Can they have a volunteer?

The fine folks in the horticulture department at Oregon State University asked us to share this information with you:

Plant pathologists Jennifer Parke and Carrie Lewis, Oregon State University, and Nik Grunwald, USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, are looking for a few nurseries to participate in a one-year Phytophthora study. In earlier work, reported in the December 2008 Digger, they identified common sources of Phytophthora contamination in four Oregon nurseries.

In the current study, they will compare contamination in nurseries that participate in ODA’s Grower-Assisted Inspection Program (GAIP) with nurseries that do not participate in the program to see if the program is effective in reducing Phytophthora incidence. They currently have five GAIP nurseries and one non-GAIP nursery, and are looking for four non-GAIP nurseries. Each nursery will be sampled twice, in summer and in winter. The researchers will collect gravel and soil from greenhouses and can yards, debris from used containers, and recycled irrigation water to test for the presence of Phytophthora species. Results of the data collected will be made available to participating nurseries, free of charge, in 2010 after it is analyzed. Participation in the study will be kept confidential.

To participate in the study, you need to grow Phytophthora-susceptible host plants, re-use containers, irrigate with recycled water, and never have been contaminated with Phytophthora ramorum.

If your nursery would like to participate, or if you have further questions, please contact Carrie Lewis, phone 541-737-9576; e-mail Carrie.Lewis@oregonstate.edu.

The New Frontier

Does the mere mention of Facebook, MySpace or Twitter make you roll your eyes? Do you believe the social media is all about vanity, and informing people when you last brushed your teeth? In some cases, it is, but that's judging a book by the cover. Services such as these can be very helpful in growing your business and building your career – if you know how to use them.

Foremost among the career-oriented social media sites is LinkedIn. As a member benefit, the Oregon Association of Nurseries will be offering a FREE webinar at noon, Monday, Aug. 3, entitled "The New Frontier: Using LinkedIn to Further Your Relationship Economics." Here's more info on the presenter, David Nour:

David Nour is a social networking strategist and one of the foremost thought leaders on the quantifiable value of business relationships. He is the author of Relationship Economics, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital and Social Networking Technology Best Practices Series, a senior management advisor, and a featured speaker for corporate, association and academic forums.

You can read more information and sign up online at this page.

An attorney's view

Yesterday, we promised you analysis. Today, here it is. Labor law attorney Ron Guerra takes a look at how the end of the No Match Rule – and the administration's concurrent support for the E-Verify program – will affect employers.

No Match Rule to be rescinded in favor of E-Verify

When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (under the Bush Administration) announced its Social Security No Match Rule in August 2007, there was immediate concern about its unfair and far-reaching impacts on employers and workers. The rule intended to crack down on illegal workers, and employers who knowingly hire them, by requiring employers to take certain steps within 90 days of receiving a "no match" letter alerting them that Social Security records do not match the employee's W-2 records. Unions and employers, concerned that this could ensnare not just undocumented workers but those with database errors and name changes, filed suit and obtained an injunction barring the rule from taking effect. Now, we're receiving word that it never will. DHS, under President Barack Obama, plans to rescind the rule, rendering the ongoing legal battle over it moot. The Obama Administration instead indicated in a press release that it will emphasize use of E-Verify:

“E-Verify is a smart, simple and effective tool that reflects our continued commitment to working with employers to maintain a legal workforce,” Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said. “Requiring those who seek federal contracts to use this system will create a more reliable and legal workforce. The rule complements our Department’s continued efforts to strengthen immigration law enforcement and protect critical employment opportunities. As Senator Schumer and others have recognized, we need to continue to work to improve E-Verify, and we will.”

E-Verify, which compares information from the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) against federal government databases to verify workers’ employment eligibility, is a free web-based system operated by DHS in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The system facilitates compliance with federal immigration laws and helps to deter unauthorized individuals from attempting to work and also helps employers avoid employing unauthorized aliens.

We'll continue to monitor this developing story and attempt to provide analysis of how it could affect employers, as well as what they should do to make sure they are following the law.

Caught in the act

Those who steal plants don't always get away with it.

Weed all about it

Garbage is a threat to Oregon's beauty, but invasive weeds are worse. They damage the health of ecosystems. Now, thanks to a recently-passed Oregon law, you get the same credit under the Adopt-A-Highway program whether it's garbage or weeds you remove.

