In The News

You could say we're kind of a big deal.

With nearly 30 years of history as an industry leader, Loma Vista Nursery provides first-class service and quality products to our customers.

Here is the latest news from Loma Vista Nursery. We are extremely proud of our team and our plants, and these media stories help showcase our hard work.

Check out our recent media coverage below.

Greenhouse Product News

Make a Difference On the AmericanHort Board

Jan. 23, 2024

[Lyndsi Oestmann is a current AmericanHort board member.]

The AmericanHort Board of Directors announces the application period for the 2024 Board of Directors nominations is now open. Eligible AmericanHort members are invited to submit their applications by the deadline of Feb. 16, 2024, to be considered for nomination in the upcoming board of directors’ election. The application can be accessed at americanhort.org/boardapply, with elections scheduled to take place throughout the month of March.

Dedicated to uniting, promoting, and advancing the horticulture industry, AmericanHort seeks individuals who can contribute strategically to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Ken Fisher, CEO & president of AmericanHort, expresses the organization’s eagerness to welcome industry professionals dedicated to shaping the future. “We value the commitment of those who volunteer their time to help steer AmericanHort towards continued success,” said Fisher.

Lawn & Garden Retailer

AmericanHort seeks board applicants

Jan. 22, 2024

[Lyndsi Oestmann is a current AmericanHort board member.]

The AmericanHort board of directors has opened the application period for 2024 board of directors nominations. Eligible AmericanHort members can submit applications by the deadline of Feb. 16 to be considered for nomination in the upcoming board of directors’ election. The application can be accessed at americanhort.org/boardapply, with elections scheduled to take place throughout  March.

Dedicated to uniting, promoting, and advancing the horticulture industry, AmericanHort seeks individuals who can contribute strategically to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Ken Fisher, CEO and president, expresses the organization’s eagerness to welcome industry professionals dedicated to shaping the future. “We value the commitment of those who volunteer their time to help steer AmericanHort towards continued success,” Fisher said.

[Lyndsi Oestmann is a current AmericanHort board member.]

The AmericanHort Board of Directors is excited to announce the application period for the 2024 Board of Directors nominations is now open. Eligible AmericanHort members are invited to submit their applications by the deadline of February 16, 2024, to be considered for nomination in the upcoming board of directors’ election. The application can be accessed at AmericanHort.org/BoardApply, with elections scheduled to take place throughout the month of March.

Dedicated to uniting, promoting, and advancing the horticulture industry, AmericanHort seeks individuals who can contribute strategically to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Ken Fisher, CEO & President of AmericanHort, expresses the organization’s eagerness to welcome industry professionals dedicated to shaping the future. “We value the commitment of those who volunteer their time to help steer AmericanHort towards continued success,” says Fisher.

Nursery Management Magazine

Resolution reboot

Living your company’s core values won’t work if you set ’em and forget ’em

January 2024

‘Leadership Playbook’

By Lyndsi Oestmann

It shouldn’t be surprising that most of us shed our New Year’s resolutions before March rolls around.

A quick Google search pulls up a plethora of stats on the subject. There’s even a worldwide Quitters Day, held every January on the second Friday. (Its purpose is to encourage a resolution reboot.)

Some stats are amusingly curious. Like: Only 9% of Americans complete their New Year’s resolutions. Twenty-three percent quit by the end of January’s first week; 43% quit by the end of the month.

I’ll wager the 9% who kept their resolutions from the start of the year – while probably counting calories and balancing workouts – feel good, look good and do better 12 months later. As anyone who has ever pledged a New Year’s resolution knows: They won’t work if you set ‘em and forget ‘em.

“Living” your nursery’s core values can be viewed in the same way, assuming your business already has them defined. If you have ‘em, dust ‘em off. If you don’t, you’re going to want ‘em.

Through her experience within the horticulture industry, as president of Kansas-based Loma Vista Nursery and a member of the AmericanHort board of directors, Lyndsi Oestmann’s column, ‘Leadership Playbook’ informs our readers how to manage efficiently and effectively.

‘Leadership Playbook’ is an award-winning column. It won a prestigious Gold Award from the Publicity Club of Chicago.

