VNLA Newsletter Spring 2018

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April / May / June 2018

VNLA Newsletter

2018 VNLA Officers & Directors

OFFICERS

2 YR DIRECTORS Jim Hassold ‘18 Member Communication SiteOne Richmond 9107 Old Staples Mill Rd Richmond, VA 23228-2007 804-377-1977 JHassold@siteone.com JASON STERN ‘18 Eastern Shore Nursery of VA PO Box 400 Melfa, VA 23410-0400 757-787-4732x12 jstern@esnursery.com BRAD BOBENRIETH ‘18 Meadows Farms Nursery & Landscaping 43054 John Mosby Hwy Chantilly, VA 20152 703-327-3940 Cell: 540-272-3782 BBobenrieth@meadows- farms.com 1 YR DIRECTORS MATT DEIVERT ‘17 MANTS Board Rep, VNLA South Riding Nurseries 8010 Industrial Park Ct Bristow, VA 20136-3125 Ofc: 703-479-2701 Cell: 571-220-1483 mdeivert@southridingnurse- ries.com SEANA ANKERS ‘17 Legislative/Policy Lee Highway Nursery 5055 Rock Springs Rd Warrenton VA 20187-8950 540-347-7062, Cell: 540-878-0554 Seanankers.lhn@gmail.com

Educational Advisors VT/HRAREC Ex-Officio non-voting DR. JIM OWEN HARAREC 1444 Diamond Springs Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3804 jim.owen@vt.edu DR. LAURIE FOX HRAREC, 1444 Diamond Springs Rd; VA Beach, VA 23455-3363 757-363-3807 Cell: 757-284-6139 ljfox@vt.edu MATT DEIVERT ‘17 South Riding Nurseries 8010 Industrial Park Ct Bristow, VA 20136-3125 Ofc: 703-479-2701 Cell: 571-220-1483 mdeivert@southridingnurse- ries.com ROBIN RINACA - 15 Eastern Shore Nursery of VA PO Box 400 Melfa, VA 23410-0400 757-787-4732 rrinaca@esnursery.com DANNY SHRECKHISE Shreckhise Nurseries ‘12 PO Box 428 Grottoes, VA 24441-0428 540-249-5761 Danny@shreckhise.com Southern Nursery Asso- ciation (SNA) Director Matt Shreckhise 540-249-5761 matthew@shreckhise.com MANTS’ Directors

MITZI MARKER ‘17 Research Sandy’s Plants 8011 Bell Creek Rd Mechanicsville VA 23111-3705 804-746-7092 mitzi@sandysplants.com PAUL MUNN ‘17 Environmental Affairs Waynesboro Nurseries PO Box 987 Waynesboro VA 22980-0987 540-946-3800 Cell: 540-256-2938 pmunn@waynesboronurse- ries.com CECILIA PALMER ‘17 Continuing Education Events West Winds Nursery/Shade Tree Farm 5710 Featherbed Ln Sudley Springs VA 20109- 2004 703-631-0983, Cell: 703-906-2769 VCH* - Certification ‘16 Windridge Landscaping Co 7158 Rockfish Valley Rd Afton, VA 22920-3182 434-361-1588 Cell: (434) 531-1919 jhowe@windridgelandscap- ing.com SCOTT PRICE , Standards for Plants & Planting ‘16 David Scott Price Design 2772 Earleysville Rd Earlysville, VA 22936-9665 434-466-5656 Cell: scott@dscottprice.com westwindsn@aol.com JEFFREY HOWE ,

President AARON WILLIAMS ‘14 Education Committee Williams Landscape & Design 1554 Penniman Rd Williamsburg VA 23185-5821 757-564-7011 aaron@wldgreen.com Vice President BRENT HUNSINGER, Brent's Native Plantings 10715 Hamilton's Crossing Dr Fredericksburg, VA 22408 443-655-3410 brenthunsinger@gmail.com Secretary/ Treasurer CHRISTOPHER BROWN JR Lancaster Farms ‘13 5800 Knotts Neck Rd Suffolk VA 23435-1353 757-484-4421 Christopher@lancasterfarms.com Past President VIRGINIA ROCKWELL ‘12 Gentle Gardener Green Design PO Box 191 Montpelier, VA 22957-0191 (cell) 434-531-0467 gentlegardener@gmail.com Executive Director Shellie Archer 5101 Monument Ave Ste 203 Richmond VA 23230-3621 804-256-2700 Fax: 804-709-0288 Cell: 804-317-1222 ShellieArcher@vnla.org Jeff Miller , Emeritus (6/30/18) Horticulture Mgt Associates 540-250-6264 Hortman48@verizon.net

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Table of Contents

VNLA - VCH Quiz #PlantsDoThat .............................29 VNLA - VCH: 74 New VA Certified Horticulturist! ..20 VNLA – Certification Program History Timeline .......20 VNLA - Photo Contest Winner & Rules ....................19 VNLA - Jeff Miller retiring from the VNLA............... 7 VNLA - Welcome New Members ............................... 5 VNLA -Field Day Brochure ......................................31 SAVE THE DATES!!! VNLA Management Workshop Wednesday, July 11, 2018 Ashland, VA VNLA Field Day Thursday, July 12, 2018 VNLA Summer Tour

