US (OR): Potential in the local food movement for garden retail

Two advocates and experts in the local food movement that has swept the country will deliver seminar addresses at Farwest 2017, which takes place August 23-25, in Portland, OR. Garden communicator Brie Arthur and Jim Monroe, Founder, Hort Couture Plants and Owner, Greenbrier Nurseries, will speak to the importance of sustainability in the landscape and the opportunities for food at garden retail.

Arthur’s seminar, ‘Foodscape Revolution: Ecology and Sustainable Management’, sponsored by Green Profit magazine, will underscore the importance of managing landscapes in a sustainable manner for the health of clients, family, community and the ecosystems surrounding the landscape. Soil science is the key. Arthur will explain how microbial activity is the catalyst for healthy plants. Organic products, pollinators, and plants will be spotlighted to give attendees take away ideas. Arthur’s seminar takes place Wednesday, August 23, 8:30-9:30a, in Room B110-112.

Arthur is active in green industry communications through her writing, speaking, film production, and consulting. She revolutionized the notion of the sustainable Foodscape and published her first book on the subject, entitled The Foodscape Revolution. She was honored this year as recipient of The American Horticultural Society’s Emerging Horticultural Professional Award.

Monroe’s seminar, ‘The Importance of Food in the Garden Center’, will point out how young families are dedicated to healthier food choices, and the important role therein for the local, independent garden center. He will explain using upscale farm markets to drive traffic to the IGC in slower months, growing CSA Farm Shares in the greenhouses for winter cash fl ow, and how the local food movement has made garden centers more relevant in the community. Monroe’s talk is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 9:45-10:45, in Room B110-112.

Jim Monroe is an advocate and voice in the industry with over 30 years of experience as a propagator, grower, breeder, retailer, landscape designer, and consultant. He is the founder of the Hort Couture plant brand for the Independent Garden Center and the Farm to Table brand, a reproducible opportunity for garden centers to gain market share in the food movement. His garden center, Greenbrier Nurseries, is a fixture in the Top 100 Garden Centers in America.

For complete information on all education Seminars (registration required), free Mini-Sessions, and general information on Farwest 2017, visit www.FarwestShow.com.