This article from the Bend Bulletin, published back in January, tells the tale of Brenda Pace, 65, a Bend, Ore. resident who has, for the last few years, been part of a volunteer group that removed spotted knapweed, a dangerous invasive, from along a roadside near Bend. Her group felt it could handle both pulling the weeds and picking up litter, no problem. However, the weeds were a lot more work than the litter, and Pace worried that some groups might be discouraged by having to take on both.

After thinking this over, she called her local legislator, Rep. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver). He filed a bill, and to make a long story short, it passed. On June 25, Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed it, so it's official: weed warriors are on equal ground with trash troopers. Certainly that's good news for an industry committed to fighting invasive plants. It's one more weapon that's available.

The shows will go on

Former owner Duane Kelly announced recently that he has sold the Seattle-based Northwest Flower and Garden Show – second-largest consumer hort show in the country, behind only the Philadelphia Flower Show – to Portland-based O’Loughlin Trade Shows, which operates the Portland Home and Garden Show and other trade shows. Kelly had announced earlier in the year that he was retiring from trade shows and would discontinue the Seattle show and its sister show, the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, unless he could find buyers. He did find buyers, and therefore both shows will continue. Read more at the Seattle Times.

A change in focus

The Department of Homeland Security division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week announced a change in focus in its immigration enforcement efforts. While the Bush Administration staged workplace raids in which illegal workers were arrested, the Obama Administration will stage immigration audits at workplaces instead, with the intent of fining and prosecuting offending employers. Some 652 businesses already have received notices they will be audited. This article in The New York Times explains the administration's rationale:

Federal agents will concentrate on businesses employing large numbers of workers suspected of being illegal immigrants, the officials said, and will reserve tough criminal charges mostly for employers who serially hire illegal immigrants and engage in wage and labor violations. “These actions underscore our commitment to targeting employers that cultivate illegal work forces by knowingly hiring and exploiting illegal workers,” said Matt Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.

How will this play out for larger employers? The Times article looks at the case of American Apparel, a T-shirt manufacturer in Los Angeles. The company has been informed that perhaps 1,200 of its workers are illegal. It is cooperating with officials on an immigration audit to find out the truth:

While it has been no secret that American Apparel’s largely Latino work force probably included many illegal immigrants, Mr. Schey said the company had been careful to meet legal hiring requirements. Many illegal immigrants use convincingly forged Social Security cards or other fake documents when seeking work.

This illustrates the fact that employers can do their very best to follow the rules and still unknowingly be employing illegal workers. Employer groups point to this as a major reason comprehensive immigration reform is needed.

Scrapping E-Verify

The senior U.S. senator from New York – and third-ranking Democrat in the Senate – indicated last week that he would like to scrap the controversial E-Verify system for checking employment eligibility, and replace it with something else:

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York and chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, faulted the government system, known as E-Verify, for not being able to detect identity fraud. “E-Verify is both unfair and ineffective,” Schumer told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday, June 25, prior to participating in a White House meeting on immigration with President Barack Obama.

Schumer said that E-Verify, which compares information from I-9 forms against Social Security and Department of Homeland Security databases, is unfair because it singles out people with Hispanic surnames. It is ineffective because illegal workers can slip through the system by stealing Social Security numbers and making fake IDs. “You need a biometric,” Schumer said. “You need a picture. You need it to be unforgeable.”

Read the rest at Workforce Management magazine (www.workforce.com).

Welcome, Kathy Hight

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.

Hoop house bill passes House, also

Yesterday we told you that House Bill 2904 (HTML|PDF) passed the Oregon Senate. Today we can report that it passed the Oregon House by a 59-0 vote. 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 Oregon Association of Nurseries was involved in lobbying for the clarification in statute. “The OAN thanks Reps. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) and Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) for their hard work on the bill,” OAN Director of Government Relations Jeff Stone said. “Senators Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) and Frank Morse (R-Corvallis) delivered the bill on the senate side. A good bill and a major victory for the nursery and greenhouse industry.”