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) is now accepting applications for the HRI Leadership Academy Class of 2025. The one-year program is designed for professionals at all levels who aspire to take on greater leadership roles. It teaches participants business strategy, leadership and people management, advocacy, and value chain management skills through in-person training sessions, virtual online classes and meetings, and a LEAD Project and presentation.

The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 9.

Applications will be evaluated on demonstrated leadership qualities; past evidence of or estimated future potential for contribution to the green industry; ability to consider the broader interests of the community; the applicant’s character and ability to grow because of this experience; and personal and employer commitment to the program. Preference will be given to candidates with at least five years of leadership experience and seven years of relevant industry work experience.

[The Class of 2024 includes Alfredo Rios, Loma Vista Nursery.]

Company culture has a significant impact on the success of a production nursery’s inventory management program. I know because we’ve been there.

Any business that has inventory will have inventory management issues. In our industry, those tend to focus on processes, like storing too many live products that are unable to be sold or lacking inventory to fulfill orders. There’s also incorrect tracking, difficulty locating plant material on-site and not knowing the condition of inventoried plants.

But mitigating inventory shrink is not a process issue alone. Successful inventory management is strategic. It’s centered on the value that the company’s culture – its human component – places on its product.

Businesses are exposed to many different types of financial risks and there is a lot of risk in the nursery and greenhouse industry. We already have a ton of exposure on the inventory side because we grow a perishable product. We mitigate liability risk by carrying auto policies with umbrella coverage. Cybersecurity policies mitigate loss if computers get hacked. Of course, worker’s compensation insurance is required in the event a team member gets hurt on the job.

I am not advocating that a grower over-insure itself. You can really go down a rabbit hole on all the different loss coverages available to businesses. But it is prudent to consider coverage on your trade or account receivables (AR) to do business effectively and sleep well at night.

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research and scholarship foundation of AmericanHort, has announced that the inaugural HRI Leadership Academy class has completed the program. The class spent the past year honing business acumen, building a toolbox of leadership strategies, diving deep into advocacy issues, learning the art of negotiation, and more.

[Article continues.]

Alfredo Rios, Loma Vista Nursery. Alfredo has worked in nearly every position at Loma Vista Nursery throughout his 22 years at the company. Currently, as Nursery general manager, Rios oversees a host of responsibilities, including the application of plant protection products, fertilization, scouting, and irrigation. Additionally, he was integral to creating the metrics and tracking systems that helped Loma Vista evaluate success in their landscape distribution center business. Alfredo is a proud father of a 21-year-old son and is described as someone who embraces challenges and seeks out ways to identify and solve business obstacles.

[For more, click on link in headline.]

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research and scholarship foundation of AmericanHort, has announced that the inaugural HRI Leadership Academy class has completed the program. The class spent the past year honing business acumen, building a toolbox of leadership strategies, diving deep into advocacy issues, learning the art of negotiation, and more.

[Article continues.]

Alfredo Rios, Loma Vista Nursery. Alfredo has worked in nearly every position at Loma Vista Nursery throughout his 22 years at the company. Currently, as Nursery general manager, Rios oversees a host of responsibilities, including the application of plant protection products, fertilization, scouting, and irrigation. Additionally, he was integral to creating the metrics and tracking systems that helped Loma Vista evaluate success in their landscape distribution center business. Alfredo is a proud father of a 21-year-old son and is described as someone who embraces challenges and seeks out ways to identify and solve business obstacles.

[For more, click on link in headline.]

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the research and scholarship foundation of AmericanHort, has announced that the inaugural HRI Leadership Academy class has completed the program. The class spent the past year honing business acumen, building a toolbox of leadership strategies, diving deep into advocacy issues, learning the art of negotiation, and more.

[Article continues.]

Alfredo Rios, Loma Vista Nursery. Alfredo has worked in nearly every position at Loma Vista Nursery throughout his 22 years at the company. Currently, as Nursery general manager, Rios oversees a host of responsibilities, including the application of plant protection products, fertilization, scouting, and irrigation. Additionally, he was integral to creating the metrics and tracking systems that helped Loma Vista evaluate success in their landscape distribution center business. Alfredo is a proud father of a 21-year-old son and is described as someone who embraces challenges and seeks out ways to identify and solve business obstacles.