Ad - Bennett’s Creek Nursery......................................55 Ad - Bremo Trees.........................................................56 Ad - Cam Too Camellia Nursery .................................13 Ad - Eastern Shore Nursery of VA .............................. 9 Ad - Farm Credit ..........................................................56 Ad - Gossett’s Landscape Nursery...............................43 Ad - Hanover Farms.....................................................15 Ad - Hawksridge Farms ...............................................30 Ad - Lancaster Farms...................................................42 Ad – MANTS 50 th Anniversary Planning....................40 Ad - MAS Labor Solutions .......................................... 2 Ad - Pender Nursery ....................................................47 Ad - Shreckhise Nurseries............................................39 Ad - SiteLight Id ..........................................................18 Ad - Tankard Nurseries................................................30 Ad - TD Watkins Horticultural Sales...........................10 Ad - Turtle Creek Nursery ...........................................41 Ad – Waynesboro Nurseries ........................................ 7 Ad - Willow Springs Tree Farm ..................................25 Ads - JOCOPLANTS...................................................25 Events - Calendar .........................................................54 Events - SNA Conference 2019 in Baltimore ..............46 Legislation - Farm Bill: Why it Matters to Green Industry .......................................14 News - AmericanHort Welcomes Farm Bill Pest and Disease Funding ..................................14 News - Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Training Update .........................................45 News - Companies with Long History of Collaboration with Council....................11 News - Governor Northam Announces Appointments 14 News - New Invasive Pest Detected in Virginia .........47 News - Reclaiming Boxwood from Boxwood Blight .16 News - The Power of Plants.........................................22 News - VAC: New Executive Director Announced ...12 News - Virginia Agribusiness Council Changes........12 News - Virginia Tech Horticulture Department..........13 News - WPS Training Materials ..................................39 PlantsDoThat Heal .......................................................28 PlantsDoThat Infographic vertical ...............................23 PlantsDoThat Learn .....................................................27 PlantsDoThat Live .......................................................26 PlantsDoThat Work .....................................................24 Research - HRI Funded Research Projects .................40 Tips - People Solutions - Finding Solutions ...............43 Tips - Spotted Lanternfly .............................................48 VNLA - Blast from the Past - 1938 VNA Newsletter .50 VNLA - Blast from the Past - 1938 VNA Newsletter .51 VNLA - Blast from the Past - 1938 VNA Newsletter .52 VNLA - Blast from the Past - 1938 VNA Newsletter .53

North Richmond area Friday July 13, 2018

VNLA - Mobile-Friendly App Guide to Virginia Growers! Look up plant sources, hotlinks to grower email, website and phone! www.vnla.org/Grower-Guide

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VNLA - Welcome New Members

Contact

Company

City

State

Jen Owen

Associate ‐  Jen Owen Associate ‐ Archer Associate ‐ Carpenter Associate ‐ Clayton

Lynchburg VA Richmond VA Newport News VA Woodbridge VA Christiansburg VA Princess Anne VA Alexandria VA Lynchburg VA Virginia Beach VA Alexandria VA Harrisonburg VA Harrisonburg VA Centreville VA Virginia Beach VA Ivor VA Richmond VA Moseley VA

Shellie Archer Josh Carpenter

Dan Clayton

Jane Doe

Associate ‐ Doe

Mary Eychaner‐Decruz Associate ‐ Eychaner

Emily Garcia Kim Goodrich

Associate ‐ Garcia Associate ‐ Goodrich

Jessica Greenwood Associate ‐ Greenwood

Mark McGinn Jamie Owen Brian Renne Mark Smith Ted Watkins Mic Whitesell Heather Wilson Jennifer Corso Carolyn Vincent

Associate ‐ McGinn Associate ‐ Owen Associate ‐ Renne Associate ‐ Smith Associate ‐ Watkins Associate ‐ Whitesell Associate ‐ Wilson Blue Chip Landscapes

Carolyn Vincent Landscape Design

Arlington

VA

Nicolas Gil

Custom Stonescaping Domestica Landscapes

Falls Church VA Richmond VA

Stacy Moulds Matt Bright

Earth Sangha

Fairfax

VA

Aaron McFarland Enrichmond Foundation TreeLab

Richmond VA Richmond VA Chuckatuck VA Charlottesville VA Charlottesville VA Lynchburg VA

Andrew Martin Michael Hotte

Extreme Lawn Care Plus

Hotte Landscape Management

J. Henrietta

Ivy Horticultural Services

Kimberly Thoures Rebecca Mahanes

Kimberly Rose Landscape Design Land Tech Group of VA, Inc.

Henry Bray Virginia Beach VA Stacie McGraw Mid‐Atlantic Horticulture Short Course Virginia Beach VA Jamesetta Walker One Woman and a Shovel Chesapeake VA David Loveless P & D LAWN CARE LLC Hampton VA Emily Camden Prince Edward County High School Blackstone VA Tameka Payton Psychometric Solutions, LLC Fairfax VA Josh Sharp Sharp Landscaping Inc Richmond VA Brad Martin Southeastern Native Plant Nursery Candler NC Chris Peters Southern Stone & Landscaping Creations Unionville VA Molly Artz Spell Garden Design LLC Richmond VA Jason Aldrich Student ‐ J. Sargeant Reynolds CC Richmond VA Margaret Smith Student ‐ PWCS Manassas VA Kelly Suddeth Student ‐ Suddeth Virginia Beach VA Leah Hirsh Student ‐ VA Tech Herndon VA Andy Stanley The Gardener Nursery Richmond VA Erwin Milbourne The Turf Surgeon Chesapeake VA Lori Coffey Town of Woodstock Woodstock VA Lawns & Gardens Plus Inc