Love ... exciting and new

According to the OAN, the Farwest Show is the best place to discover the latest and greatest plants, thanks to the New Varieties Showcase:

“No other show that we’re aware of makes this type of investment in a new plant display, either in terms of valuable show floor or publication space or staff time” said John Aguirre, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “It provides show attendees, many of whom have an interest in exciting new plant varieties, with a unique buying experience. And they can immediately walk to an exhibitor that offers the plant for sale.”

The rigorously-chosen plants are showcased in a garden-like setting, with volunteer guides providing information on them. Attendees are surveyed on the plants and the resulting, highly useful feedback is then shared with growers. Attendees finding something they love can go talk to the grower right away and place an order. For the full scoop, read the press release, and don't forget to check out the NVS on the Farwest Web site. (Right now, the site has the 2008 selections, but come back in August to see this year's choices.)

Top 10 trends in landscaping

The Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado launched their new Web site with a list of the top 10 trends in landscaping, which you can read in this Word document. Among the entries: edibles, staycations, going green, shade trees, gardens as therapy.

Setting the parameters

President Obama is holding a meeting today to "launch a policy conversation" on immigration reform. CNN reports:

The meeting comes less than a week after the president reiterated his commitment to passing comprehensive immigration reform that paves the way for citizenship for millions of undocumented workers.

On Friday, Obama told a Hispanic audience that the "fair, practical and promising way forward" is to strengthen border security, clarify the status of those who are here illegally, and require illegal immigrants to pay a penalty and taxes. He also said undocumented workers should learn English and "go to the back of the line behind those who played by rules" in terms of applying for citizenship.

"The American people believe in immigration, but they also believe that we can't tolerate a situation where people come to the United States in violation of the law," Obama said in an address to the eighth annual National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington.

Action, not words

From a commentary by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.):

According to a recent poll of 1,000 voters by the Benenson Strategy Group, more than eight in 10 Democratic, Republican and independent voters support Congress passing comprehensive reform, as do 86 percent of voters who are undecided on the 2010 congressional race. Only 14 percent oppose the reform.

Americans agree that comprehensive immigration reform is fair to both taxpayers (81 percent agree) and illegal immigrants (79 percent agree), and 91 percent agree that the comprehensive proposal would help taxpayers by making illegal immigrants pay taxes.

If we secure our borders and crack down on employers who illegally hire, and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) voters argue that the remaining 12 million illegal immigrants should be required to register, meet conditions and eventually be allowed to apply for citizenship. A whopping 62 percent of self-identified Republicans say they should be allowed to stay and apply for citizenship.

Clearly, Americans agree that the economic and national security burdens placed on state and local governments -- not to mention the incredible hardships placed on immigrant families -- because of the failures of federal immigration policy are unfair and that we desperately need meaningful reform. It is rare to find this kind of across-the-board consensus, and it indicates that rather than demagoguery, the American people want action.

Read the entire article here.

Hip hoop hooray

Hoop house growers are no doubt rejoicing as House Bill 2904 passed the Oregon Senate this afternoon, 28-0. Next the bill goes back to the House for concurrence.

Better bugs

More and more growers see "good bugs" – the pest-killing predatory insects also known as biological control agents or natural enemies – as a good idea. Now, scientists are looking at ways to breed "good bugs" that live in the soil for a longer time, thereby providing greater and longer efficacy against nursery pests.

And speaking of immigration

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) claims to have the votes needed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, according to this report on the Politico Web site.

A raw nerve

Gosia Wozniacka in The Sunday Oregonian:

They are angry. Angry at their government. Angry with the news media. Mostly, angry at illegal immigrants and the problems they believe are caused by people who live in Oregon without proper documentation. Some are even angry at what they perceive to be too-high levels of legal immigration. Their e-mails, calls and online comments seem to skyrocket every time The Oregonian publishes a story that mentions "Hispanic," "Latino," "Mexican" or "immigrant," regardless of whether the subject's citizenship, legal status or national origin is mentioned or relevant.

Read more, including 11 interviews with people angry about illegal immigration.

Headed to the governor

Senate Bill 570 (HTML|PDF) received final approval from the Legislature today and is headed for Gov. Ted Kulongoski's desk. The bill would address metal thefts by requiring scrap dealers to keep more thorough records, produce them when demanded by law enforcement, and pay sellers by check mailed to their street address, rather than cash.