[For more, click on link in headline.]

By Jennifer Zurko

AmericanHort announced the addition of three new industry professionals to the AmericanHort board of directors, along with the incoming slate of board officers.

The new slate of officers for 2023-2024 include Rob Lando as the incoming board chairman and Ed Overdevest as the incoming board vice chairman. Jon Reelhorn of Belmont Nursery will become the immediate past chairman and J. Harvey Cotten will continue to serve as board treasurer in a non-voting position.

PRESS RELEASE
Published July 17, 2023

The latest study released on the Global Indoor Foliage Plants Market by HTF MI Research evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2029. The Indoor Foliage Plants market study covers significant research data and proofs to be a handy resource document for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study to help understand market trends, growth drivers, opportunities and upcoming challenges and about the competitors.

Key Players in This Report Include:

Yesraj Agro Exports Pvt. Ltd. (India), Brassworld India (India), Vivero Growers (United States), Universal Fountain (India), Mobhi Coconut Supplier (India), Concept Pools & Gardens (India), Molla Nursery (India), Loma Vista Nursery (United States), Leaf Landscape Supply (United States), Ginkgo Gardens (United States).

Insuring your accounts receivables provides peace of mind you can bank on.

By Lyndsi Oestmann

Can we talk about the coronavirus for a moment? I know you’d probably rather not. But coupled with the long-term ramifications of the recent financial crisis and recession, the pandemic’s impacts provide for timely conversation about reducing trade risk. Especially in an ever-changing economic environment that is still reeling from COVID-19’s effects.

Businesses are exposed to many different types of financial risks and there is a lot of risk in the nursery business. We already have a ton of exposure on the inventory side because we grow a perishable product. We mitigate liability risk by carrying auto policies with umbrella coverage. Cybersecurity policies mitigate loss if computers get hacked. Of course, worker’s compensation insurance is required in the event a team member gets hurt on the job.

[Read More]

 

PRESS RELEASE
Published June 20, 2023

The Indoor Foliage Plants Market study with 65+ market data Tables, Pie charts & Figures is now released by HTF MI. The research assessment of the Market is designed to analyze futuristic trends, growth factors, industry opinions, and industry-validated market facts to forecast till 2029. The market Study is segmented by key a region that is accelerating the marketization. This section also provides the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the market in the future. The detailed information is based on current trends and historic milestones. Some of the players studied are Yesraj Agro Exports Pvt. Ltd. (India), Brassworld India (India), Vivero Growers (United States), Universal Fountain (India), Mobhi Coconut Supplier (India), Concept Pools & Gardens (India), Molla Nursery (India), Loma Vista Nursery (United States), Leaf Landscape Supply (United States), Ginkgo Gardens (United States).

AmericanHort is governed by experienced senior business leaders who represent diverse industry segments and share a desire to help our industry flourish.

Community connectors are the passionate representatives from the key industry segments that make up the green industry. They donate time, talent, and ideas to AmericanHort to help inform and guide everything we do so that we can best serve your evolving needs.

 

AmericanHort recently announced the addition of three new industry leaders to the AmericanHort board of directors, along with the incoming slate of board officers.

“We are pleased to have these respected industry members join the AmericanHort board to share their expertise and perspective as we continue to deliver on our mission,” said Ken Fisher president and CEO of AmericanHort. “The board plays an important role in shaping the future of the organization and we thank those who volunteer to serve the industry in this way for their dedication to the advancement of horticulture.”

PRESS RELEASE
Published May 16, 2023

The Latest research study released by HTF MI Indoor Foliage Plant Market with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth. Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are Yesraj Agro Exports Pvt. Ltd. (India), Brassworld India (India), Vivero Growers (United States), Universal Fountain (India), Mobhi Coconut Supplier (India), Concept Pools & Gardens (India), Molla Nursery (India), Loma Vista Nursery (United States), Leaf Landscape Supply (United States), Ginkgo Gardens (United States)etc.

Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/htf-market-intelligence/indoor-foliage-plant-market-seeking-excellent-growth-brassworld-vivero-growers-molla-nursery#ixzz81uBLUAEJ

A technique as old as time – and as contemporary as a Teams video chat
By Lyndsi Oestmann

We are hearing a lot these days about The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Hybrid Workplace Flexibility. Health experts say that unrelenting pressures on personal and professional boundaries and a kaleidoscope of change around family and life responsibilities compound unhappiness, which is exacerbated by pandemic ramifications.

