Plant Ceaux
Forest Hill, Louisiana
Fernacres Farm
Washington, GA
Basys Processing Inc.
Lenexa, KS
Not a GGIA Member? Don't take our word for it.
"We are members of GGIA because we feel it is vital to our business to stay abreast of the issues affecting our industry. GGIA provides continual updates on these issues. GGIA is an organization that works diligently to ensure not only the success of our industry, but it serves as an advocate for our industry that takes on the issues we cannot tackle on our own so our business can focus on being successful."
Christian Roberson
Buck Jones Nursery
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GGIA has a new mailing address. Please update your records. The new address is:
GGIA
PO Box 2568
Blue Ridge, GA
30513
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Upcoming Events
GA Certified Landscape Professional Exam
October 13
Gwinnett Technical College
8:00 am- 12:00 pm
NC Nursery Crop Field Day
September 8, 2017
Collettsville, NC
Turfgrass Disease Webinar
September 20th
With Dr. Alfredo Martinez
Pesticide CEU's available.
Problem Weed Control in Turfgrass Webinar
November 15
With Dr. Mark Czarnota
Pesticide CEU's available.
Weed Control in Ornamentals Webinar
November 15th
With Dr. Mark Czarnota
Pesticide CEU's available.
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The GGIA Partnership In Sustainability
The GGIA Partnership in Sustainability allows members to support the work of GGIA beyond the level of paying their dues.
Critical functions like legislative and regulatory action, timely updates on industry issues and support for certification and education programs are dependent on your generosity.
How do we use the money? The Amicus Brief GGIA submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States in the FL vs GA water case was only possible due to generous contributions to GGIA.
Partners receive recognition in all GGIA publications, e-newsletters and on the GGIA website. It's our way of recognizing our partners for their contribution to the industry.
We gladly work with supporters to develop plans for giving and can arrange for a one time gift, a recurring contribution or a yearly plan to give.
For more information or to discuss your options for participating, please contact Chris Butts at 706-540-2813 or [email protected]
Champion Level Partners
Guarantor Level Partners
Guardian Level Partners
Patron Level Partners
Abbey View Farms
Colorburst
Florikan
Cofer's Home & Garden
Sponsor Level Partners
Bottoms Nursery
Byron Lakeview Nursery
Chappell Mill Trees
Cleveland Tree Company
Dorsey Farms
Hamner Tree Farm
Harp's Farm
HORTech
Hull's Treeland
Lakeside Trees
Mid Georgia Nursery
Nature's Tree Farm
Pattillo Tree Farm
Sweetwater Creek Nursery
Thoms Trees and Plants
Friend Level Partners
Going Green Horticulture
The Henry F. Michelle Company
Randy's Perennials and Water Gardens
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Georgia Green Industry Association
PO Box 2568
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Phone: 706-632-0100
Fax: 706-632-0300
Executive Director
Chris Butts
Administrative Director and Wintergreen Coordinator
Jennifer Addington
Membership Services
Ashley Prater
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 Quick Links
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Get the most out of your membership.....
As a GGIA member, you can add any employee to our distribution list for this e-newsletter. Simply email us the names and email addresses of your employees that would like to receive these updates to [email protected].
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Leadership
Jerry Lee-Chairman
HORTech
Jeff Fischer- Vice Chairman
FIS Outdoor, Inc.
Jason McCarty- Treasurer
Davis Floral Company
Brian Jernigan-Past Chairman
McCorkle Nurseries
David Waters
Retail Division President
Randy's Perennials & Water Gardens
Lanie Riner
Floriculture Division President
Thunderwood Farms
Betsy Norton
Landscape Division President
Going Green Horticulture
Jeff Fischer
Irrigation Division President
FIS Outdoor
Christian Roberson
Wholesale Division President
Buck Jones Nursery
Nate King
Sales & Marketing Division President
Ball Seed
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Tommy Irvin, longtime Georgia agriculture commissioner has passed away
If you have been involved in the green industry for very long, you know the name of Tommy Irvin well. Appointed as Agriculture Commissioner by Governor Lester Maddox in 1969, Irvin won reelection
a record 10 times, making him the nation's longest serving ag chief. Irvin passed away at home last Thursday at the age of 88.
