Southwest Horticulture

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013VOLUME 30 NUMBER 1

southwest

THIS ISSUE: Spurge Research ReportHealthcare Reform and Your Business

HO

RTIC

ULT

URE

ANA Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner

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www.azna.org January/February 2013 | 1

2 Frontline

3 Insights

4 Industry News

6 ANA News

7 ANLA News

11 Members Services

12 Insurance Update

13 It’s the Law

14 Safety News

16 Advertiser Index

southwestHorticulture

Arizona Nursery AssociationOfficers and Board of Directors

PresidentJoe Traficano ............................West Coast Turf

President-ElectJay Harper ............................ Harper’s Nursery

TreasurerDon Waltemeyer ..................Treeland Nurseries

Past PresidentRob Johns....................................A&P Nursery

Board of DirectorsMatt Bigham ..........................Western GrowersJimmy Fox ................................. Evergreen TurfPhil Hemminghaus .......................... Wilbur EllisJessica Cox ...........................Cox Cactus FarmRoger Ramsey ..........................Ewing IrrigationCindy Riding ................. Moon Valley NurseriesDan SchollLes Shipley ........................Civano Nursery, IncScott Tenge .................... Queen Creek GrowersCarol Ward-Morris ...... Arizona Municipal Water Users Association

Ex-Officio MembersBrett Cameron..Arizona Department of Agriculture

StaffCheryl Goar ......................... Executive DirectorSusan Chase .....................Communication and Education Director

Official Magazine of the Arizona Nursery Association

1430 West Broadway Road, Suite 110Tempe, Arizona 85282

480-966-1610 Fax 480-966-0923e-mail: [email protected]: www.azna.org

SouthwestHORTICULTURE Magazine

Mission StatementSouthwestHorticulture Magazine is the official news and educational publication of the Arizona Nursery As-sociation, its members, affiliates and officers. It provides opportunities for academics to publish research of importance to ANA members, communicates significant information about ANA members and events, contains information that increases knowledge within the industry and presents a professional image of our members and affiliates. It offers advertising space to ANA members and non-members, which generates revenues in excess of publication costs.The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Arizona Nursery Association or its members. Likewise, the appearance of advertis-ers, or their identification as members of ANA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured.SouthwestHorticulture is published bi-monthly by the Ari-zona Nursery Association. It is sent to ANA and ALCA members as a membership benefit. Subscription rate for non-members is $50 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 1430 West Broadway, Suite 110, Tempe, Arizona 85282. Phone: 480-966-1610.

southwestHORTICULTUREJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013VOLUME 30 NUMBER 1

Calendar DepartmentsFEBRUARY

14 &15 High Desert Gardening & Landscaping Conference, Sierra Vista www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg 19 Smartscape begins, Maricopa County www.smartscape.org

26 ADA’s Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Prescott/Chino Valley http://www.azda.gov/Main/Prescottttt.pdf or [email protected]

26 ANA Local Lunch Connection, Phoenix Location TBA, More Info: [email protected]

27 ANA Local Lunch Connection, Tucson Location TBA, More Info: [email protected]

28 ANA Local Lunch Connection, Prescott Watters Garden Center, More Info: [email protected]

MARCH

8, 15, Certified Arborist Training, Tempe22, 29, www.aztrees.org30

19 – 21 ADA’s Train-the-Trainer Workshops, Wilcox [email protected] for Spanish: [email protected]

31 – ARCSA Rainwater Catchment Workshop/April 2 Training, Prescott More information and class descriptions: www.arcsa.org.

Cover Photo: ANA 2012 Annual Meeting

Features8 ANA Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner4 Spurge Research Report12 Healthcare Reform and Your Business

2 | southwestHORTICULTURE Arizona Nursery Association

Happy and Healthy New Year to all of you and your families, I am sure you are like me and wondering where the year went but am really looking forward to 2013 and all that it has to offer.

Want to thank all of the people who attended the annual meeting at McCormick Ranch, what a wonderful place to hold an event. I am sure we will be going back to the venue in the near future. During the meeting if you remember Cheryl gave a presentation on how your association promotes, serves, and protects your companies. This theme has always been the mission of the association throughout the years and will be no different in 2013.

The Board of Directors along with Cheryl and Susan will continue to provide

information through the website updates, on facebook, in the magazine and by being available in the office. As I have said before, one of Cheryl’s greatest assets is solving problems and getting an answer for you. Please do not hesitant to take advantage of these resources.

As with any association, ANA is no different - we are in need of your involvement to keep these services going. This involvement starts with paying your dues; it is a small price to pay to have a resource at your fingertips. Secondly, your involvement in attending scheduled events throughout the year; these events are for the benefit of you and your company. We provide education and networking opportunities, and we always manage to have some fun while we’re at it. Lastly, your involvement is needed in serving the association. This can be achieved by volunteering for a committee, hosting an LLC, or just having your company be a sponsor of any of the events throughout the year. So, please take a second to think about 2013 and how

you can become more involved with your association.

The Board is meeting later this month to finalize several event dates but we have a couple already confirmed so please put them in your calendar. The SHADE conference is slated for Friday August 9th and the Annual Dinner is scheduled for Thursday December 5th.Once the dates have been selected for Saturday Night Live and the LLC’s they will be posted.

We appreciate your continued support and look forward to a healthy and prosperous 2013.

As always if you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact any of the board members, myself or Cheryl.

Warm regards,

frontline Joe Traficano, President

Joe Traficano

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The Arizona Nursery Association’s mission statement is to be “dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the nursery industry and the public they serve”. Here at ANA we take that promotion mission seriously and have for years. Some years it was easier to accomplish this task because of funds to do the promotion and other years it has been challenging to say the least. Looking back to October of 1989 when I began my career at ANA, I was hired as the first Marketing Director. With that title and a very active Marketing Committee, we accomplished promotions with The Arizona Republic, McDonald’s Corporation and several other companies promoting trees and tree planting. Through the years as dollars become more difficult to come by, ANA’s promotion had been more in the “having booths at every free festival possible” in order to promote planting and our local garden center members.

We have been fortunate over the past three years to have real promotional dollars in the ANA budget for promotions like the Plant Something campaign and the Arizona Grown Plant and Produce Promotion. ANA is very proud of these campaigns, which together total over $400,000 which this industry was able to use to market the environmental, health and monetary benefits of trees and plants. The Arizona Grown promotion has funded over $150,000 in promotion. I would like to highlight items just last month the general public has seen through ANA to promote our industry.

Turn your yard and community into an inviting oasis. Before you pour a tall cool one, try planting one. The right trees and plants will transform an ordinary space into a memorable experience. Unearth a wealth of exterior decorating ideas at plant-something.org

PLANTSOMETHING

The Plant Something marketing committee placed this 1/3 page ad in Phoenix Home and Garden magazine for a three issue run from now until Spring. This advertisement guides consumers to the Plant Something website which in turn, asks for your zip code and then consumers can see the local ANA member garden

center closest to their home. This is a direct member benefit for your dues dollar.

These are just two of the digital billboards which ran November and December of last year promoting purchasing Arizona Grown plants. Again the advertisements lead you to the Arizona Grown website which points you to the Plant Something website which then guides consumers to your garden center if you are an ANA member.

Other promotions finished last year were updates to www.plant-something.org and www.arizonagrown.org. If you have not visited both websites, please check them out and see how they are marketing purchasing your trees and plants. Last year as well, both promotions initiated Facebook pages and have many followers. The Plant Something site is newer and has a narrower focus, however it currently has 106 followers. The Arizona Grown page has 1171 daily followers. These are all potential customers for you.

For 2013, ANA will continue to make marketing a priority with these two promotions. Please contact me if you would like materials for either or would like to help us cross-promote.

insights Cheryl Goar, CAE, Executive DirectorPromotion and Marketing - A Vital Part of ANA’s Mission

Specimen Trees for Desert LandscapesArid Zone Trees

480.987-9094 Fax 480.987.9092 [email protected]

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Industry news2012 Spurge Research ReportKelly Murray YoungAssistant Agent, Horticulture

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Maricopa County

The battle against the weedy spurges continues. Since we started looking at ways to reduce the problem, a few key issues have surfaced:

1. Sanitation is crucial. The longer spurge plants are allowed to grow, the more seeds they produce. Staff needs to be trained to identify spurge and to remove it immediately on sight. Nobody should walk by a spurge mat without pausing to pull it and throw it away. Do not leave the spurge mat behind once it has been pulled. Throw it away immediately. For every square foot of spurge mat, 500 seeds can be present. Minimize the seeds in the soil seed bank.

2. Always apply pre-emergence herbicides at the labeled rate. Under-application is a waste of staff time, product and, most importantly, money! Use calibration trays and require staff to calibrate before every application to make sure they are applying at the correct rate.

For the 2012 spurge season, eight treatments to manage weedy spurges were compared in newly transplanted Prosopis velutina in five-gallon containers on 10 July. Six granular pre-emergence herbicides (see chart below) were applied using a belly grinder at the specified rate for each product. Calibration was performed before applying each product. One treatment was the application of a 2-inch, coarse mulch topdress; plus, there was one untreated control (UTC). Each treatment was replicated five times. Observations of the presence or absence of spurge was made in each container at 30, 45, 60 and 90 days after treatment (DAT). Differences in spurge pressure between treatments was compared using JMP 10.0.0 software.

Product Active Ingredient(s) RateDimension dithiopyr 150 lbs/ASnapshot trifluralin + isoxaben 150 Lbs/AShowcase trifluralin + isoxaben +oxyfluorfen 150 lbs/AFreehand dimethenamid + pendimethalin 150 lbs/ABroadstar flumioxazin 150 lbs/ABiathlon oxyfluorfen + prodiamine 100 lbs/ACoarse mulch 2” topdressUTC untreated control nothing applied

At 30 and 45 DAT, spurge pressure was low in all treatments. At 60 days, distinct differences began to emerge, and at 90 days it became clear that any treatment, including the application of coarse organic mulch, was better than applying nothing at all. In fact, there was no statistical difference in the performance of mulch versus Showcase, Snapshot, Dimension, Freehand and Broadstar, as applied, at 90 days after treatment. 2012 was the first summer that Biathlon (oxyfluorfen + prodiamine, applied at 100 lbs/A) was included in this work and it performed very well, versus the other treatments. At 90 DAT, only 2% of containers treated with Biathlon had spurge present. See following table for additional data.

Numbers represent the mean percentage of containers for each treatment with spurge present at 30, 45, 60 and 90 days after treatment. Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 probability level.If you are interested in serving as a cooperator in future spurge research, please contact Kelly Young ([email protected]) at your earliest convenience.

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Smartscape 2013 to Start SoonSmartscape, a training program for landscape professionals, is back for the Spring 2013 session! Classes run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 19 to March 14, 2013, from 3:30- 6:00 PM. All classes will be held at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension office in Maricopa County (4341 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040). Learn the fundamentals of proper irrigation and horticultural practices for landscapes in the desert southwest. During the eight-class Smartscape series, registrants receive a total of 20 hours of instruction by experts in the landscaping industry. For just $75, each registrant receives a notebook with valuable green industry information and snacks and refreshments at each class. Upon completion of the course, graduates receive a Certificate of Completion, a Smartscape lapel pin, and two Smartscape vehicle decals. Additionally, graduates have the option of being included in the Smartscape Certified Professional Online Directory, hosted by our sponsor, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. Hurry, don’t delay. Only 5 people per company may attend, and class fills up fast at this location!

