The Oregon Association of Nurseries welcomes you to the OAN Online, the resource for nursery professionals.
What's New
Fall in love with new plant varieties at 2009 Farwest Show
The Farwest Show is the best place to discover the latest and greatest plants, thanks to the New Varieties Showcase. The rigorously-chosen plants are showcased in a professionally-designed, garden-like setting, with volunteer guides providing information. Attendees are surveyed on the plants and the resulting feedback is shared with growers. Attendees who find something they love can go talk to the grower right away and place an order.
Strong lobbying efforts by the OAN – and phone calls to legislators by OAN members – have paid off for growers statewide on with the passage of House Bill 2904 (HTML | PDF). The bill blocks a move by the Oregon Department of Revenue to treat hoop houses as permanent structures on property tax statements. Without the bill, nursery owners would have been exposed to an added tax burden, just as many are struggling to recover from last winter's storms that caused many hoop houses to collapse. The bill passed the Senate 28-0 on Wednesday and the House 59-0 today. The OAN gave credit to Representatives Tina Kotek (D-Portland) and Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) and Senators Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) and Frank Morse (R-Corvallis) for their hard work on the bill. OAN Director of Government Relations Jeff Stone called House Bill 2904 "a good bill and a major victory for the nursery and greenhouse industry."
Relief is on the way for nurseries and other farmers who have been hit hard by thieves stealing irrigation eqipment to sell for scrap. Senate Bill 570 (HTML | PDF) received final approval from the Legislature earlier this week. In passing the bill by near-unanimous margins in both chambers, the Legislature sent a clear message to metal thieves: the "anything goes" mentality of recent years no longer will be tolerated. Thanks to support by Metal Theft Coalition members, which included scrap metal dealers, more thorough records will be maintained, and sellers must be paid by check mailed to their street address, rather than cash. Everything is traceable, making it harder for thieves and complicit dealers to bend the rules. The bill is headed to Gov. Ted Kulongoski for his signature.
Kathy Hight, CPA has started work in her new position as director of finance and administration for the Oregon Association of Nurseries. A resident of Wilsonville, Ore., she has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, working as audit manager and more recently controller for Symonds, Evans & Company PC. Prior to that, she worked for King Broadcasting and Ernst & Young. She earned her degree in accounting from Linfield College, graduating cum laude, and holds her Oregon CPA license. "I think we are fortunate that Kathy chose to join our staff," OAN Executive Director John Aguirre said. "She impressed me as an accomplished professional who would make a good personal fit with our team." Hight said she is just getting settled in, but people already have made her feel very welcome. "I am pleased to join OAN and am looking forward to working in the nursery industry," she said. Hight can be reached at 503-682-5089 or khight@oan.org.
State of Perfection Tour
Tour 3 Video: JLPN Inc.
Stop three on our State of Perfection Tour was at JLPN, Inc. – that stands for Johnathon Lee Propagation Nursery – where owners John and Crystal Lewis specialize in, what else, propagation. As with our other stops, we asked John to talk about a favorite that he grows at his nursery, and his was a simple red oak.
