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With the establishment of the Boxwood Initiative, HRI has become a leading source of information regarding boxwood pests and diseases. Now, for the first time, HRI is bringing the information to a live event. Along with our partner, the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), HRI has created a one-day workshop focusing on Boxwood Health on February 4, 2020.

Over a quarter of all box...

The National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) released a new fact sheet (PDF, 1.7MB) dedicated to crown gall on roses. This is a bacterial plant disease that is particularly devastating to members of the Rosaceae family, such as apples, blackberries, cherries, and roses.

Crown gall, caused by <...

The deadline for trucks equipped with Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRDs) to switch to electronic logging devices (ELDs) is fast approaching, with AOBRD users required to make the switch by December 16th. Unlike other previous deadlines associated with the ELD, this deadline is not expected to be extended by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

When th...

USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has modified the protocol for interstate movement of citrus nursery stock. This protocol, originally published in 2013 and modified in 2018, contains standards and requirements that a nursery must meet to obtain a certificate or limited permit allowing the interstate movement of citrus nursery stock from areas quarantined for ...

Each year, in December, the Department of Labor (DOL) publishes the new “adverse effect wage rates” (AEWR) which are typically the wages required to be paid to H-2A agricultural visa workers, as well as any U.S. workers considered to be in “corresponding employment.” The AEWRs are derived from the USDA Farm Labor Survey and typically take effect in January, two weeks ...

Congress has a lot to do in the remaining 13 legislative days of 2019. Here’s a look ahead at the big issues you can hope to see this December.

Federal Government Funding

Absent additional action by Congress, funding for the federal government is set to expire on December 20. What we know so far isn’t much, but it’s telling. First, a full-year stopgap ...

AmericanHort leader Mike Gooder, of PlantPeddler in Cresco, Iowa understands that effective advocacy is essential to business success. He knows that it all starts with a relationship. And to put it bluntly, Mike’s on a roll.

Earlier this year, Plantpeddler hosted U.S. Representative Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) for a facility tour. Then, she and Gooder met face to face during the I...

A new viral disease on tomato has been intercepted in a few spots in the U.S. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) was first identified in a southern California greenhouse in September 2018 in grafted tomato plants and has also been found in specific production facilities in Mexico, and in Ontario, Canada. In October 2019, ToBRFV-infected tomato fruit was found in Naples and Gainesville,...

AmericanHort teamed up with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Seasonal Employment Alliance, and the H-2B Workforce Coalition to host a “day of action” on November 13. Over 150 H-2B users from across the country, most from the landscape industry, came to Washington, DC to advocate for H-2B cap relief to be included in any final spending bill passed by Congre...

On November 15, The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule that rescinds the H-2B requirement to advertise in print newspapers and instead requires that all jobs be posted on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, which will be an expanded version of the existing DOL job registry. The new rule takes effect on December 16.

Employers with existing notices of acceptance from DOL will nee...