US (OR): Farwest Show to hold three nursery tours for 2025 edition

This year's Farwest Show will showcase growing excellence like never before with three daylong, multi-stop tours of Oregon Nursery Country. The tours include a Wholesale Grower Tour, a Garden Center Retail Tour, and — new this year — an Automation Tour. Each will be held on Tuesday, August 19 — the day before the show opens.

"Our grower and retail tours have been selling out quickly the last several years, so it made all the sense in the world to add a third one," said Jamie Moore, events and education coordinator for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the show. "The result is our all-new Automation Tour, which will provide an inside look at machine-driven nursery innovation, and three growers making great use of the technology."

The Farwest Show itself will take place Wednesday–Friday, August 20–22, 2025, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The tours on Tuesday, August 19 will depart from the Convention Center, which is within walking distance from the host hotels, at 8 a.m., and will return late in the afternoon.

"These tours offer a chance to experience Oregon's beauty and find out first-hand why Oregon is Nursery Country, while engaging with other nursery professionals for a full day, and letting someone else do the driving," Moore said. "Attendees can make meaningful connections and acquire relevant knowledge to enhance their careers and their businesses. There will be time for questions and answers, so curiosity is encouraged!"

All Farwest tours include luxury motor coach transportation, lunch, beverages and snacks.

Wholesale Grower Tour — The tour will provide a deep dive into some of Oregon's best tree and shrub growers in the Cascade Range foothills, under the backdrop of majestic Mt. Hood. They include J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., John Holmlund Nursery LLC, Hans Nelson & Sons Nursery Inc., and Don Marjama Nursery Co. It's a chance to learn about propagation, grafting and bare-root vs. potted plant production.

Retail Garden Center Tour — The tour will take you from the heart of Oregon Wine Country to some of the most innovative retailers in the Portland area. The day will begin at Durant at Red Ridge Farms, which is Oregon's premier olive tree nursery and olive mill, which offers olive oil tasting and a great selection of herbs, edible landscape trees and shrubs. The farm is also home to a vineyard and winery. Next up is The Garden Corner, home of the Garden Rebels, which features the world's largest hanging basket. The last stop? Portland Nursery, a landmark known for broad selection and amazing houseplants.

Automation Tour — This one's all about equipment as well as application. Participants will see cutting-edge nursery automation equipment being built at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, GK Machine Inc., and tour a prototype for a fully automated smart greenhouse. Stops to follow will include three innovative nurseries that are redefining the future of the nursery industry through automation — Bountiful Farms Nursery Inc., Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas Inc., and Brentano's Tree Farm LLC.

Tour and expo registration is now open at the link here. The cost for each tour is $124 per person if purchased by July 31, or $139 if purchased later. Participants are encouraged to register early, as tour space is limited! Official Farwest hotels are also available for booking, and make for a nice headquarters for the weeklong trade show experience.

"Farwest really lets you do it all," Moore said. "Interesting tours, dynamic networking events, lively social events, informative seminars, and great exhibitors all come together to provide a nonstop experience for nursery professionals, from the first cup of coffee to last call."

Oregon is a nursery industry epicenter, with $1.2 billion worth of plant sales in 2022, the most recent year tallied. Oregon's nursery offerings are incredibly diverse, including trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, vegetable starts, herbs, climbers, tropicals, houseplants and much more.