Current commissioner Gary Black, who won election in 2010 when Irvin decided not to run again, said "Commissioner Irvin loved serving Georgia's farmers and consumers for over three generations," said Black. "He touched us all with his unsurpassed spirit of stewardship, commitment and work ethic."
His leadership during his 42 years as commissioner is still felt today many GGIA board members and officers have fond memories of their visits with Irvin in his office or at the State Capitol.
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New Boxwood Blight Best Management Practices Released
 WASHINGTON, DC and COLUMBUS, OH-September 15, 2017-A lot can change in five years, especially in terms of research. Back in 2012, the US nursery production world was still reeling from the discovery of boxwood blight the year prior. The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) quickly established a fund dedicated to boxwood blight research and a boxwood blight working group composed of industry leaders and National Plant Board (NPB) representatives. A best management practices document for nursery production was produced out of this collaboration.
Subsequent research is still in progress, but enough new information exists to warrant a revision of the best management practices released back in 2012. AmericanHort and HRI, in conjunction with the NPB, are pleased to announce that the revised, updated Boxwood Blight Best Management Practices, version 2.0, is now available online at HRIResearch.org.
Two closely related fungi, Calonectria pseudonaviculata and C. henricotiae, can cause boxwood blight. Currently only one, C. pseudonaviculata, has a known presence in the US. This is a good thing. Both, however, are present in the EU; so, the threat remains for C. henricotiae to come to the US. Despite being the same genus (Calonectria), these two species have some key differences, such as different responses to temperatures and fungicides.
While researchers know of only three host plants for boxwood blight, boxwood (Buxus), Pachysandra, and sweet box (Sarcococca), the economic impact is potentially quite large, with over $20 million per year in US retail sales. Impacts to landscapes are immeasurable. Boxwood blight has been confirmed in 24 states, with Illinois and Missouri being among the latest detections. There are a few states yet with significant boxwood production where the disease hasn't been confirmed, such as Texas and Louisiana.
Since 2012, the industry has rallied behind a coalition of researchers dedicated to finding the best management strategies for this disease. Resources to support these research efforts have come from a few different sources, including directly from the industry through the Horticultural Research Institute's (HRI) grants program, the IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture Program administered by USDA-NFA, and from Farm Bill, Section 10007 monies administered by USDA-APHIS. Section 10007 has allocated nearly $3 million alone, all towards boxwood blight!
Early research focused on the basics of boxwood blight management, such as fungicide efficacy studies and cultivar resistance evaluations. Recent focus areas have included (but are not limited to) long distance spread of the disease, pathogen survival in soil, insect transmission, biological control agents, risk mapping and disease forecasting, temperature impacts on disease development and pathogen survival, impacts of mulch in landscapes on disease development, and the use of heat therapy in boxwood propagation.
Dr. Chuan Hong, plant pathologist at Virginia Tech and the lead researcher of key boxwood blight projects, commented, "Boxwood blight risk is mounting for horticultural production facilities, especially those near an infested landscape site, now in 24 states. This BMP update with the latest research from the Farm Bill projects was well timed and will serve individual growers and the horticulture industry as a whole very well."
The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research affiliate of AmericanHort, has provided over $7 million in funds since 1962 to research projects covering a broad range of production, environmental, and business issues important to the green industry. Providing best management practices for pest and disease management and prevention is one example of how HRI benefits the horticultural industry. Over $10 million is committed to the endowment by individuals, corporations, and associations. For more information about HRI, its grant-funded research, scholarships, or programming, visit hriresearch.org or contact Jennifer Gray at 614.884.1155.
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Sod field day set for Oct. 31, Nov. 1 in Ft. Valley and Perry
By Sharon Dowdy, University of Georgia
 Georgia turfgrass producers and industry leaders will gather Tuesday, Oct. 31, and Wednesday, Nov. 1, in Ft. Valley, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Sod and Turf Producers Field Day.
Industry leaders and university experts will provide updates on turfgrass-related topics, and the latest equipment will be displayed and demonstrated at the event's trade show.
