The greening of the marketplace

Transcription

1 The OAN Sustainability Initiative: Planet CURT KIPP The greening of the marketplace As awareness spreads, more and more customers are demanding sustainably produced products By Colleen Tvorik and Kirk Richardson On a teasingly warm spring afternoon in Oregon, it s hard to find a hotter topic in any circle than global warming, be it the local floral club, greenhouse, or gardening center checkout line. As ubiquitous as that hotly debated subject has become, it s not surprising that related remedies like climatefriendly growing practices and sustainability have blossomed into their own lively conversations. Growers, distributors, retailers, and customers are participating in the discussion, catching up on and passing along the latest eco-friendly trends unearthed in everything from the pages of industry magazines (printed on recycled paper of course) to informative labeling on compostable packaging. I think the green movement has gone from the tree-huggers and granolas to the mainstream, but the almighty dollar still rules, and people want a quality product without paying more for the green part, said Seneca Hull, president of Franz Witte Landscape Contracting, Inc. in Boise, Idaho. We have to find ways to have more with less, but that s what sustainability is all about, right? Recycle, reduce, reuse all products should be looked at for how they are doing at least one of these things. Sustainable practices are becoming expected not a bonus. Ketch de Kanter seems to be on the same wavelength. He operates Little Prince of Oregon, an Aurora, Ore.- based grower of perennials, ground covers, ornamental grasses, ferns, native plants and succulents, including the Water Misers line of plants. He argues that sustainable practices will continue to evolve over time, so long as they are economically feasible to the customer. If the government continues with its tax breaks, wholesale nurseries will 28 JUNE 2010 DIGGER 27

2 The OAN Sustainability Initiative: Planet Sempervivum Red Rubin (previous page) and S. Ruby Hearts (this page) are part of the Water Misers line of plants offered by Little Prince of Oregon Nursery of Aurora, Ore. CURT KIPP continue looking into the sustainability practices that are funded by government programs, de Kanter said. Furthermore, wholesale nurseries will increase their sustainability practices as it becomes more beneficial to their bottom line, even without government support. Kip Creel, founder of StandPoint, an Atlanta-based market research firm, believes that we are still in the early stages of the sustainability trend, and there is much to learn. This is a trade discussion, and we have to figure out what is in it for the consumer, he said. Right now, garden centers may be experimenting with sustainably grown products and treating it as a niche, but to truly scale this, we need to define the consumer benefit. I can assure you that the average consumer has no idea what goes into producing a plant and getting it to retail. The whole idea of sustainability is very foreign and hard to define in consumer terms. Citing research sponsored and funded by the Independent Garden Center Show, Creel added, We know from all of our research that environmental messages can be strong secondary consumer benefits, and there are definite degrees of relevance depending on the age cohort and region of the country. Oregon becomes a leader If actions speak louder than words, the Pacific Northwest is fertile ground. As a leader in the sustainability movement, Oregon continues to seed both growth and best practices and education.

3 In August of 2009, the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) launched the Oregon Nursery Industry Sustainability Initiative, which was designed to establish set sustainability goals for Oregon s nursery and greenhouse industry as well as cultivate consumer interest in sustainable agriculture. The program includes market research and positioning studies. Paul Bizon is the co-owner of ProGrass, Bizon Nursery and other businesses based in Wilsonville, Ore. He serves as co-chairman of the OAN sustainability initiative. Increasingly, consumers want their landscape to deliver specific environmental benefits, he said. So, it makes sense to develop and promote the concept of sustainability for those who grow and sell nursery and greenhouse plants, especially in Oregon, which provides a large percentage of plant material for the rest of the country. It s a concept that is becoming increasingly relevant to businesses such as Molbak s Garden + Home, a retailer based in Woodinville, Wash. Emphasizing sustainable practices and natural products has generated a positive response from the family-owned business s customers. We grow herbs and vegetables with organic soil and organic fertilizer, said Julie Kouhia, chief operating officer at Molbak s. Our private label line of herbs and vegetables is also grown in biodegradable, compostable pots. We recycle both plastic plant pots and plant tags. We also have a collection bin at the retail store to recycle plastic plant pots and tags for our customers. Kouhia reports that these practices are important to Molbak s because wellbeing and sustainability are key elements of its brand. Offering healthy, edible crops that our customers can feel good about serving their families is fundamental to our brand and essential to our customers, she said. In addition to the company s commitment to product integrity and sustainability, Kouhia mentions that Molbak s products can also play an integral role in its customers personal sustainability achievements. That might include planting trees and gardens that help improve the environment. Indoor plants can clean the air inside their homes, she said. Composters and worm bins are great ways to turn kitchen garbage into 30