Email, social media and text messaging are further disruptors in our one-on-one interactions, often blurring the lines between what is real and what is interpretation. Health experts say the resultant stress causes worry, frustration and anxiety that leads to dis-“ease.”

And yet, the answer may lie in a technique that is as old as time and as contemporary as a Teams video chat. As American workforce trends lean into empathy as an effective leadership tool post-pandemic, the art of mentoring as a human resource objective is receiving its due.

[Read More]

 

Posted by Chris Manning

AmericanHort is seeking nominations for its Board of Directors.

Per an e-blast sent on Monday, Jan. 23, nominations for the Board of Directors are due Feb. 17. In the call for nominations, board members “are the people behind the plants who share both time and talent to help the industry grow, evolve, innovate, and prepare for the best future possible.” They are “responsible for governing the direction and activities of AmericanHort, whose mission it is to serve and strengthen industry businesses. Members of the board serve three-year terms and meet several times throughout the year.”

Current directors include Plantpeddler owner Mike Gooder, Matt Edmundson from Arbor Valley Nursery, Lyndsi Oestmann from Loma Vista Nursery and Jonathan Saperstein from Everde Growers, among others.

Questions about the role can be sent to hello@americanhort.org or to Bell Nursery’s Cole Magnum, the immediate past chairman of the board, at Cole@BellNursery.com

 

By Lyndsi Oestmann

I believe my dad may have begun preparing me for business leadership when I was 12. He coached my youth softball team and trained me as a catcher.

In addition to catching pitches, the catcher is responsible for calling pitches, running the softball field and being an inspirational leader. The catcher engages in every play, makes real-time decisions and knows the other team’s capabilities in order to call pitches that lead to a winning game. While playing in that high-level position, I gained a lot of skills that I’m not certain I would have otherwise.

But of course, neither my dad nor I really knew then what we know now.

[Read More]

 

Four columns about management strategies.

Through her experience within the horticulture industry, as president of Kansas-based Loma Vista Nursery and a member of the AmericanHort board of directors, Lyndsi Oestmann’s column, ‘leadership Playbook’ informs our readers how to manage efficiently and effectively.

[Read More]

 

By Julie Hullett

Every grower knows that there is a crunch in the labor market. Many experienced growers are leaving the workforce, and it is challenging to recruit young people to the horticulture industry. Seed Your Future is working to expose young people to horticulture and promote its endless career opportunities. Seed Your Future recently launched its first Green Career Week, an opportunity to engage with young people and teach them about their future in horticulture.

Green Career Week took place from Oct. 3-7. Jazmin Albarran, Executive Director of Seed Your Future, says members of the horticulture industry want to connect with local schools and students, but may not know how to engage with them. The goal of Green Career Week is to connect industry professionals to the local community.

Alexandria, VA (October 18, 2022) – More than 140 businesses registered to take part in Seed Your Future’s inaugural Green Career Week, held October 3-7, 2022. The event gave professionals in the floriculture and horticulture industries an opportunity to speak to students about careers in their field and plant seeds for a budding new workforce. Participants talked with students at their schools or invited them to visit their business, and promoted careers on social media throughout the week.

Professionals who took part in the event emphasized the power and importance of coming together to build tomorrow’s workforce. They were able to make lasting connections in their communities for mentorships, internships, and eventually jobs.

Lyndsi Oestmann – Can you hear the collective sigh of relief? We’re entering that time of year when a break from the intensity of the nursery growing season seems right there, within reach.

But like in that great game of football – the fourth quarter is not the time to ease up on the gas. It’s time to do our homework.

If you attended the state-of-the-industry address during AmericanHort’s Cultivate’22, you heard important clues as to why buckling down on fiscal planning in the last quarter of the year is a sound strategy.

The Garden Center Group reported that 2022 year-to-date total retail sales were down 5.5%. While the average sale at its IGC members was up slightly more than 8%, the total number of transactions was down a little more than 12%.

Our industry, like so many others, is facing unique challenges and exciting opportunities — especially in the areas of employee hiring and retention.

