US (OR): New addition to Farwest Show in the form of Career Boulevard

The Farwest Show is where people from all sectors of the green industry — and all stages of their careers — get together. And that includes growers, retailers, landscapers, service providers, educators and students.

That's why the show is introducing a new feature: Career Boulevard.

"Everyone starts somewhere, and the green industry needs new energy from new people now more than ever," said Jamie Moore, events and education coordinator for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the show. "This also means that opportunities are in abundance. We saw a need to let people explore all the possibilities, and we knew the best place for that would be Farwest."

The Career Boulevard is a new area on the Farwest Show floor, tailored to emerging professionals of any age, from high school students to recent graduates and those looking to change careers. Its purpose is to serve as a gateway into the diverse opportunities the green industry offers in horticulture, landscaping, nursery management and related fields, including education, employment, internships and scholarships.

"We are creating a one-stop location on the show floor where people interested in a nursery career can pursue their dreams," Moore said. "I would compare it to adding a new land to Disneyland. It opens up a whole new aspect of our show. We envision a place where students can explore educational opportunities, learn about careers, view a job board, make connections and perhaps have their résumé reviewed or practice their interview skills."

Several schools and organizations will have booths in the Career Boulevard area, including Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board. Additionally, the Horticultural Research Institute (affiliated with AmericanHort) and the Oregon Nurseries Foundation (affiliated with the OAN) will be there.

For students attending, there will be special perks, including a FREE 3-Day Trade Show Pass, and a discounted Three-Day Education Pass to the seminars. Information is available from area colleges that have an agriculture or horticulture program.

"This is a brand-new feature at Farwest," Moore said. "We are very excited to offer it. The horticulture industry offers tremendous opportunities to enjoy a meaningful and rewarding career doing something that people love, while making a difference. We are stoked about debuting this new feature and even more enthused about seeing where it goes from here. The sky is the limit, and we are looking for feedback and ideas to really help it take off."

The Farwest Show itself will take place Wednesday–Friday, August 20–22, 2025, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. 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.