The Weekly Dirt - 01-22-08

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	JANUARY 22, 2008 S.E. drought causes green-industry collapse Out of the 79,000 green-industry employees in Georgia, 35,000 have lost their jobs, with 30,000 in jeopardy of losing their jobs due to the historic drought. "The only ones left are pretty much the owners and their families," said Sherry Loudermilk, exec. dir. of Ga. Green Industry Assoc. The Ga. industry lost $3.15 billion in 2007 alone. Loudermilk has some suggestions about how the national green industry can help. Home pesticide demand to reach $1.7 billion U.S. demand for home and garden pesticides is projected to increase 4.8% per year to $1.7 billion in 2011, according to market research company Freedonia Group. Insecticides are the largest category on the market, accounting for almost 60% of overall demand in 2006. Herbicides are expected to register somewhat slower growth due to continued reliance on established products. Fungicides and other products account for a relatively small share of overall demand, but are expected to post faster-than-average gains due to proliferation of specialized repellents and more sophisticated products addressing lawn diseases. Nurseries hit by Oklahoma immigration law A strict immigration law that went into effect in Oklahoma on Nov. 1 has had an impact on nurseries and other businesses, USA Today reported. Among other things, the new law makes it a felony to transport or shelter illegal immigrants. Randy Davis, president and CEO of Greenleaf Nursery, told the paper that 40 of his employees disappeared days before the law was put in place. Consumer cutbacks rattle retailers Consumer spending seems to be slowing, causing concern for economists and retailers. • Americans cut back. The New York Times • as prices stymie sales. The Nielsen Co. • Expect store closures. Yahoo! • Guarded outlook. Nat.'l. Retail Federation What is the greenest tree? Slate.com recently tried to answer the question: What is the greenest tree? A reader wanted to know which trees they should plant to soak up the most greenhouse gases. Check out what the author recommended. Better greenhouse panels are in the works Cleveland Botanical Garden and Kent State Univ.'s Liquid Crystal Institute have joined forces to create more efficient greenhouse panels, Akron Beacon Journal reported. Researchers hope new liquid crystal windows can better manipulate sunlight and control temperature and light wavelengths. Impulse shoppers exhibit characteristics Researchers at Univ. of New Hampshire have found shoppers who exhibit high levels of flexibility or low levels of self-restraint are most likely to make an impulse buy. They theorize that salespeople can be trained to spot these characteristics and adjust sales tactics accordingly. Highly flexible customers browse extensively and tend to walk around the store. They are not loyal to any one brand and are open to suggestions. Consumers with low self-restraint walk through aisles grabbing different items. They appear distracted or scattered, picking up items without a pattern. View from a blog • The garden mail-order catalogs really know how to inspire. Garden centers can learn a thing or two, Garden Center asst. editor Sarah Martinez says. Open Register • Are you being greenwashed? Garden Center asst. editor Sarah Martinez reflects on the trend to cloak everything in green. Project: Green Industry Worth a visit View dozens of the latest upscale gift and home decor products for independent specialty retailers, in the quarterly supplement Selling Elegance.

• Independent Garden Center Show
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Looking for new or alternative sources for what you use or sell? Search our online listings for full company contact information.	Open the register to see what is shaping your business. Carol, Sarah, Yale, Jennifer and Kevin add new material on a regular basis.	What? When? Where? Use our events calendar to plan out your travels for trade shows and conferences.

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