The field day will begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday with a reception at Super-Sod Turf Farm in Perry, Georgia. The reception is sponsored by Trebro Manufacturing and the Georgia Crop Improvement Association.
Registration and a continental breakfast are set for 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Fort Valley State University Agricultural Technology Conference Center. The breakfast will be sponsored by Brouwer Kesmac.
Educational sessions will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 11:30 a.m. The keynote address, "On the Economic, Business and Political Climate," will be delivered by Roger Tutterow, professor of economics and the director of the Econometric Center at the Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business.
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed scientist Patrick McCullough will give a presentation on enhancing weed control programs for sod production, and UGA Extension turfgrass specialist Clint Waltz will provide an update on UGA turfgrass research and education programs. Georgia Agribusiness Council President Bryan Tolar will give a legislative update.
Lunch will be held at Super-Sod Turf Farm. The trade show and equipment demonstrations will be held after lunch, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
The field day is sponsored by the Georgia Urban Ag Council (UAC). Registration is $75 for UAC members, $95 for nonmembers and $25 for students. After Oct. 7, registration is $100 for UAC members, $120 for nonmembers and $45 for students. UGA Extension personnel can attend Wednesday for $25.For more information, call 800-687-6949, email [email protected] or go to www.urbanagcouncil.com.
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Florida's Green Industry Hit Hard by Hurrican Irma
As Hurricane Irma ripped through the state, Florida 's plant and tree nurseries suffered significant structural damages and expect sizable crop losses.
Florida's nursery and landscape industry generates $21 billion in total output sales and provides jobs for more than 232,000 people. Of the $21 billion, Florida's nursery and greenhouse growers, most impacted by Hurricane Irma, produce $4.5 billion in farm gate sales of plants, flowers and trees.
"It's way too early to tally the losses, yet we know most of the state's nursery and greenhouse crop growers are impacted," said CEO of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association Ben Bolusky. "Almost all have lost some and some have lost all."
What we know:
- Structural damage and crop losses are widespread throughout the Florida peninsula, yet nurseries are resilient and many have already resumed shipments.
- While the winds have calmed, flooding remains a concern for some nurseries.
- Many nurseries still have no power to run their irrigation systems which, in turn, increases the risk of crop losses.
- With labor already tight, the post-storm labor situation will be even tighter as nurseries clean-up and get back to normal business.
Florida's landscape companies are already playing an important role in statewide clean-up.The greatest need is for large, commercial generators and fuel across South, Southwest and Central Florida areas.
FNGLA has set up the following link for those who would like to give assistance to green industry members impacted by the storm.
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Debt Ceiling and Government Funding, Plus H-2B
Craig Regelbrugge
The first week back from the August recess was a very busy week in Congress and a crucial one in our fight to preserve the H-2B program. On September 7, the Senate passed a Hurricane Harvey relief package that also raises the debt ceiling and continues existing government funding through December 8. Despite more than a little drama after President Trump cut a 3-month deal with the Democrats rather than the longer one sought by his own party leaders in Congress, the House also passed the measure, sending it to the President for signature.
Under this legislation, the existing H-2B program "regulatory relief" provisions of law, including staggered crossing for seafood workers, prohibitions on DOL enforcement of the H-2B corresponding employment, and ¾ guarantee regulatory requirements and a 10-month season, will be continued through December 8, but the Homeland Security Secretary's authority to increase H-2B visas is still set to expire on October 1. The visa cap issue is the biggest single challenge facing current and prospective program users and is unfinished Congressional business.
In addition to the hurricane relief bill, the House is currently debating a fiscal 2018 mini-bus spending package for the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor, and numerous other federal agencies. This spending package incorporates eight of the 12 required annual spending bills. The House passed the other four federal spending bills prior to the August recess. The good news is that the House Rules Committee determined that two anti-H-2B amendments could not be offered on the House floor during the mini-bus debate, essentially killing those amendments. An amendment filed by Representative Steve King (R-IA) would have prevented any expansion of H-2B visas and an amendment by Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL) would have eliminated the regulatory reform provisions (wage surveys, staggered crossing, prohibitions against DOL enforcement of the corresponding wage survey and the ¾ guarantee, and a 10-month season) that are currently included in both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee-passed versions of the fiscal 2018 DOL funding bill.
