7/23/2007 2:09:00 PM Email this article • Print this article
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Idaho nursery industry shows gains

Dave Wilkins
Capital Press

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Idaho isn't yet a powerhouse in the nursery industry, but it's made some big strides in recent years.

The number of growers and landscape contractors have increased significantly, driven by a boom in residential and commercial construction, industry officials said.

The annual meeting of the Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association now attracts about 1,300 people, stretching the capabilities of the state's largest convention center in Boise.

Idaho has always had plenty of retail nurseries and garden centers, but more growing operations are popping up all the time, said Ann Bates, executive director of the association.

Retail nurseries have been unable to keep up with demand in fast-growing areas such as the Treasure Valley, which includes Boise, Nampa and Caldwell.

"It got to where our retailers couldn't get enough stuff from outside the area," Bates said in a recent interview. "So we have more and more growers all the time."

Idaho nurseries and greenhouses sold an estimated $83.5 million worth of plants and plant materials last year, a 5 percent increase from 2005, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

A greater percentage of total sales is now coming from field-grown stock compared with greenhouse-raised plants.

Field-grown sales accounted for 75 percent of total sales last year.

Bates frequently gets calls from farmers who want to know what type of nursery stock they might grow on a portion of their farm.

Her advice: Get to know the local market and decide how long you want to commit your ground to a nursery crop. Trees take several years to produce, while turf or perennial plants may pay off much quicker.

"You've got to find a niche for what's needed," she said. "It might be large scrubs in your area."

Several new growing operations have sprung up in the Teton Valley in recent years.

The resort town of Jackson, Wyo. is right next door, providing an excellent market for growers in Driggs and Victor, Idaho.

Locally produced nursery stock has an advantage because it's more acclimated and transportation costs are lower, Bates said.

"The product might be a little more expensive because it took longer to grow, but it's more acclimatized," she said. "It's more hardy for the climate."

Buying locally produced nursery stock seems to work out better for the retailer and the consumer, Bates said.

She sees more growth ahead for both growers and landscape contractors in Idaho.

How will the national housing slowdown affect the nursery industry in Idaho?

If a slowdown does hit Idaho, the nursery industry won't feel it immediately, Bates said.

That's because new homeowners often put off landscaping.

"If they can't afford it right in the very beginning, it's usually two or three years before they decide to landscape," Bates said.

Keeping up with noxious weeds, disease problems and a labor shortage are among the industry's challenges going forward.

The discovery of potato cyst nematodes in Eastern Idaho last year triggered immediate bans on Idaho spuds in Japan, Canada and Mexico.

The nursery industry was also hurt because Canada refused to accept nursery stock from Northern Idaho. The Canadians feared the nematodes would hitch a ride in the accompanying dirt.

"It caused us some major problems last year," Bates said.

There was no real danger of contamination because the nematode outbreak was confined to a few fields in Eastern Idaho, which were soon quarantined, Bates said.

The matter was resolved only after the Idaho State Department of Agricultural and the national trade association got involved.

"Kudos to the department of agriculture for helping us through that," Bates said. "The American Nursery and Landscape Association was very helpful too."

One of the industry's biggest challenges right now is labor and immigration, she said.

Every segment of the industry from growers to garden centers are finding it hard to get enough workers.

Nursery jobs are usually seasonal and require workers to toil outside in all kinds of weather.

That holds little appeal for today's young people, who in general, are well educated and "have other choices," Bates said.

The H2-A and H2-B guest worker programs might be a solution if they weren't "truly broken," she said.

Members of the association still hold out hope that Congress will pass an immigration reform bill, Bates said.

Meanwhile, the industry is making every effort to recruit more workers.

"It's not like we aren't trying," Bates said.

Staff writer Dave Wilkins is based in Twin Falls, Idaho. Email: dwilkins@capitalpress.com

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