It’s a smart idea to secure your employee bench no matter what condition the economic climate is in or our industry’s workforce.

This concept came to me years ago while reading Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great.” If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend doing so if you’re in a leadership position or aspire to be. Collins’ premise for hiring — and retaining — great employees is that the right person has to be on the right bus and in the right seat.

“Securing the bench” (my analogy, since I come from a sports family) is a mindset of resiliency. It’s a switch in thinking from “I need to fill that position” to “how can I expand the culture of my business to attract and retain the right partners to help my company meet its goals and reach its full potential?”

Farmers say Missouri and the Midwest are facing an agriculture labor shortage, which could increase food prices for the region.

Because of this labor shortage, some agriculture industry leaders are encouraging Kansas and Missouri’s U.S. senators to vote in favor of passing legislation to make it easier to hire out-of-country workers year-round, since finding domestic workers is becoming increasingly more difficult.

Last year, the U.S. House passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would allow changes to the H-2A temporary worker program. It would make a few changes to the temporary work visa, including allowing for non-seasonal and non-temporary work opportunities. Supporters of the bill said this would help stabilize agricultural work.

(Speakers include Lyndsi Oestmann, Loma Vista Nursery, Member of AmericanHort)

(The Center Square) – The agriculture sector in Kansas is facing “a devastating labor shortage,” according to industry groups.

Speaking Thursday at an event hosted by American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Action, Enrique Sanchez, intermountain state director for the coalition, said the labor shortage needs to be addressed to help fight inflation.

“This must be urgently addressed to keep grocery store shelves stocked, and lower food prices for Kansans, Missourians, and Americans everywhere,” said Sanchez. “A study by Texas A&M University shows that AG labor reform is an important part of a strategy to combat inflation and rising grocery prices.”

(Speakers include Lyndsi Oestmann, Loma Vista Nursery, Member of AmericanHort)

*This article also ran in the Clay Center Dispatch, Hiawatha Daily World, Derby Informer, The  Center Square, Parsons Sun, Hastings Tribune, TN Town News and KPVI-TV.

Agricultural leaders in Missouri and Kansas are pressing their senators to greenlight legislation that could help them with the current labor shortage.

According to farmers, the Midwest and Missouri are struggling with a labor shortage of workers in the agricultural sector, leading some top members of the industry to push senators to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

The bill would change the H-2A temporary worker program, and would reportedly make it easier to hire people from out of the country to work in U.S. farming throughout the year, per KBIA. It would also expand the program to allow it to be used for agricultural labor that is not only “temporary or seasonal.” The House of Representatives passed the measure last year and the Senate is still discussing its contents.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NEWS RELEASE) – On Thursday, September 8, at 10am CST, the American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action), the Dairy Farmers of America, AmericanHort, the International Fresh Produce Association, US Custom Harvesters, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Livestock Marketing Association and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce will participate in a press event and roundtable entitled “Lower Food Prices, Keep Shelves Stocked: Common Sense Solutions to Kansas and Missouri’s Farm Labor Shortage.”

With Senate negotiations ongoing, the event will call attention to the urgency of fixing Kansas’, Missouri’s and the nation’s farm labor shortage by passing new Senate agriculture workforce solutions.

(Speakers include Lyndsi Oestmann, Loma Vista Nursery, Member of AmericanHort)

 

Lyndsi Oestmann – The phrase “teamwork makes the dream work” applies as much to relationships with outsourced service partners as it does to the unity of management and staff. We wear many hats as nursery owners and managers. While we are experts at a lot of things, we are not experts at all things.

Widening your service support network according to your nursery’s values can help you meet, and oftentimes exceed, your business goals. That empowers management and staff to focus on growing and selling plants.

AmericanHort announced the election of four new members to the board of directors, along with the election of a new slate of board officers.

“We are excited to welcome these leaders who come from various segments of the green industry and encompass diverse experiences, skills and backgrounds,” said Ken Fisher, president & CEO of AmericanHort. “We also appreciate the dedication and commitment of our officers and the leadership they provide our organization and industry, particularly during the challenges of the past few years.”