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VNLA Newsletter

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and the committee are working hard to improve the Certifi- cation Manual and the exam. Another task the committee is tackling is making the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) reporting more user friendly. The VNLA also continues to pursue an Advanced Certification that may include more landscape specific certifications that will help our landscape contractor members. We are proud of this great program and the 40 years of providing it to our members. We look forward to the next 40 years of excellence! Cecilia Palmer, our Continuing Education Chair, has worked hard to set up this year’s Field Day, Workshop and Summer Garden Tour. We are very thankful for Colesville Nursery as the host for this great event! I hope all of our members mark their calendar for the Jim Paluch workshop on July 11 – Jim will present “The Important Work We Do”! We all look forward to July 12 and Field Day with Colesville Nursery. The day includes terrific speakers, demonstrations and tours of Colesville Nursery’s Farm. Friday July 13 will be a fantastic Summer Garden Tour to include the beautiful Bruce home garden as well as Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Spring Hill Nursery and Zoen Garden Creations. Cecilia and Shellie have really put together a great member event with the help of the Field Day committee. These events are valuable for all of our members and fulfills needed CEUs for certified members. Plus, it’s always a lot of fun networking and enjoying the social events! I want to end by thanking the Executive committee for the many hours of hard work over the last few months in helping to make the transition of our past Executive Director (Jeff Miller) to our current Executive Director (Shellie Archer) a successful one. There have been many phone calls, meetings and action toward our strategic goals. We are happy to say that Shellie is very excited to be the VNLA’s Executive Director and she is bringing a lot of great ideas and energy. We are looking forward to a bright future for the VNLA with Shellie at the helm! Sincerely,

Vol. 88, No.2; April/May/June 2018 Editor: Jeff Miller

5101 Monument Ave Ste 203, Richmond, VA 23230-3621 Internet E-mail Address: shelliearcher@vnla.org www.vnla.org (Association Info)

https://www.facebook.com/VNLA1932

Twitter: @vnla1932 Telephone 804-256-2700 Fax: 804-709-0288 Disclaimer: Published for your information, this newsletter is not an endorsement for individual products or editorial comments.

President’s Message

This has been one of the busiest spring seasons I can remember! I hope all of our VNLA members are ex- periencing good sales and booked out schedules! While we have been busy working in our businesses, the new VNLA Executive Director has been ex- tremely busy getting everything settled in at our new Richmond office. Shellie Archer has been working closely with

Jeff Miller to complete the transition from the Christians- burg office to Richmond. Many of you know what it is like to set up a new office or start a new branch office - the same challenges apply for an association! Jeff Miller served the VNLA for over 30 years and is re- tiring at the end of June . He will be missed! Jeff has been involved in our industry throughout his adult life and has made quite an impact! I am sure many of our members have already reached out to Jeff to wish him well. He will enjoy a well-deserved retirement, but I am sure he will stay in touch. Congratulations, Jeff! The VNLA is excited to have a long history of providing the Virginia Certified Horticulturalist (VCH) program . The VCH program is celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year! Jeff Howe is our Certification Committee Chair; he

Aaron R Williams, 2018 VNLA President 40 th Anniversary! Virginia Certified Horticulturist Program Over 3,100 members since 1978! 0 t irginia ertified orticulturist Progra Over 3,100 members since 1978!

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VNLA – Recognition of Retiring Executive Director, Jeff Miller

Jeff was Presented with the SNA's David E Laird Sr Award that same year, 1983. He was also named Nursery Profes- sional of the year in 1990, known then as the politically in- correct Nurseryman of the Year. Jeff was hired as Executive Director in 1988. I have a short story I want to share with you about his hiring. For a number of years the VNA had a Executive Director named KT Martin. When she left we enlisted the services of an association management firm in Richmond. After a while it became obvious that this wasn’t working, we were getting very little attention from the person responsible for our association. John Machen, Bob Papetti and I met with the gentleman in Richmond and fired him. After leaving the meeting we looked at each other and said, “now what do we do?” As we talked, the name that kept surfacing was Jeff Miller. We knew that Jeff was involved in his own garden center business in Christiansburg, but we felt it was worth a phone call. Bob phoned Jeff and found that he was inter- ested. We all met in Staunton that evening and after a brief meeting Jeff was hired as Executive Director.

A presentation by Danny Shreckhise, Shreckhise Nurseries, at the VNLA Annual Breakfast Meeting on January 11, 2018 I would like to have your undivided attention for a few minutes. Not because I, in anyway, deserve your undivided attention but I have a few thing that I would like to say about a man who does. A man who has for more than 30 years given us, our great industry, our great Association, his un- divided attention. Jeff Miller's name has been synonymous with the VNA and VNLA for, well, almost forever. He has been a huge part of our past and present. He knew people like George Stockner, who served as Pres- ident in 1956 and Thelma Yates who was President in 68, Ken McDonald in 71, Turpin Philips in 75, Chuck Young in 76, Ralph Hanna in 79, Randy Prillaman in 80, Bill Minor in 81. These are names that I'll guess many of you may not know and may have never heard, yet they are a part of who we are as an association. And as I said, Jeff knew them and worked with all of them even before he became VNA Pres- ident himself in 1983. He has been able to keep our past tied to the present in a way few, if anyone, could have done.