We expect that the eight-bill funding package currently being negotiated by the House will ultimately be folded into a larger omnibus appropriations bill that includes all federal agencies and which now must be passed by December 8. This will likely be the last opportunity to get H-2B cap relief passed before the end of the calendar year. AmericanHort will continue to fight vigorously for H-2B cap relief for our members.
Whitefly Task Force Meets
Jill Calabro, PhD
 The Whitefly biotype Q Task Force (WTF-Q) coordination council met recently in Florida to discuss future direction. The coordination council is made up of two representatives each from the industry, the regulatory community, and the research community, as well as a USDA-APHIS coordinator. AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) co-chair the industry part of the coordination council.
The WTF-Q, including state regulators and the National Plant Board (NPB), unanimously agree that biotype Q remains unregulated at this time. The group will continue to work to ensure a transparent, national common approach by state plant regulatory agencies.
A primary focus of the group will include education and outreach. All participants agreed that the green industry is at a critical juncture with regard to responsibly managing biotype Q to prevent spread to vegetable and cotton production. The group will concentrate on promoting best management practices for whitefly biotype Q in the green industry and encouraging other industries (such as vegetable and cotton) to be prepared in the event of Q infestation.
Finally, the researcher community will continue to evaluate current and proposed management practices. For example, efficacy of new insecticides will be tested against Q.
In 2005, the green industry got its first introduction to whitefly biotype Q after control failures were reported in poinsettia production. In 2007, the first task force was created by USDA-APHIS, with the primary objective of regulatory harmonization among states. These efforts were successful.
The 2016 season proved to be pivotal for Q. It was the first year that biotype Q populations were found established in the landscape outside greenhouse and nursery production facilities. Populations of Q in landscapes were found again in 2017. Their close proximity to vegetable production combined with the increase in vegetable transplant production in the green industry (and therefore greater chances for Q infestations on transplants) and concern over potentially conflicting state regulatory actions prompted USDA-APHIS to reconvene the task force in late 2016.
What does Trump Action to "Unwind" DACA Mean for Horticulture?
Craig Regelbrugge
On September 25, the Trump administration announced that it will rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, phasing it out over the next six months. Administration officials emphasized that this approach allows Congress an opportunity to resolve the fate of DACA recipients. The DACA program allowed qualifying undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children to obtain relief from deportation and the opportunity to acquire temporary authorization to work in the U.S.
Nearly 800,000 individuals have received protection from deportation under the program. An estimated 89% of those individuals are in the workforce. While only a small percentage are believed to be employed in agriculture and horticulture, through many conversations with employers we know that some DACA recipients are key employees. Absent of a longer term resolution, these individuals will no longer be legally employable when their employment authorization documents expire.
There is widespread sympathy for the plight of the "dreamers" as they have become known. So no surprise, the announcement was swiftly met with a firestorm of criticism, including from the business and higher education communities and some Republican Members of Congress. Economists were also quick to rebut Attorney General Jeff Sessions' specious claim that DACA recipients have deprived hundreds of thousands of Americans from jobs. Others defended that the administration's "unwind" approach was preferable to leaving the program vulnerable to a court challenge threated by the attorneys general of about 10 states, led by Texas.
Key technical details of how the program will be phased out can be found in a
Department of Homeland Security memorandum. The big looming question is this: will the announced action finally serve as a catalyst that prompts Congress to address DACA and perhaps other long-deferred elements of immigration reform?
More Trees, Please
Craig Regelbrugge
We've all long known that trees make our cities and communities more liveable. A new study puts numbers to the benefits of urban trees in the world's largest cities. The study, led by Dr. Theodore Endreny of the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, examined the ecosystem service benefits provided by trees in megacities around the world. These megacities are home to nearly 10% of the world's population.
The study found that trees contribute a value of more than $500 million per year in each city, which equates to about $35 for each and every resident. The study also estimates that these benefits could be doubled if megacities seek to establish trees throughout their potential area of cover.
Learn more here
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Georgia Green Industry Association Newsletter