By Becky Garber-Godi – With workforce being the #1 challenge within the landscape industry, some recruiters feel the immediacy of tapping into the half of our population that is poorly represented in landscape jobs at all levels. What would happen if women rose from only 10% of those employed in landscape jobs to 30 or even 50%? How much more work could get done?

AmericanHort has announced the election of four new members to its board of directors, along with the election of a new slate of board officers. The official welcome and installation will take place at Cultivate’22 in Columbus, OH.

“We are excited to welcome these leaders who come from various segments of the green industry and encompass diverse experiences, skills, and backgrounds,” says Ken Fisher, President and CEO of AmericanHort. “We also appreciate the dedication and commitment of our officers and the leadership they provide our organization and industry, particularly during the challenges of the past few years.”

*This also was published in Lawn & Landscape Magazine, Nursery Management, Greenhouse Management, Greenhouse Product News and Lawn & Garden Retailer.

Lyndsi Oestmann – Everyone knows there are rules from OSHA and WPS that growers must abide by. But simply abiding by the rules is not enough. Nor does it give anyone on the team reason to engage.

Going the extra mile by prioritizing safety as part of a daily coaching and reinforcement program — along with training and education — is a “win” that everyone can get behind. Why? Because a culture of safe behavior is a victory for the company’s brand, workforce and bottom line. In fact, it is a profit center.

Ellison Chair for International Floriculture Charlie Hall is proud to announce the graduation of the ninth cohort of the elite Executive Academy for Growth & Leadership (EAGL) program for nursery & greenhouse growers.

Eight industry leaders – including Lyndsi Oestmann, president, Loma Vista Nursery – received their Certificate in Applied Horticultural Business Management from Texas A&M University on Feb. 3, 2022.

Loma Vista Nursery is one of four growers recently enlisted to benchmark the Resource Innovation Institute’s water and energy benchmarking metrics.

The Resource Innovation Institute (RII) welcomes its latest round of producer-partners planning to benchmark their energy- and water-efficiency performance metrics as part of a USDA-funded project aimed at encouraging innovation and resource efficiency in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry.

The Resource Innovation Institute (RII) welcomes its latest round of producer-partners planning to benchmark their energy- and water-efficiency performance metrics as part of a USDA-funded project aimed at encouraging innovation and resource efficiency in the CEA industry. The three-year project is meant to coordinate research in the sector and establish industry performance standards and best practices.

WASHINGTON — The Resource Innovation Institute (RII) welcomes its latest round of producer-partners planning to benchmark their energy- and water-efficiency performance metrics as part of a USDA-funded project aimed at encouraging innovation and resource efficiency in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry.

Spearheaded by RII and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the three-year project is meant to coordinate research in the sector and establish industry performance standards and best practices.

This press release was originally distributed by SBWire.

Edison, NJ — (SBWIRE) — 03/01/2022 — The latest study released on the Global Indoor Foliage Plants Market by AMA Research evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2027. The Indoor Foliage Plants market study covers significant research data and proofs to be a handy resource document for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study to help understand market trends, growth drivers, opportunities and upcoming challenges and about the competitors.

Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/indoor-foliage-plants-market-is-set-to-fly-high-in-years-to-come#ixzz7PgmEGC9D

*This article also came across the SBWire – http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/indoor-foliage-plants-market-is-set-to-fly-high-in-years-to-come-1354071.htm

Here we are, in 2022. We start the New Year where we left the past one. Our industry, like so many others, is facing unique challenges and exciting opportunities – especially in the areas of employee hiring and retention.

We’re well aware of “The Great Resignation” that began during the height of the pandemic and proceeded through all of 2021. So, I won’t rehash the well-documented statistics, reasons and projections for where we are as a national workforce and how it all impacts our industry. For that background, take a look at Charlie Hall’s research on the AmericanHort website and state-of-the-industry coverage in issues of this magazine.

The AmericanHort Board of Directors has announced that the application period for the 2022 board of director nominations is now open.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 18 from AmericanHort members interested in being nominated for the AmericanHort board of directors’ election. The nomination application  is available at AmericanHort.org/BoardApply and elections will take place over four weeks beginning in March.