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Jeff Miller retiring from the VNLA after serving as executive director for 30 years

Jeff has served at the pleasure of 30 Presidents and made all of us look more competent than we really were. He has even served under two generations on a couple of occasions. My- self in ‘88 and Matt in ‘14. Also, Wayne Sawyer in ‘90 and Matt in ‘13. He has overseen tremendous growth in our association, working to start a summer trade show that eventually be- came the MANTS summer show. Overseeing the growth of the certification program. Publishing a fine newsletter. Managing Summer Meetings, managing research funds and organizing Research Galas and auctions. And yes, this Breakfast meeting. The list could go on and on but you all know where I am coming from. We have been fortunate to have strong dedicated leaders involved in our Association but we also know that these things don't happen without a strong dedicated Executive. I first met Jeff at a MANTS show in the early 70's at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. I consider him to be a true friend. But one thing I can tell you after all of these year's is that I do not have a clue as to his politics. I think that is remarkable and a testament to his character as an individual. Jeff has not served us with a personal agenda in mind. He has served in the best interest of our industry and our asso- ciation and we have been darn lucky to have him. Our asso- ciation under Jeff's guidance has been the envy of many States and the respect we have as an association is second to none. I said to my son Matt, on many occasions, when he was serving on the Board and as President, that there could not be a nicer more decent human being than Jeff Miller and I’m sure you agree. A quiet man, a man of few words but when he speaks you should be listening I must say too, as we all know, that behind every good man there is a great woman. Jeff's wife Sandy has been a huge part of this too. Jeff, I know Sandy is sick and unable to be here but please pass on our appreciation to her. Jeff, we love you. We thank you for your many years of service to us, to our industry and association. You will be missed truly missed. You have brought organizational skills, honesty, integrity and character, along with a love of and a knowledge of our industry that no one else could have We appreciate your devotion, we appreciate the undivided attention that you have given us over the years. We look forward to working with you in the coming months as you transition your responsibilities. We hope you will not become a stranger and that we will continue seeing you at MANTS and other functions. Let’s give it all up for Jeff Miller.

Sandy and Jeff Miller in their home garden in Coal Hollow, Montgomery County, VA - photo by Jane Graham

April/May/June 2018 VNLA Newsletter After graduation from Virginia Tech in 1970 with a B.S. in Horticulture , Jeff managed 2+ acres of glass green- houses (Wilber Greenhouses) in Richmond, raising cut flowers, flowering pot plants as well as seasonal field pro- duction of cut flowers for 2 ½ years. During this period, he was in the Army Reserves with basic training at Ft. Knox and AIT training at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama as an Am- munition Storage Specialist. After moving back to Blacks- burg in 1973, he trained as a machine Gun Specialist at the Army Reserve unit in Radford, and then training as a Drill Sargeant. V LA Newsl tter Since the early 1970’s, Jeff Miller has been involved in trade associations, first working with the Virginia Green- house Growers Association (formerly the Virginia Florist Association) as a director and through the officer ranks and eventually serving as the secretary/treasurer for many years, working with Dr. Richard Lindstrom, greenhouse produc- tion professor at Virginia Tech.

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Working with Dr. Bonnie Appleton, the VNA published their first “ Guide to Virginia Growers” in 1995. After the first successful year, Jeff took over the collection and up- dating of data from members, which has been expanded to 100-page publication and is also available online as a mo- bile-friendly database lookup. Since 1995, the VNLA has hosted an Annual Field Day at member grower’s nurseries, garden centers and landscape Ad - Eastern Shore Nursery of VA

In 1973, Jim Coartney and Dave Larsen offered him the op- portunity to become a part owner/manager of Laurel Creek Nursery, where he had worked in the summer of 1970. In the beginning, he began greenhouse production of annuals and pot plants, did landscape design and installation, and hand-dug B&B trees. After graduation from Virginia Tech, Jeff’s brother Greg, with a business degree, joined the business managing the farm and helping with landscape installa- tion.

ESN-117 45 Years/4.625x7.375 8/30/04 10:18 AM Page 1

Early on, through the encouragement of Jim Coartney and Paul Smeal, Jeff joined the VNA (then the Virginia Nurserymen’s As- sociation). He exhibited for the first time for Laurel Creek Nursery at the MANTS Trade Show around 1974/75 at the Greenbrier Ho- tel in West Virginia. In late 1970’s Jeff joined the VNA Board , after the sudden passing of Bill Cole, (then the Virginia Nurserymen’s Association) to fill his position as the VNA representative from southwest Virginia. He ended up fast- tracking through the director’s term and moving through the officer ranks to serve as President in 1983. He was the youngest VNA president at that point. During that time, he was involved in setting up the Cer- tification program, working with ten other members to write the first study manual. Being the junior member of the committee, he received the #10 certificate in 1978. In February 1986, Jeff received a call from the VNA Executive Committee (Danny Shreckhise, John Machen Jr, and Bob Papetti asked if he could meet him in Staun- ton that afternoon to consider becoming the new VNA Executive Director ; he agreed, and the rest is history. Early that spring Jeff met with Wayne Sawyer, VNA Director, to set up the first VNA Summer Trade Show in Virginia Beach. By June, there were over 100 exhibitors signed up along with educa- tion programs to be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The VNA ran the show the following summer and then partnered with the MANTS trade show to take it over as their Summer Trade Show and eventually moving to Baltimore. Since 1978, the Virginia Certified Horti- culturist program has evolved with over 3,100 members being certified over the next 40 years. It is one of the most valuable member benefits.

Maybe you should care. Chances are, you can think of many businesses that have come and gone over the past four decades. W H O C A R E S T H AT W E ’ V E K E P T O U R N A M E G R O W I N G F O R O V E R 4 5 Y E A R S ?

