The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), like so many other Green Industry associations, is putting a lot of time, energy and money into promoting our industry. But I’m not talking about customers—I’m talking about future employees. As I've ranted about many times before, we’re in both a skilled and unskilled labor shortage and it doesn’t appear that will change in the short-term. It’s a serious concern that it won’t get better in the long-term unless we as an industry are proactive in recruiting “kids” and young adults.

That’s why NALP launched the Landscape Industry Careers website, which contains a wonderful array of information targeted at middle- to high-school aged people, as well as young professionals. More recently, NALP spun-off the "Why I Landscape" effort that includes Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels.

But the fact remains that it will take all of us, actively reaching out and engaging with young people, or they'll never know these resources (or our industry) exist. More importantly, they'll never know what we do and what opportunities exist for them. So every once in a while, get off that zero-turn and get into a classroom. NALP just made your job easier.  

I had the opportunity to sit in on a talk this week given by Magnolia Society International President Dr. Gary Knox. Yes, it’s safe to say I'm a magnolia geek, but nowhere near the level of Dr. Knox. Anyway, in his presentation I learned of one cultivar that those of you in Zone 7b south may want to try!

 
Melissa Parris has a nice flower, but nicer because it escapes the last frost so you actually get to enjoy it.

The story of this cultivar is a bit international. Well-known (in plant breeding circles) New Zealand breeder Dennis Ledvina initially crossed Magnolia Silk Road and Magnolia insignis Anita Figlar. From this cross, seedlings were distributed worldwide. Melissa Parris landed in the U.S. and was quickly recognized as a superstar. It’s quite vigorous and has 7-in. pink blooms in May (safely beyond any damaging frosts). Since one of its parents is evergreen, this tree tends to hold its leaves longer than most, especially farther south.

It’s still new to the marketplace, so it may take a year or three to become common in the marketplace, but keep an eye out. It’s worth the wait!  

Being active is our mantra, isn’t it? That’s why I was excited to hear from Katie Dubow who is promoting a fantastic event at Cultivate! It’s all about the 2018 season ... not the growing season, the bike race season!

The 26th annual Tour des Trees supports the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) and is taking place in Ohio July 29-Aug 4. It travels from Columbus to Cleveland and back. This 500+ mile ride raises funds for tree research and conducts community outreach and education at cities along the route. You can even join as a virtual rider!

Together, TREE Fund and Davey Tree are striving to make this the biggest fundraising year yet. So get off your rump and help out!  

The Farwest keynote speaker has been announced, and having heard him speak, I can attest he's both inspirational and someone who can move the needle in our favor moving forward.

Ali Noorani is on the front line of immigration reform. As executive director of the National Immigration Forum (NIF), Noorani is one of the nation’s leading voices on immigrants and immigration. His vision focuses on finding a new consensus regarding immigration that will strengthen communities and help new Americans attain the opportunities, skills and status to reach their fullest potential. Noorani and the organization bring together conservative and moderate perspectives from faith, law enforcement and business leaders across the country. On Capitol Hill, his organization advocates for broad immigration solutions that keep the nation secure, respect the rule of law, help grow the economy and are compassionate.

 
Ali Noorani is a dynamic speaker and you're sure to increase your IQ after hearing him speak.

Growing up in California as the son of Pakistani immigrants, Noorani learned how to forge alliances among people of wide-ranging backgrounds, a skill that has served him well as one of the nation’s most innovative coalition builders.

“This may be one of the most timely and relevant keynotes ever for Farwest,” said Allan Niemi, director of events for show producers the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “Ali’s personal and professional insights offer new ideas for dealing with a crisis that has profound implications for our industry and the nation.”

Noorani’s keynote will be delivered on Wednesday, August 22, 11:00 a.m. to noon, in Room A105 at the Oregon Convention Center. His speech will be free to all attendees and exhibitors. Complete details and Farwest registration can be found here.  

Why isn’t this plant more widespread? Seriously folks, it grows well in Zones 4 to 8a. Maybe it’s size, which can get to 60-ft. tall with a 40-ft. spread. I guess this excludes many suburban landscapes, which is understandable. Yet it’s a marvelous tree for large spaces.

Native to eastern China, it has lovely, fine foliage texture and conical form. It definitely likes moist soils that are slightly acidic, but it’s easy to site in a low area (to find this spot, observe standing water after heavy rain and dig a hole right there). And if you need to reduce soil pH, aluminum sulfate isn’t that terribly expensive to apply every few years.