The AmericanHort Board of Directors is pleased to announce the application period for the 2022 board of director nominations is now open. Applications will be accepted until February 18, 2022 from AmericanHort members interested in being nominated for the AmericanHort board of directors’ election. The application for nomination is available at www.AmericanHort.org/BoardApply and elections will take place over four weeks beginning in March.

Applications will be accepted until Feb.18, 2022 from AmericanHort members interested in being nominated for the AmericanHort board of directors’ election. The nomination application  is available at AmericanHort.org/BoardApply and elections will take place over four weeks beginning in March.

Lyndsi Oestmann – Here we are, in 2022. We start the New Year where we left the past one. Our industry, like so many others, is facing unique challenges and exciting opportunities – especially in the areas of employee hiring and retention.

We’re well aware of “The Great Resignation” that began during the height of the pandemic and proceeded through all of 2021. So, I won’t rehash the well-documented statistics, reasons and projections for where we are as a national workforce and how it all impacts our industry. For that background, take a look at Charlie Hall’s research on the AmericanHort website and state-of-the-industry coverage in issues of this magazine.

For Loma Vista Nursery, “right plant, right place” is more than an education hook to help consumers understand what and where to plant. Offering a mix of natives, cultivars and nativars is a successful business model that informs this wholesale grower’s production and marketing strategy.

“These individuals are leaders from across the horticulture industry and encompass various experiences, skills, and backgrounds. We are excited to welcome this group of new directors,” said Ken Fisher, president & CEO of AmericanHort. “We appreciate the dedication and commitment of our officers and the leadership they provide our organization and industry.”

An opportunity lies before us. Have you heard the term green lining in relation to the global pandemic? More people are interest in plants — plants for aesthetics, plants as a hobby, plants for health, plants for nourishment, plants for the environment.

At Loma Vista Nursery, when we are faced with new challenges—like working through the middle of a pandemic while balancing the strongest demand we have seen in years—we do not panic or make reactionary decisions that often prove to be very costly. By maximizing our space and using it efficiently, re-evaluating in a timely manner, building strong foundations within our team, and controlling the inputs we can, we have pushed the envelope and exceeded expectations.

– Thomas Minter, finalist in the 2021 GrowerTalks/The HC Companies Young Grower Award.

As we get deeper in to colder weather, it’s time to start thinking about caring for your plants during the winter months! Caitlin Hupp with Loma Vista Nursery joined Midday Madison to share her top tips for winterizing plants.

As we spend more time inside, you may want to add a few plants to your decor! Caitlin Hupp, plant expert with Loma Vista Nursery, joined Midday Madison  to share her top tips on keeping indoor plants.

By emphasizing preparedness and planning, Loma Vista Nursery has been able to address the unique challenges facing the industry.

Safety and security are the foundation of business. Crises like COVID-19 and other environmental challenges illuminate weaknesses and strengths — while providing fertile ground for reflection, education and change.

Like many companies that have weathered environmental storms throughout their history, Loma Vista Nursery hones its business practices through leadership, experience and planning, and seizes challenge as an opportunity to pivot and poise for growth.

If you feel like your landscaping has been looking a little dull lately, you might want to try these tips! Caitlin Hupp  joined WKOW to share a few ways to simply upgrade your landscaping.

Whether it’s on a dusty softball field, in a corporate boardroom or on a gravel-lined nursery plot, Lyndsi Oestmann remains consistently devoted to the task at hand. Her purposeful and sincere work ethic was forged when she was a child, watching her dad play professional baseball. It was reinforced as she played competitive softball, persisted into her college studies and eventually became etched in her career. Lyndsi owns and operates Loma Vista Nursery in Ottawa, Kansas, a business that was founded by her father, Mark Clear in 1991.

“We’re focused on being the best grower we can be,” Lyndsi said. Loma Vista was a pioneer in the adoption of what is called SANC: Systems Approach to Nursery Certification, developed in partnership with regulatory agencies and the industry. In simplest terms, SANC takes a holistic approach to the processes and protocols necessary to assure plant health. “We are super proud of that,” Lyndsi said. “Our SANC handbook has become one of the national models.”

Today, Loma Vista Nursery is one of the nation’s leading wholesale suppliers of plants, trees and shrubs for independent garden centers, landscape contractors, and wholesale distributors in the Midwest. The operation consists of 300 acres of containerized production at Ottawa plus a 600-acre tree farm in the Willow Springs area of Douglas County. Willow Springs is a rural township with a population of 1,409 people. Now, that’s rural.

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

From pitches to plants. From hardballs to hibiscus. From the strike zone to the root zone. Those phrases are a way of describing the transition made by a Major League Baseball player who, with his daughter, has developed one of the leading plant nurseries in the nation.

From pitches to plants. From hardballs to hibiscus. From the strike zone to the root zone. Those phrases are a way of describing the transition made by a Major League Baseball player who, with his daughter, has developed one of the leading plant nurseries in the nation.

 

Loma Vista Nursery in Ottowa, Kansas, is now applying lessons learned from the 2008 economic downturn, says president Lyndsi Oestmann. The nursery “invested thoughtfully in safety and security for our team and in the financial health of the company,” she says.

For Lyndsi Oestmann and her 150-member team at Ottawa, Kansas-based Loma Vista Nrsery, the view from here is pretty good.  Oestmann is the second-generation owner of the company founded by her dad, Mark Clear, in 1991.  Today – as the company prepares for its 30th anniversary – Oestmann has the reins of the company and is grateful to the industry that is her dad’s passion, and hers as well.

Employers looking to add to their staff while reinforcing their existing workforce might take a page from the Loma Vista Nursery handbook. Five years ago, the Ottawa, KS-based grower (and finalist for Greenhouse Grower’s Operation of the Year award in 2019) developed an out-of-the-box curriculum that continues to train new professionals for the horticulture industry, where jobs tend to be off-kilter with demand for qualified, creative talent. What’s most remarkable to Lyndsi Oestmann, Vice President of Loma Vista, is the internship program became as much about fortifying Loma Vista Nursery’s leadership and staff as adding to its talent pool…

Spring may feel like forever away, but in the plant world it’s right around the corner! Caitlin Hupp, plant expert at Loma Vista Nursery, joined us to share why right now is the best time to start thinking ahead about which blooms you’d like to see when the weather turns warm again…

A local business has received an award from their industry. Loma Vista nursery has received the excellence of sustainability award was presented to Loma Vista during the annual cultivate 10 conferences in Columbus Ohio. Loma Vista marketing consultant. Zane DeZeeuw says, “The systems approach to nursery certification was not happy with the governments’ regulations weren’t doing enough to protect the industry against pathogens and other issues, so we created our own program and Loma Vista stood out”…

The finalists for this year’s Greenhouse Grower Operation of the Year award share several traits, including an innovative approach to production, a commitment to sustainability, and a drive to build long-term success for both their respective companies, and for the plant industry as a whole. Here’s your chance to get to know this year’s finalists, each of which have already won individual honors. The winner will be announced at Cultivate’19 during Greenhouse Grower’s Medal of Excellence awards…

After a lengthy and rigorous dissection of its practices, Loma Vista Nursery entered a program that will drastically reduce pest-related risks and enrich the company. Late last year, the nursery received SANC certification. SANC — Systems Approach to Nursery Certification — is administered by the National Plant Board, a non-profit organization that includes plant pest regulatory agencies representing each of the states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Guam…

 

OTTAWA, Kansas – Loma Vista Nursery has received Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC), administered by the National Plant Board, a non-profit organization of the plant pest regulatory agencies of each of the states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Guam. SANC is a voluntary, audit-based program for production nurseries and grower greenhouses and is designed to reduce pest risks associated with the movement of nursery stock…

Education is one of the best ways to encourage and help foster your customers’ success. Loma Vista Nursery in Ottawa, Kan., has fine-tuned its education programs throughout the years and established itself as trusted experts in the green industry. Loma Vista maintains a wholesale operation as well as a landscape distribution center. Much of the company’s educational programs are hosted through its distribution center, but it’s certainly a model that could be successful for any wholesale grower willing to invest the time…

An old limestone rock quarry on the southern edge of Ottawa, Kansas has found new life as a water source for Loma Vista Nursery’s 50 acres of trees and plants. At the same time, what may have once been considered an eyesore has been turned into an environmentally positive site visually and functionally. Mark Clear, Loma Vista’s owner, went into the nursery industry in 1991 and began the Ottawa operation in 2005…

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