We’ve been here through it all—putting down strong roots and branching out to provide our customers with quality plants year after year. And cultivating the expertise that can help your bottom line grow today and tomorrow. Call Eastern Shore Nursery of Virginia and order plants from a company with a long history of excellence.

Eastern Shore Nursery

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In 2004, the VNA made major commitment to apply for a USDA/VDACS Specialty Crop Grant to take the Plant In- troduction to the next level, which was successful. A re- search office was established at the Institute for Advanced Learning (IALR) in Danville in conjunction with the Vir- ginia Tech Horticulture Department and Department Head, Jerzy Nowak. Dr. Rumen Conev was hired from Canada and became the director of the program. The program was re-named the Beautiful Gardens Program and operated until about 2014. In 1988, the Virginia Horticulture Council was formed with the original initiative for this Council coming from the Vir- ginia Nurserymen’s Association, the Turfgrass Council, Greenhouse Growers, Florists (FTD), Christmas Tree Growers and the Master Gardeners being the first to join in the organizational effort. The mission of the group was to unify the Virginia Green Industry with the name eventually changing to the Virginia Green Industry Council . Jeff served as executive director from 1988 to 2015 when the council was dissolved. Operating as an independent contractor, Horticulture Man- agement Associates LLC, Jeff has had other clients includ- ing Trees Virginia, American Boxwood Society, Southwest Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association, the Virginia Greenhouse Growers Association, and currently the Vir- ginia Christmas Tree Growers Association and the Virginia Society of Professional Soil Scientist.

centers. They have evolved to include an educational pro- gram/workshop the day before and the annual summer tour the day after Field Day. Many summer tours, not held in conjunction with Field Day, involved multi-day out-of-state trips to growers, landscape operations, garden centers and botanical gardens from North Carolina, to Maryland, Dela- ware and Oregon. Over the years, the VNLA Newsletter has evolved from a small memo-graphed publication to a 96-page print four- color publication and now 48-pages. It became available online as a PDF file with the Jan/Feb 2009 issue and later in flip-page format with the Nov/Dec 2011 issue. The formation of the Permanent Research Fund was an- other major step forward for the VNA. John Machen was Chairman VNA Research Committee and in January 1983 the VNA Board of Directors proudly announces the for- mation of a permanent Research Fund. In response to an ap- peal from the Research Committee, five individual mem- bers of the VNA Board generously donated $200 each for a total of $1,000 to begin the permanent Research Fund. • Ennion Williams - Cherotuck Nurseries • Jeff Miller - Laurel Creek Nursery • Michael Ferrara - Campbell & Ferrara Nursery “The fund will be managed by the Executive Director, as directed by the VNA Board. Funds, generated from invest- ment of the capital funds, will be allocated for research by the VNA Research Committee. To supplement this addi- tional "seed' money the Research Committee conducted a plant auction at the Virginia Truck and Ornamental Re- search Station (now the HRAREC) at Virginia Beach each summer during the annual Open House/Field Day. Plants for sale were donated by VNA members and restricted to those nurserymen who attend the Field Day. (Anticipated net gain of $1,000 per annum.)” VNA members were encouraged to contribute directly to the research fund and to establish a named fund in memory of a deceased family member or friend at a level of $10,000. Over time, several members did this with Charlie Parkerson setting the standard. The real boost to the fund came from net revenues of the annual Research Galas held the second evening at MANTS for 22 years at such notable facilities as Camden Yard, Baltimore Aquarium, Hard Rock Café, B&O Train Museum, ESPN Zone, Science Museum, World Trade Center, and others with net income of over $488,000 added to the Research Foundation Permanent Fund. After a strategic planning meeting in the Fall of 1997, the Virginia Nurserymen’s Association (VNA) was changed to the Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (VNLA) • Bob Papetti - Bobtown Nursery • John Machen - Mobjack Nurseries

In retirement, Jeff looks forward to improving his skills in bee- keeping, woodworking, photog- raphy, geocaching, continuing renovations of a mature home landscape, organizing historical documents, purging items accu- mulated in his “museum” over the last 50 years, more trips, ec- lectic garden projects and time with Sandy and family.

jeffreybmiller@verizon.net

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James River Nurseries also started as a two-man opera- tion, founded by Mike Hildebrand and Al Jones in 1983. With Mike’s kitchen serving as an office and only a pair of trucks, Hildebrand and Jones began what is now a diverse operation with over 200 acres of growing fields and multi- ple greenhouses serving both residential and commercial needs. Their work can also be seen all over Richmond in locations such as the University of Richmond, the Gover- nor’s Mansion and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, to name a few. In addition, they also operate a full-service hardscape design and construction division, enabling cus- tomers to enhance their properties with elements such as pa- tios, pool decks and retaining walls. Strange’s Florist, which has grown to include greenhouse and garden centers, is by far the longest-running operation of the three, founded in the 1930’s by U.S. Postal employee Gideon Strange. Mr. Strange began by growing flowers and plants in his yard and eventually building 8,000 square feet of greenhouses on site. After his passing in 1947, partners William J. Gouldin, Sr. and William F. Kidd bought the business from Mrs. Gouldin and continued to expand. Mr. Gouldin, Sr. eventually bought out Mr. Kidd in 1960 and laid a strong foundation for what Strange’s has become today. Currently, Strange’s operates three retail lo- cations, including thousands of square feet in greenhouse and florist space and several acres of surrounding land. In addition to enhancing homes and businesses throughout Virginia, Brookmeade Sod Farm Inc., James River Nurseries and Strange’s Florist have more specifically played an im- portant role in the success of the Agribusiness Council’s An- nual Banquet . For many years, these organizations have provided beautiful floral, landscaping and sod donations to be used to enhance the interior and exterior of the Old Do- minion Building at the Raceway Complex where the event is held. Virginia Agribusiness Council President Katie Frazier has said that “all three of these businesses have been actively engaged with the Council and the green industry for many, many years. Through their support of the organization’s largest showcase of the agribusiness industry, our Agribusiness Ap- preciation Banquet, they transform a historic barn into a space that is full of live sod, flowers, and landscaping. All of this provides a critical highlight of the green industry’s contribu- tions to Virginia’s economy and ecology. We appreciate and applaud these businesses for their support and engagement of the Agribusiness Council and our industry.” The Virginia Agribusiness Council is a non-profit organization committed to representing the interests of the agriculture and forestry industries in the Commonwealth through effective gov- ernmental relations efforts and initiatives. It is headquartered in Richmond. For more information, please visit www.va-agribusi- ness.org, Shepherd Cronemeyer, 804.643.3555 shepherd@va- agribusiness.org

