2011 Farwest Show To Highlight Industry Innovations

Portland, OR – This year’s Farwest Show will highlight new innovations in the landscape-design and nursery industry for 2011, according to show manager Aimee McAuliffe.

Offered as part of Farwest’s seminar series, Dr. Jim Owen, of Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC), will present a new aerial platform for crop management, wireless networking to monitor irrigation, the benefits of an iPad-based wireless farm, a new “smart sprayer” that reduces pesticide use, among others. NWREC is a stop on the Farwest Show’s Innovative Ideas Tour, August 23, where the new technology will be demonstrated.

Farwest’s New Product Showcase will offer solutions to help the bottom line, improve product quality and retailers’ product mix. These products are new to the U.S. market, introduced in either 2010 or 2011, and in some cases are debuting at the 2011 Farwest Show.

To complement the Oregon Association of Nurseries’ sustainability initiatives and partnerships, the Farwest Show will debut a Sustainability Resource Center to provide hands-on resource information and assistance from a variety of organizations. Energy and resource reduction practices lead to operational efficiencies and market advantages, and this center is designed to provide easy access to programs, resources and expertise for growers and garden centers.

The 2011 Farwest Show will take place August 25-27 at the Oregon Convention Center, in Portland, Oregon.

The Farwest Show is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), a trade organization representing and serving the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2011 Farwest Show seminar schedule, nursery tours, expo hours and other features, visit www.farwestshow.com or call 503-682-5089.

The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,000 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is among the state's largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $740 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 75 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit http://www.oan.org or call (503) 682-5089.

Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries