Valleybrook Gardens

Jun 25, 2019

Valleybrook Gardens sold to Josami Holdings The sale of the Abbotsford location follows the sale of the Ontario facility two years prior. John Schroeder, founder and CEO of the Valleybrook Group of companies, announced the sale of Valleybrook Gardens Ltd. , located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The shares of the company were purchased by Josami Holdings Ltd., a family-owned company newly incorporated by Joe Abi-Ad. This transaction follows the sale of Valleybrook Gardens (Ontario, Canada) Ltd. two years ago. “When my wife Kelly and I started in the nursery industry 40 years ago as a newly married young couple, we didn’t know what the future held,” Schroeder said. “What we did know was that we would only be satisfied by producing the highest quality plant material, and that innovative marketing and branding was going to be a key to success. We had always expected that this would create the value which would allow us some day to sell our company, so it could continue on after us.” Heritage Perennials, the blue pots, Jeepers Creepers, Backyard Fresh and Rock Stars are some of the plant brands which the nursery will continue to produce under license from Valleybrook International Ventures, Inc., which continues to be held by the Schroeder family. “The nursery has an excellent reputation, an experienced management team, and a loyal workforce and customer base,” Schroeder said. “We found a buyer who values what we have built, and who plans to build on that foundation together with our existing staff and management. After 40 years at the helm, this was a perfect opportunity for us to move on to new adventures.” Joe Abi-Ad has over four years of experience in the industry as the CFO of a large Canadian nursery and sees this as an opportunity to take the next step and run his own company. “I look forward to continuing the legacy built by the Schroeder family in this well-managed business,” Abi-Ad said. “The Valleybrook brands have always differentiated themselves from others through their exceptional quality, thus making the company a highly attractive acquisition target. We will continue to provide the highest quality plants and best service to our customers.” OHP announces changes for Pedestal Insecticide Pedestal will have a new EPA registration number, new product code, and be available in OHP packaging. Package size, use rates, Restricted Entry Interval (REI 12 hours), and controlled insects remain the same. Pedestal, with the active ingredient novaluron, is a suspension concentrate formulation labeled for use on ornamentals and tomatoes grown in greenhouses and nurseries. Among the insects controlled are not only thrips, but whiteflies, armyworms, stink bugs and more. California registration is currently pending. For more information on OHP, visit its site here . Approved entries will be featured on the Farwest website and displayed on the show floor. The Farwest Show announced June 30, 2019, is the final deadline to submit entries for the New Varieties Showcase. The New Varieties Showcase will highlight cutting-edge plant varieties from around the world. Industry experts and show attendees will judge the featured plants, singling out their favorites for Best in Show and People’s Choice awards. This year’s Farwest Show is Aug. 21–23 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. To have a plant variety considered for inclusion in the Showcase, fill out an entry form that is available for download (PDF) here . Return the completed New Varieties Showcase entry form by June 30 to Zen Landis at zlandis@oan.org or FAX it to 503-682-5099. Accepted entries will be invoiced $75 per variety. To qualify for approved entry, plants must exhibit qualities such as greater hardiness, increased bloom time, more vibrant color, improved habit or better disease resistance. Entries must be new-to-market introductions for 2019 or 2020. Also, entries must be available for purchase from a designated grower or supplier exhibiting at the 2019 show. Approved entries will also be featured online at www.FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase on the floor with Macore plant tag labels. Previously at the 2018 show, 60 varieties were on display, including annuals, grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees. For questions, contact Zen Landis at zlandis@oan.org or 503-582-2011. AmericanHort has announced its 2019 class of HortScholars. The 2019 HortScholars will be set on a path to success at Cultivate’19 where they will be exposed to the breadth of the horticulture industry, its opportunities, and its leaders. The program offers a beyond-the-classroom experience, giving insight and awareness of the industry, its supply chain, and where they might find a home for their passion. With a focus on professional development, the HortScholars will attend educational sessions, network, and work with industry mentors during Cultivate’19. With almost 50 applications submitted, the organization announced that 2019 was another record-breaker for HortScholar applications. Here are this year's scholars:  Josiah Baleis pursuing a degree in Horticultural