News - Companies with Long History of Collaboration with Council

left to right: Council President Katie Frazier with recipients Mike Hildebrand, Louis Brooking, Jr. and Bill Gouldin Play Large Role in Success of Annual Banquet [Editor’s Note: The VNLA is a major supporter/contribu- tor of the Virginia Agribusiness Council.] (Richmond, VA) Mr. Louis Brooking, Jr. of Brookmeade Sod Farm, Inc., Mr. Mike Hildebrand of James River Nurse- ries and Mr. Bill Gouldin of Strange’s Florists, Greenhouses and Garden Centers, were all acknowledged by the Virginia Agribusiness Council as recipients of the Council’s 2018 Special Recognition of an Agribusiness Award. Council President Katie Frazier presented the awards at the Coun- cil’s Annual Legislative Appreciation Banquet on January 11 in Richmond. The Council presents this award to busi- nesses deserving recognition for service and support to the Council and Virginia agribusinesses. All three agribusinesses started as modest operations founded with passion, an emphasis on quality, and a lot of hard work. 2018 marks Brookmeade Sod Farm’s 50th year of busi- ness! With Louis’s background in agronomy and turf from Virginia Tech, he and his wife Ginger founded one of the first sod farms in Virginia in 1968. Located in Doswell, they currently operate three farms, encompassing over 300 acres of sod, with 16 employees who have been with the company almost 20 years (some much longer). This loyalty is a true testament to Brooking’s ethics and superior man- agement. You can find Brookmeade sod all over Richmond in locations like Kings Dominion, the Innsbrook Office Complex and the Virginia War Memorial. The Brookings have continued their relationship with Virginia Tech, providing test plots and collaborating on other research pro- jects with the Turf Department for over 25 years.

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News - Virginia Agribusiness Council Changes [A HUGH THANKS to Katie Frazier for all you support and work with the VNLA and congratulations and best wishes as you move forward in your life and career!]

News - VAC: New Executive Director Announced

As Chairman of the Council's Board of Directors, I am ex- cited to share with our membership that Kyle Shreve has been selected as the next Executive Director of the Vir- ginia Agribusiness Council. Kyle comes to the Council from the Virginia Association of Health Plans, where he has been the Director of Policy since December 2015. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Government Affairs for the Virginia Retail Merchants As- sociation. For the first six years of his career, Kyle worked for the International Dairy Foods Association as their Man- ager of Legislative Affairs. While there, he worked exten- sively on agriculture policy and gained considerable knowledge of our industry. He is a familiar face at the General Assembly and has estab- lished many valuable relationships with both fellow lobby- ists and legislators during his career. In addition to his strong policy background, Kyle brings association manage- ment, event planning and membership recruitment experi- ence to the Council. His association experience, along with his demonstrated strength in government policy and legisla- tive affairs, make him a tremendous asset for Virginia Ag- ribusiness Council. Kyle is a native of Pennsylvania and received his B.A. in Political Science and History from Pennsylvania State Uni- versity. He later received his M.A. in Professional Studies in Political Management from George Washington Univer- sity. Kyle relocated to Virginia in 2008. He and his wife Christie live in Midlothian with their two-year-old son, Bennett. They have planted roots in the Richmond area and have a strong desire to remain here for years to come. Kyle is ready to hit the ground running upon his start May 29 and looks forward to attending as many industry meet- ings and events across the Commonwealth as possible to meet our members. We look forward with anticipation to his leadership as the Council enters a new phase in its growth as a resource for both its members and the legislative body in Richmond. Please join me in welcoming Kyle to the Agribusiness Council family! Sincerely, Kern L. Houff, Chair, Virginia Agribusiness Council Board of Directors 5/18/18

