Wilsonville, Oregon – Two of the industry’s leading advocates and experts in the local food movement that has swept the country will deliver seminar addresses at Farwest 2017, which takes place August 23- 25, in Portland, OR. Garden communicator Brie Arthur and Jim Monroe, Founder, Hort Couture Plants and Owner, Greenbrier Nurseries, will speak to the importance of sustainability in the landscape and the opportunities for food at garden retail.
Arthur’s seminar, ‘Foodscape Revolution: Ecology and Sustainable Management’, sponsored by Green Profi t magazine, will underscore the importance of managing landscapes in a sustainable manner for the health of clients, family, community and the ecosystems surrounding the landscape. Soil science is the key. Arthur will explain how microbial activity is the catalyst for healthy plants. Organic products, pollinators, and plants will be spotlighted to give attendees take away ideas. Arthur’s seminar takes place Wednesday, August 23, 8:30-9:30a, in Room B110-112.
Monroe’s seminar, ‘The Importance of Food in the Garden Center’, will point out how young families are dedicated to healthier food choices, and the important role therein for the local, independent garden center. He will explain using upscale farm markets to drive traffi c to the IGC in slower months, growing CSA Farm Shares in the greenhouses for winter cash fl ow, and how the local food movement has made garden centers more relevant in the community. Monroe’s talk is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 9:45-10:45, in Room B110-112.
Jim Monroe is a well-known advocate and voice in the industry with over 30 years of experience as a propagator, grower, breeder, retailer, landscape designer, and consultant. He is the founder of the Hort Couture plant brand for the Independent Garden Center and the Farm to Table brand, a reproducible opportunity for garden centers to gain market share in the food movement. His garden center, Greenbrier Nurseries, is a fi xture in the Top 100 Garden Centers in America.
For complete information on all education Seminars (registration required), free Mini-Sessions, and general information on Farwest 2017, visit www.FarwestShow.com.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 800 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $830 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 80 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.
Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN)
