VNLA Newsletter Spring 2018

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