As you may already know, my last day with the Virginia Agribusiness Council was May 11th. Beginning May 21, I will be joining Farm Credit of the Virginias as their Director of External Affairs. Should you wish to reach me there, my email address will be kfrazier@fcvirginias.com. I have truly enjoyed working with each of you during my time with the Council over the past 14 years and have val- ued all of the work we have collectively done to ensure ag- riculture and forestry continue to flourish in Virginia. I look forward to working with many of you in my new role, and to supporting the Virginia Agribusiness Council as it con- tinues in its valuable mission. After May 11th, the Council’s points of contact will be Di- rector of Member Services & Events, Shepherd Cronemeyer (shepherd@va-agribusiness.org) or Katie Hellebush with Hellebush Consulting, who is contracting with the Council during this transition (governmentaffairs@va-agribusi- ness.org). Wishing you all my very best! Katie Frazier, Past President, Virginia Agribusiness Council VNLA Field Day Speaker Larry Weaner - LARRY WEANER is nationally recognized for combining expertise in horticulture, landscape design, and ecological res- toration. He founded the firm Larry Weaner Landscape Asso- ciates in 1982. His work through the eastern U.S. has been featured in regional and national publications, including The New York Times. Larry is an active guest lecturer for horti- cultural and environmental organizations throughout the U.S., and in 1990 he developed New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), a conference series with a national follow- ing. His book Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press, 2016) re- ceived an American Horticultural Society Book Award. http://lweanerassociates.com/

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April/May/June 2018 VNLA Newsletter April / May / June 2018 V LA Newsl tter

and facilities of the three departments, working with the ex- isting faculty and staff to facilitate the merger, and minimize disruption. A newly formed committee of committees will help with organization, reconfiguring the existing commit- tee structure within the increased disciplines and another new committee will write bylaws for SPES. We have just advertised two new faculty positions for SPES, one in horticultural crop breeding and another in ecological restoration . In addition, we have advertised two new administrative staff positions, one for administrative assistant to the director and another for office manager. Our horticulture alumni award recipients this year were on campus on April 19-20 for the presentations. This years’ award recipients were Alex Johnson, distinguished graduate alumnus (2001), Bin Xu, distinguished recent graduate alumnus (2011) and Jake Shreckhise, outstanding recent un- dergraduate alumnus (2013) from the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture May Newsletter by Richard Veilleux, Department Head

News - Virginia Tech Horticulture Department

Dr. Richard Veilleux, Department Head - May 2018 - Cam- pus was all spruced up for graduation. Caps and gowns were prominent everywhere, along with proud parents looking for the perfect photo op. Horticulture had a crop of 15 graduating seniors this year. After graduation, they will be embarking on a range of activities and careers. Some will take positions in the nursery industry, others will go to grad- uate school, one will work on an organic vegetable farm in Pennsylvania, and another one will honor the time-tested tradition of backpacking through Europe before settling. They are a talented group and our pride complements that of their parents. We are witnessing the early days of the formation of The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Mike Ev- ans, our new SPES director, has been in a whirlwind since his arrival on campus in mid-April. He has found a home in the administrative suite on the third floor of Smyth (330), which will remain the center of operations for SPES. Reno- vations will occur to accommodate additional administra- tive staff from the soon-to-be former three departments. He’s also busy becoming familiar with the various functions

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News - Governor Northam Announces Administration Appointments Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry Brad Copenhaver Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Brad Copenhaver has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Brad grew up on his family’s beef cattle and burley tobacco farm in Washington County. After working on Capitol Hill as a legislative correspondent for Congressman H. Morgan Griffith (VA-9 ), he was the Di- rector of Government Affairs at the Virginia Agribusi- ness Council , where he worked closely with the General Assembly and Virginia congressional delegation on a vari- ety of issues including animal welfare, food safety and la- beling, the environment and water quality, and international trade. Brad was a Pamplin Scholar at Virginia Tech and graduated with degrees in political science and agricultural economics, and he is currently completing his MBA at the University of Washington. During his education career, Brad has served as a National Beef Ambassador, Virginia 4-H President, and treasurer of the UWGraduate and Professional Student Sen- ate, and he spent summers working with the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Meat Ex- port Federation in Tokyo, and Bryant Christie, Inc., an ag- ricultural exports consulting firm in Seattle. Heidi Hertz Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Heidi Hertz has been appointed Assistant Secretary of Ag- riculture and Forestry. Prior to her appointment, Heidi served as Obesity Prevention Coordinator with the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, where she developed initia- tives and partnerships throughout Virginia to increase ac- cess to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity. Heidi has previously held roles in the Office of the First Lady of Virginia Dorothy McAuliffe and for the Virginia Department of Health. Heidi serves as the Vice President of the Alumni Board of the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Shalom Farms. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a Mas- ter of Science degree from James Madison University and serves as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a native of Lunenburg County and a res- ident of the City of Richmond.

Legislation - Farm Bill: Why it Matters to Green Industry This piece of legislation addresses key priorities for spe- cialty crops and horticulture, mainly focused around re- search and innovation. Some highlights of the bill include: Funding would be $80 million per year, though $25 million is dedicated to research addressing severe threats to the cit- rus industry. We seek full funding ($80 million) for all spe- cialty crops. Priorities for research are refined and expanded to include mechanization and automation of labor-intensive tasks, decision support systems, and prevention and moni- toring systems for pests, including quarantine pests. Funding would continue at $80 million per year. These pro- grams provide 'first dollars' for responding to and mitigating invasive plant pest threats and providing access to clean, pathogen tested accessions of tree fruit, small fruit, grape- vines, hops, and roses for evaluation, development, and propagation. These grants, mostly administered by the states, have funded numerous research, statistical, and marketing pro- grams benefiting the green industry. The legislative pro- posal would fund this program at $85 million per year and seeks to clarify eligible projects and performance evaluation language that has hampered use of the program. Other areas of special interest for AmericanHort during the Farm Bill process are to expand options for protecting plant breeders' rights to spur innovation, and to ensure that "safety net" disaster programs work better for nursery and Christ- mas tree producers. Provided by AmericanHort Lighthouse Program in partnership with the VNLA 4/17/18 News - AmericanHort Welcomes Farm Bill Pest and Disease Funding AmericanHort enthusiastically welcomed Agriculture Secre- tary Sonny Purdue’s announcement earlier today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating almost $70 million in new funding for invasive plant pests and disease pro- jects. The funding is intended to prevent the introduction or spread of pests that threaten U.S. agriculture and the environ- ment, and to sustain the infrastructure necessary to ensure that disease-free, certified planting materials are available to U.S. nurseries and specialty crop producers.

