Climate Friendly Nurseries project launched

At a press conference today at the Farwest Show at the Oregon Convention Center, representatives from agriculture, government, and the environment gathered to announce the launch of the Climate Friendly Nurseries project. The Climate Friendly Nurseries project is an innovative partnership between the Oregon Environmental Council and the Oregon Association of Nurseries that will help nurseries use energy and other resources more efficiently, reduce costs, and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while achieving greater economic efficiency and profitability.

Congressman Kurt Schrader of Oregon’s 5^th District was on hand to hail the project as another example of cooperation between diverse groups, and one of visionary importance for Oregon’s largest agricultural commodity – ornamental horticulture. Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba was also on hand to recognize the project, as was the Oregon Association of Nurseries Executive Director John Aguirre, growers from the Willamette Valley, and OEC’s own Allison Hensey - who lead the charge in crafting the project – also spoke.

OEC's Allison Hensey and Chris Hagerbaumer talk sustainability with Congressman Schrader

Through the Climate Friendly Nurseries project, Oregon nurseries will quantify their energy and resource use and greenhouse gas emissions, and identify specific ways to reduce them. The project team of Ecos Consulting and Oregon State University will help participating nurseries secure grants, low interest loans and tax credits for energy and resource efficiency upgrades, and provide technical assistance for the upgrades. Participating nurseries will collect and enter data into an online tool created for this project by Ecos Consulting. The tool inventories energy, fuel, fertilizer and use of other resources, and measures that use and related GHG emissions. This project builds on the experience of the Oregon Environmental Council and Ecos consulting in leading the Carbon Neutral Challenge for Oregon wineries with the Oregon Wine Board.

Seven nurseries have already committed to participating in the project. These nurseries will receive help in collecting energy use and GHG emissions data, and individualized assessments of their energy and resource use and related GHG emissions. Based on these assessments, participating nurseries will obtain customized recommendations on how to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, and an analysis of the economic payoff for implementing these energy saving and efficiency measures. The participating nurseries include:

• J Frank Schmidt & Son, Boring, OR, www.jfschmidt.com

• Northwoods Nursery, Molalla, OR www.northwoodsnursery.co

• Heritage Seedlings, Salem, OR, www.heritageseedlings.com

• Bailey Nurseries Inc., St. Paul, MN, www.baileynursery.com

• Evans Farms, Oregon City, OR, www.evansfarms.net

• Monrovia, Dayton, OR , www.monrovia.com

• Blooming Nursery, Cornelius, OR, www.bloomingnursery.com

Stay tuned for updates over the next three years! We’re just getting started on this groundbreaking project…