Science at The Ohio State University focusing on Greenhouse and Nursery Management. From a young age, he has had a passion for plants and that has led him to complete several internships in different segments of the horticulture industry, including: a wholesale nursery, retail garden center, and even a non-profit aquaponic facility. Kalyn Helmsis attending University of Arkansas majoring in Horticulture, Landscape, and Turf Science with an emphasis in Greenhouse Production and a German minor. She also works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in greenhouse production. After graduation, she hopes to do research on sustainable alternatives in the field of floriculture. Marcus Jansenis working on his master’s at Iowa State University, researching the physiological responses and performance of peach and nectarine trees grown in a high tunnel production system compared to a conventional field production system. He has held internships with Bachmans Inc., the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and Ball Horticultural Company. Andrew Kielionis a student in the Horticulture Program at College of DuPage pursuing a Horticulture AAS, Greenhouse Management Certificate, and Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. His interest in plant breeding led to his employment at the College of DuPage Greenhouse and PanAmerican Seed Research Company. He is even working on a few capsicum hybrids in his home garden. Annika Kohleris a master’s student at Michigan State University studying herb and ornamental production in controlled environments. Her passion for horticulture is led by her drive to produce edible and ornamental crops sustainably without compromising quantity or quality. With a background in both organic field production and controlled environments, she hopes to become a research technician for a controlled environment company. Felicia Millethas worked as an arborist in Connecticut for the past seven years. This year, she enrolled in the University of Connecticut’s Associate Degree program in Plant Science, concentrating on Ornamental Horticulture, to learn more about ornamental trees and shrubs in the New England region. Her interest in finding replacements for invasive species in the landscape has led her to become more involved in nursery production and plant propagation. The HortScholars will be giving Ignite! presentations at Cultivate’19 on Monday, July 15 at 11 a.m. in the Knowledge Center on the trade show floor. DURHAM, NH – Bees are essential for most of the fruit and vegetable crops produced in New England. The value of pollination to agriculture is estimated at more than $200 billion a year worldwide. However, the abundance and diversity of pollinators are declining in landscapes across the United States. Scientists at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) working in the  New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station  are conducting research that not only assesses the state of our native bees but also develops ways that citizens can help support these members of our ecological and agricultural communities. For several years, experiment station researchers have been assessing the status of the state’s native pollinators. During the first assessment of New Hampshire’s bee population, scientists found that the Granite State has more than 100 native bees. They also discovered nearly 20 bee species that had not been previously documented in the state. The White Mountain National Forest alone is home to nearly 140 species of native bees, including two species of native bumble bees that are declining in the Northeast. Unfortunately, scientists also have discovered that three of the state’s most important bumble bee species have experienced drastic declines and range constriction over the last 150 years, with a fourth bee also in significant decline. In addition, scientists found that 14 wild bee species also are in drastic decline in New Hampshire. Despite the declines, landowners, property managers, farmers, and landscapers have been eager to create and enhance pollinator habitat. “The interest in helping pollinators has been astounding. There are literally hundreds of pollinator gardens and habitats that have been installed in New Hampshire alone in the last few years,” experiment station researcher Cathy Neal says. Neal, who also is a nursery and landscape horticulture state specialist with UHN Cooperative Extension, has conducted nearly 10 years of wildflower meadow trials at the experiment station’s Woodman Horticultural Research Farm. She has found that wildflower meadows comprised of a mixture of herbaceous perennials are extremely valuable places for bees to forage for food. In fact, she has developed a mix of wildflowers specifically ideal for New Hampshire. Those interested in creating a wildflower meadow to support New Hampshire’s native pollinators can learn more at the upcoming field day, Connecting the Dots for Pollinator Conservation: Wildflower Meadows and Pollinator Habitat. The event is Tuesday, July 30, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station’s  Woodman Horticultural Research Farm .