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NOVEMBER 20, 2007

Drought, water restrictions force Pike's into Chapter 11
Pike Family Nurseries, with 22 garden centers in Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to lingering losses from the drought and watering restrictions. The Atlanta-based company will continue to operate most locations with the help of $11.75 million in financing, although it may close 2 locations in metro Atlanta. Pike's 750 employees will stay on the payroll. Wayne Juers, v.p. of learning at Pike, said sales are down 35% this year. "We had a late freeze at Easter, which started the spiral," Juers told Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We got back on track by the summer, and then the water restrictions started. I've been with Pike for 30 years, and Atlanta has never had a total water ban. That really changed the dynamics -- consumers just stopped buying."

AgJOBS pulled from Farm Bill discussions
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., decided that controversy surrounding Senate passage of the Farm Bill would not make it a suitable vehicle for AgJOBS. She said AgJOBS could be attached to other legislation this year or early next year. "This fight is not over," Feinstein said. The AgJOBS bill would deal with the short-term labor shortage issue by providing a way for the current ag. work force to earn legal status. AgJOBS offers a long-term solution by reforming the H-2A guest-worker program. The Senate continued to debate the Farm Bill last week before its Thanksgiving break.

Oregon proposes amendments to P. ramorum standard
Oregon Dept. of Ag. (ODA) published a notice to amend the state quarantine for Phytophthora ramorum and the regulated area for nursery stock. The proposed amendments would harmonize the state's P. ramorum rules with federal regulations and protocols. The area under quarantine in Curry County would increase to 166 sq. miles and include 5 newly detected sites outside of the existing quarantine area. Submit comments to Sue Gooch, ODA, 635 Capitol St. N.E., Salem, OR 97301-2532.

Ash borer extends to new area in Canada
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors detected an infestation of emerald ash borer (EAB) at a private campground in Norfolk County, Ontario, the first infestation in that county, which is adjacent to the regulated county of Elgin. CFIA is investigating the origin of the infestation and will continue to conduct intensive surveys in Norfolk County to determine whether EAB is present in other areas. Regulatory actions are pending for this latest find. There are 5 areas in southwestern Ontario regulated by ministerial order for EAB: Essex County, municipality of Chatham-Kent, Lambton County, Elgin County and Middlesex County.

Bush nominates former governor to ag. post
President Bush nominated Edward T. Schafer to be secretary of ag. Schafer, 61, served 2 terms as North Dakota's governor. Schafer would replace former Ag. Secretary Mike Johanns, who resigned in September to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel, who is not seeking reelection.

Nursery wins international UPS contest
Knight Hollow Nursery, a micropropagation nursery in Middleton, Wis., took 2nd place in the UPS Best Out-of-the-Box Small Business contest. Nursery owners Deborah and Brent McCown grow and ship more than 350,000 plants, including microcuttings and potted liners of woody ornamentals. The nursery's prize: $10,000 from UPS and $2,000 from co-sponsor IBM. More than 1,000 businesses worldwide entered the contest.

Project: Green Industry blog launches in December
Operating a nursery in an environmentally friendly way isn't always easy or straightforward. Starting in December we'll be tackling sustainability issues head on with our new blog, Project: Green Industry. Visit us each week for news and tips on making the green movement part of your business.

Worth a visit
Solutions Source is a 12-month series providing solutions to the challenges growers face today. This month: sales forecasting. Only on GreenBeam.com.

Syngenta remains committed to investing in every aspect of our ornamental business to bring value to growers for producing beautifully strong plants.

The ANLA 2008 Management Clinic is coming! February 8-11, 2008 in Louisville, Ken.

Register now! Visit www.midam.org for details. Mid-Am, the Midwest's premier trade show, features hundreds of exhibits, 130+ hours of education, plus much more!

Info Now! Use our Directory of Suppliers to easily research supplies or contact suppliers directly.
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