Portland, OR – The 2011 Farwest Show, now in its 39th year and one of the nation’s largest horticulture trade shows, will focus on new plant varieties, sustainable practices and the conifer as a landscape design feature, according to Farwest Show manager Aimee McAuliffe.
“ The 2011 Farwest show aims to both reflect the landscaping and nursery market’s prevailing issues, such as sustainability, while introducing fresh design ideas like using the conifer as a focal point in a landscape, ” McAuliffe said. “ And at no other show will professionals in our industry find as many new varieties of plants under one roof. ”
The Farwest Sustainability Resource Center will provide hands-on resource information and assistance from a variety
of organizations. Sustainable practices lead to operational efficiencies and market advantages, and this center is
designed to help growers understand how to best approach sustainability and gain from the advantages it offers.
As for new plant varieties, the Farwest Show dedicates almost 1,000 square feet to the New Varieties Showcase,
which features annuals, perennials, edibles, grasses, shrubs, vines and trees. All plant must be new or previously
available in only limited quantities, and all must be offered for sale by Farwest Show exhibitors. This year the
new varieties will be displayed in a garden center-like setting offering retailers low-cost merchandising ideas to
increase sales.
The often-overlooked conifer will also be a focus of the Farwest Show, which has dubbed 2011 “The Year of the
Conifer.” A multitude of events, including nursery tours and seminars, will feature the conifer, and it will play a
major role on the Expo floor. “ Well-merchandised conifers sell themselves in garden centers and can be the center of
attention in a garden or municipal setting, ” Oregon Association of Nurseries director of marketing Ann Murphy
said.
This year’s Farwest Show will also welcome as opening-night speakers Football Hall of Fame Coach Vince Dooley and noted author and horticulturist Dr. Michael Dirr, for a presentation entitled “ From Pigskins to Pruners: An
Evolution of a Hall of Fame Coach and What the Nursery Industry Can Learn from It. ”
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, show hours and other features, visit www.farwestshow.com or call
503-682-5089.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,200 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: Oregon Association of Nurseries