4 Willamette Valley-Grown Understock for Flowering, Fruiting & Shade like our rootstock, our service will grow on you. canby, oregon NEW current availability and more at our updated website Toll Free Increasingly, consumers want their landscape to deliver specific environmental benefits. So, it makes sense to develop and promote the concept of sustainability for those who grow and sell nursery and greenhouse plants, especially in Oregon, which provides a large percentage of plant material for the rest of the country. Paul Bizon Bizon Nursery something really useful. Organics and natural solutions can help them to care for their gardens in a way that is gentler on the earth, the kids and the pets too. So this is an opportunity that really extends throughout our entire company the growing operation and every department of the retail business. According to Hull, sustainable practices are very important to Franz Witte Landscape Contracting for a number of different reasons. They are, and have always been, cost saving measures for us, plus they are just the right thing to do, she said. We have always tried to be a good member of our community, not just a profitable business. Over the last few years they have become more important to us because they are important to our customers. We are seeing how our actions not only benefit us, but by seeing the big picture as far as our carbon footprint and how it affects those we touch with our products and services. 30 JUNE 2010 DIGGER

5 The OAN Sustainability Initiative: Planet DEAN STEPHENS Retail shoppers eager to take control of their own food supply can see that home-grown veggies are not only healthy, but beautiful, thanks to this display garden at Farmington Gardens in Hillsboro, Ore. The end result is more sales and more satisfied customers. Farmington is the retail side of Eshraghi Nursery, which is a participant in the OAN Sustainability Initiative. Leigh Geschwill, wholesale manager at F&B Farms and Nursery, said that it s not rocket science. Sustainability means what it says that you are interested in seeing your business, your community, and your people continue, she said. If you want to keep going, then you need to do what is necessary to use your resources (human, environmental, or other) in an effective and efficient way. Geschwill added that the Woodburn-based nursery believes sustainability is all-encompassing. It is not just about the environment, she said. It is about how you treat your workers, how you interact in the community, and a huge component is product quality. Sustainability is about good day-to-day management of all aspects of your business. It is not sexy, but it is the little stuff that gets done all the time that makes the most impact. Gaining certification for adopting best practices is a big step in the right direction. Geschwill noted that F & B Farms and Nursery has made that a priority, obtaining a VeriFlora Certification. VeriFlora is an internationally recognized third party certifier for sustainability, she says. We felt that their certification was rigorous enough to stand up to the toughest public scrutiny. If we were going to do it, we did not want anyone saying that it was all talk and no action on our part. OAN is making it possible for industry members to earn sustainable credentials. A new tool is being created by Food Alliance, with input from OAN members, which will establish a voluntary certification program and online sustainability selfassessment tool for nurseries. These resources will be available to any business for comparison on industry sustainable practices. That is good news for companies such as Molbak s. We don t have a certification, but having the certification would be a clear way to communicate that you re going the extra mile to offer sustainably-grown products, Kouhia said. Keeping the conversation alive 32 JUNE 2010 DIGGER 31

6 CURT KIPP Performance You Can Rely On! Bethany Nursery in Portland, Ore. offers certified organic vegetable starts in this very visible display Top Quality Injection-molded Nursery Containers Sizes #1 #25 Bamboo Poles 3', 4', 5', 6' Call For Information and Free Samples Pringle Road SE (Salem, OR) and growing is one key to the movement s ultimate success. I think we are still trying to figure out how to do this effectively, Hull said, mentioning that her company was into sustainability before it was hip. We are not a company that walks around patting itself on the back, sometimes to a fault. We have started putting little things about our sustainable practices on Facebook and Twitter, now and then. It seems to get good reactions. Geschwill suggested that the association continue to be a voice for its members. I think that the OAN is in a unique position to broadcast to the public the efforts of individual nurseries, she said. By doing this, it helps shed a positive light on our industry in general. With more than 1,100 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers represented by the OAN, Oregon s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state s most profitable agricultural sectors, representing annual sales of $820 million. Leveraging the Sustainability Initiative, OAN and its members have an opportunity to grow that figure by marketing Oregon as a creative and progressive leader in the green field for years to come. 32 JUNE 2010 DIGGER