 
That foliage is simply wonderful! Photo courtesy of Suzanne Cadwell.

This deciduous conifer is often referred to as “stately” and I completely agree. It's a slow-growing tree for sure, putting on about 18 in. of new growth annually if you’re lucky. My favorite attribute is its soft green foliage that turns golden yellow in fall before dropping. Multi-season interest—check! Give it a shot! While you’re doing that, I’ll be busy selecting smaller forms, which is one of my many 40-year projects.  

I absolutely love responses to previous newsletters because they typically come from folks who know more than I do on a topic. And, yes, I'm completely willing to admit when I've omitted (or not highlighted) very important details. Maybe it's my insidious desire to learn more, which is completely contrary to the stereotype of a college professor who acts like they know everything about everything. But above all, I want to pass along information to help all of you. Maybe I should host a “Stump the Chump” newsletter with the number of readers who say I'm nuts!

Anyway, this bit is from Chris Laughton, Director of Knowledge Exchange at Farm Credit East. Take it away, Chris …

“I wanted to caution you a bit on your advice about labor contractors. Using labor contractors or temp agencies does provide a limited buffer between you and the worker as far as immigration compliance is concerned, but that protection is not absolute. ICE and the department of labor increasingly consider ag employers utilizing temp agencies or contractors as ‘joint employers,’ along with the labor contractor, so you’re not entirely ‘off the hook’ for immigration and broader wage and hour/labor law compliance. Worst case, you can get caught up in a human trafficking scenario if your labor contractor is a bad actor and doesn’t treat workers fairly. So, I just wanted to say, it’s not a bad idea, but far from a cure-all for labor issues.

“As far as hiring, and more specifically, I-9 issues. Employers are caught in a tight spot between complying with immigration law, while simultaneously avoiding discriminatory hiring practices. Over-documenting workers can be as problematic as under-documenting. I would recommend an excellent webinar we (Farm Credit) produced specifically on the topic of I-9 compliance earlier this year.”

I watched the webinar and must admit, it’s solid. You should check it out, too! Thanks, Chris!  

After the recent sad news out of Kansas State University (check out the last Nursery & Landscape Insider newsletter for details), it’s nice to hear about great things happening at a land-grant university.

Oklahoma State University horticulture students must be happy these days. With a groundbreaking ceremony last week, students in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will soon have access to a new facility that will better prepare them to enter the professional workforce.

The Greenhouse Learning Center, a $6 million facility, will replace and improve functions of OSU's existing teaching greenhouses that have been in use for decades (this is university-speak that means they were decrepit). Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2019.

 
Pictured left to right are Tom Coon, vice president, Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources; Burns Hargis, OSU president; John Nickel, owner, Greenleaf Nursery; Randy Davis, president and CEO, Greenleaf Nursery; Lou Watkins, OSU/A&M Board of Regents; and Austin Kenyon, former president, Greenleaf Nursery. (Photo by Todd Johnson, Agricultural Communications Services).

Randy Davis, president and CEO of Greenleaf Nursery and an Oklahoma State graduate, said Greenleaf Nursery has committed $1 million toward this new project. Greenleaf Nursery is one of North America's largest wholesale nursery growers and has been a long-time partner and supporter of OSU's horticulture programs.

This is exactly what is needed from growers across the nation. Our universities need your continued support that helps academia provide excellent services and train future employees! 

I was all set to write a piece on the Farm Bill Senate floor vote, which was scheduled for Wednesday. Alas, that vote was not to be, as several senators (led by Marco Rubio) have stalled the vote over proposed USDA market development funds that could be spent in Cuba, as well as opening up USDA funds for purchase of goods from businesses owned by Cuban military.

This is a stark reminder of, no matter your opinion on Cuba, how minor issues can stall a major piece of legislation. At this point, it will be Friday at the earliest before a vote could occur and Friday votes are rare. Then again, there are rumblings another sticking point could creep into the debate. That centers on Chuck Grassley’s amendment that restricts subsidy payments to non (licensed)-farmers. Some argue this would negatively affect smaller and/or poor farmers who sell locally. National media has jumped on that, and as a result, so have several Senators.

And so the wheels keep turning in Washington and we continue to wait on legislation that will impact everyone reading this. It’s a frustrating process, especially for everyone like me who's tasked with attempting to keep up and communicate its progress. At this point, a conspiracy theorist would probably say that the goal is to stall until the midterm elections. I certainly hope that’s not the case, but we shall see. When there's news, I’ll surely let you know.