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“Through the Farm Bill Section 10007, the USDA strengthens our nation’s ability to safeguard U.S. specialty crops, agricul- ture, and natural resources by putting innovative ideas into ac- tion,” said Secretary Perdue in the USDA announcement. These funds, provided through Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill, will support 494 projects in 49 states and two U.S. territories. Many of these projects will directly benefit the hor- ticulture industry. The Horticultural Research Institute, the research founda- tion of AmericanHort, was awarded $117,100 for its ongo- ing work to complete the Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC) pilot program. “This unique federal, state, and industry partnership is changing how we think about regulatory oversight of plant production and the horticultural marketplace,” said Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort senior vice president for advocacy and research. “We are eager to complete the pilot and for SANC to be fully operational,” he added. In addition to the funding for HRI, other notable projects include the following:  Over $1 million in funding for various projects to bet- ter understand and address exotic Phytophthoras , in- cluding P. ramorum and a newer emerging threat, P. ten- taculata . This funding includes program support for the

National Ornamentals Research Site at Dominican Uni- versity of California (NORS-DUC), a unique facility where Phytophthora work is done in a nursery setting.  $55,000 to continue work toward developing best manage- ment practices to address crown gall of Loropetalum , an emerging disease threat. National Clean Plant Network: Over $6 million will be pro- vided to support 28 projects in 18 states that focus on providing high quality propagative plant material for fruit trees, grapes, berries, citrus, hops, sweet potatoes, and roses free of targeted plant pathogens and pests. “The Sec. 10007 - Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention program is a unique and effective tool sup- porting horticulture and other specialty crops,” said Regel- brugge. “With a new Farm Bill set to be debated in Congress soon, preserving and strengthening this key tool that supports our growers perform and succeed will remain at the top of the priority list for AmericanHort,” he added. Mary Beth Cowardin, Vice President Marketing & Member Engagement MaryBethC@AmericanHort.org Columbus, OH | Washington, DC 614-487-1117 www.AmericanHort.org

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is very interested in fighting this disease.” Indeed, the talks centered on keeping the disease out, but there is an increas- ing realization that in the future we will manage the disease through better pruning techniques, better ground cover man- agement, more resistant cultivars, and other practices. As this disease becomes better managed, we see a continued strong demand for this ‘Aristocrat of Plants’, in spite of the higher cost of production.”

News - Reclaiming Boxwood from Boxwood Blight

Boxwood Blight Canopy Defoliation Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, before boxwood blight became a household name among nurseries, growers reported a slump in sales of boxwood and plentiful inven- tory. This was during the period where the great recession was in full swing and new housing construction was at low levels. Fast-forward a few years, and it’s a whole different story. The recession ended, and the U.S. real estate market re- bounded. Growers now report an inability to meet consum- ers’ demands for boxwood—a good scenario! Boxwood is the #1 woody plant sold in the U.S. In 2014, the USDA Na- tional Agricultural Statistics Service estimated the value of U.S. boxwood production at over $126 million, beating azalea, holly, hydrangea, arborvitae, and many others. Even some greenhouse producers are handling boxwood at cer- tain times of the year. With demand for boxwood at an all-time high, it’s unfortu- nate that growers must contend with boxwood blight, the impact of which is increasingly felt in production. The costs to grow boxwood have reached an all-time high as well for most growers. While other diseases and pests threaten boxwoods—such as boxwood leafminer, Volutella, and mites—boxwood blight, caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata , is the primary concern in the US at the moment. This was confirmed at the recent American Boxwood Society (ABS) meeting, where new developments in boxwood blight research were fea- tured. Some in the industry are concerned that the U.S. is on the cusp of exponential boxwood blight spread. “The American Boxwood Society was overwhelmed at the response to the Boxwood Blight meeting in Beltsville on February 20, 2018,” commented Bennett Saunders, Presi- dent of ABS. “It is obvious to the Society that the industry

Boxwood Blight Spread To date, boxwood blight has been positively identified in 25 states . However, consensus among researchers is that it is likely present throughout the contiguous U.S. wherever there is a sizable population of boxwood. Any state where boxwoods are used in the landscape, but the disease hasn’t been reported, may just not have been identified yet. In any event, incidence of boxwood blight is increasing, both in production and landscape settings, as well as in cut green- ery. Several reports emerged during the 2017 holiday sea- son of boxwood blight-infected cuttings used and sold in wreaths and greenery in floral arrangements; horticultural inspectors issued quarantines on some of this material. Margery Daughtrey, Senior Extension Associate with Cor- nell University specializing in ornamental plant pathology, noted, “In any given locality, the fungus that causes box- wood blight is usually moved only short distances, mostly by rain splash, or wind-driven rain…but we help it out in its distribution by inadvertently moving infected plants over large distances via the nursery trade. Diseased boxwood leaves and cankered shoots travel via B&B material, gallon containers, and even in Christmas wreaths.”

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