crop productivity and cause issues such as overuse of water resources and nutrient losses to surrounding water bodies. The overall goal of this research is to evaluate and optimize irrigation parameters for specialty crop producers using soilless container cultivation. The results are intended to aid researchers and producers in characterizing irrigation efficiency and dynamic root substrate interactions in order to improve the sustainability of container cultivation of specialty crops.

Improving Water Management in Pine Bark Substrates via Pore Size Characterization and Infiltration Testing R. Stewart, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Containerized nurseries require proper management of water within individual pots to minimize shrinkage or crop loss and to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. It is commonly assumed that soilless substrates are able to receive water through their surface at an infinite rate (in/hr), and that their capacity to retain water remains the same throughout production. In this project we seek to better understand and characterize water infiltration and storage processes in pine bark substrates composed of three different size fractions.

Management Options for Jumping Worms in Private & Commercial Landscapes and Natural Areas - E. Buchholz, University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Jumping worms are a growing concern

within the horticultural community throughout the eastern half of the United States. Amynthas spp. have been shown to have a significant impact in the losses of leaf litter and nutrient levels in surface soils. There are no practical methods of control or removal. This research will focus on determining which methods and products can offer a solution.

Periodical Cicada: Study of potential controls for the Tennessee Nursery Industry - D. Airhart, Tennessee Technological University. The goal of this research project is preventing or controlling periodical cicada oviposition damage associated with nursery tree crops. To accomplish this goal, two major priorities will be addressed: 1) evaluation of some new or typical insecticide treatments to manage periodical cicada adults to identify more effective management options; and 2) assessment of nursery tree damages by periodical cicada adults (Brood X, 2021) by oviposition, now starting in eastern Tennessee.

Preliminary study on the parasitoid complex of the box tree moth in Asia for a classical biological control program in North America - M. Kenis, CABI. The objective of the project will be to initiate the research and foreign exploration needed to implement a classical biological control program for box tree moth through the introduction of parasitoids from the region of origin to North America for permanent establishment and control.

This first stage will consist in surveys and collections of parasitoids in East Asia and in the establishment of parasitoid cultures at the quarantine laboratory of CABI in Switzerland. After the establishment of cultures and initiation of efficacy and host specificity studies at the CABI quarantine, work in subsequent years will focus on sending the most promising candidate BTM parasitoids to the USDA-

APHIS quarantine laboratory in Buzzard’s Bay, Massachusetts to evaluate possible impacts on non-target species to support an application for a U.S. release permit.

Preventing disease outbreaks in ornamental nurseries: Determining most effective diagnostics tools and developing a rapid diagnostics test for Phytophthora species infecting ornamental crops - J. Del Castillo, University of California Davis.

Phytophthora species are well-known and recurrent pathogens of ornamental greenhouses and nurseries in the U.S. The development of faster and more specific diagnostics tool is imperative to determine in a timely fashion if plants are infested with Phytophthora and consequently prevent pathogen spread.

The objectives of this project are to: 1.

Compare and determine the efficacy of the currently available diagnostics tools to diagnose several Phytophthora species and 2. Develop a rapid and more specific Phytophthora genus and species-specific detection tool that can be implemented in the field.

Soil Microbiomes for Plant Health: Exploring microbes in the soil for candidates that protect plants against root rot disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomic - J. Burns, Case Western Reserve University. Between 20-40% of crop productivity worldwide is lost to plant diseases every year and plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion/year. While chemical control of many plant diseases is possible, pathogens often evolve and become resistant to these measures. Biocontrol using soil microbial species, or the soil microbiome, has great potential in agriculture and horticulture to reduce our reliance on chemical control, enhance plant health, and maintain global food security. Our goal is to characterize this complex community, which is essential to the future development of “probiotic” products that might enhance plant health.

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), founded in 1962, has provided more than $9.5 million in funds to research projects covering a broad range of production, environmental, and business issues important to the green industry. For more information about HRI, its grant-funded research, or programming, visit www.hriresearch.org or contact Jennifer Gray at 614.884.1155.

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 21

WA State Nursery & Landscape Association

MARKETPLANT

FOR SALE: PLANTS, TREES, LANDSCAPE & NURSERY SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, AND MORE!

Scott Pringle, CPH ph 206-930-4132 paradiselakenursery@gmail.com facebook.com/paradiselakenursery

Specimen Street and landscape Trees in large Root Control Bags. Year around availability, easier shipping, handling and establishment. Mount Vernon. (360) 428-5810. Fax (360) 4281822. www.urbanforestnursery.com.

WSNLA MEMBER.

OREGON TURF AND TREE FARMS SPECIMEN SHADE TREES AVAILABLE in 25 gallon containers and B&B. Availability online at Oregonlawn.com or 800.426.1335 WSNLA MARKETPLACE posts begin at $30.

Email your copy to breanne@wsnla.org.

WA State Nursery & Landscape Association

EVENTS

GROW YOUR KNOWLEDGE. FIND SOLUTIONS. CONNECT WITH PEERS. GAIN INSPIRATION. July 19 in Woodinville or October 4 in Puyallup Certified Professional Horticulturist Exam - Plant Identification Section.

The Plant Identification section of the Certified Professional Horticulturist Exam is offered in person only. Cost: $50 members| $90 non members.

July 20 or October 5 | Certified Professional Horticulturist Online Exam. This section of the Certified Professional Horticulurist exam is offered virtually. Cost: $40 members | $70 non members.

October 24 - 28, 2022 , from 8:30 - 12pm | ecoPRO Certified Sustainable Landscape Professional Training Exam. Location: Virtual. The Puyallup Watershed

Initiative is providing ten BIPOC full scholarship for this training. Register at www.wsnla.org/ events.

Watch for more WSNLA and other industry events to be announced on the WSNLA Calendar of Events @ WSNLA.ORG/Events.

WA State Nursery & Landscape Association

CAREER CENTER POST OPEN POSITIONS. FIND EMPLOYEES. SEEK EMPLOYMENT. SHARE YOUR RESUME.

The WSNLA Career Center connects employers with qualified applicants; students with internships; and job seekers with potential employers.

Post Your Job Openings

Advertise to over 2500+ nursery and landscape professionals.

Post Your Internships

Internships are an opportunity to gain practical experience in the field. Share your internship opportunities on the WSNLA Career Center and connect with students and emerging professionals.

Post Your Resume

Make it easy for employers to learn more about your employment interests and qualifications.

Get Started @ WSNLA.ORG/Networking

22 - The B&B Magazine

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association - 23

Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association PO Box 219 Sumner, WA 98390-0040 Address Service Requested

503-678-2700

info@ovg.com * www.ovg.com 20357 Hwy 99 E * Aurora, OR 97002

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24 - The B&B Magazine