Visit www.smartscape.org for more information or to register online. Questions? Contact Kelsey Morton at [email protected] or (602) 827-8200 x395.

High Desert ConferenceThe 20th Annual High Desert Gardening & Landscaping Conference is the longest running gardening and landscaping conference of its kind in Arizona. It is sponsored by the Cochise County Master Gardeners Association in conjunction with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

It will be held February 14th & 15th, 2013 at The Windmere Hotel & Convention Center in Sierra Vista, AZ. With 19 interesting and informative sessions to choose from the conference benefits all gardeners, novice and seasoned, on the unique opportunities and challenges that gardening in the High Desert Southwest has to offer. Breakfast, lunch both days and a Friday reception are included in the registration fee of $65.00 for one day and $100.00 for two days. Register at: www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/events

Industry news (Continued)


ANA newsImmigration Reform Back on the Table

ANA member John Augustine, Desert Tree Farm, and Cheryl Goar, ANA Executive Direc-tor, had the opportunity to meet in December with then Senator-elect Jeff flake. They dis-cussed the importance of immigration reform to

the nursery industry and the potential for action in the coming legislative term.

Healthcare Reform Update Well AttendedOn January 17, the Arizona Nursery Association along with Western Growers hosted a review of PPACA requirements that take effect this year including W-2 reporting, the notice to employees regarding the health care exchange, new summary of benefits and cover-age, flexible spending and more. For more information please see Matt Bigham’s Insurance Update on page12.

Planting Trees Rocks!Last Fall ANA partnered with the Arizona Community Tree Council for a celebrity tree planting event at the Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club’s Rose Lane Branch. Jason Mraz not only was on site, but was hands on for the entire project as were the Club girls and boys. ANA member Mountain States Wholesale Nursery generously donated and delivered the trees. ANA Executive Direc-tor Cheryl Goar recently presented Bart Worthington of Mountain States a commemorative Jason Mraz Concert Tour t-shirt displayed with project photos in apprecia-tion. Thank you Mountain States for your generosity!


Local Sales Representatives:Dawn Hunter-Clark (480) 296-5233 & Jean-Marie Hing (480) 540-3710

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Boxwood Blight and IDM Proposals Submitted to USDAThe submission period for funding through Section 10201 (Pest and Disease Management) of the Farm Bill closed on December 12th with over 500 proposals submitted. USDA-APHIS has $50 million in funds to allocate for FY-2013.ANLA has been working with two groups of research-ers that are closely aligned with industry and are strong partners in attempts to deal with the long-term implica-tions of Boxwood Blight and Impatiens Downy Mildew (IDM). These researchers have submitted four proposals to fund their efforts on these important pathogens. Their work would focus on the development of new mitiga-tion strategies, disease epidemiology, and rapid - field deployable - diagnostic tools. Final funding decisions should be announced by APHIS-USDA sometime in late February or early March of 2013.

ANLA will continue to work with these researchers, helping to guide their research agenda when necessary, to make sure it fulfills the needs of industry.

Updates to State Regulator List for P. ramorumIn light of the regulatory changes regarding pre-noti-fication of Phytophthora ramorum (P. ram.), the USDA has made a number of updates to their P. ram. website. Included among those updates is a revised state regula-tory contact list.

Under the new federal order, released by the USDA-APHIS last week, only operations in quarantine areas in California and Oregon and operations that are in regu-lated areas and have had a positive P. ram. discovery within the last three years must continue to provide pre-notification to the receiving non-regulated state officials.

ANLA news


2012 ANA Annual Meeting Celebrates Outstanding Industry Members & Scholarship RecipientsThe 2012 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner was held on December 6th at the McCormick Ranch Golf Club Pavilion. The venue boasted beautiful golf course views and a spectacular sunset over Camelback Mountain. The theme was Italian with red and white checked tablecloths, candles in Chianti bottles and delicious fare. The Pavilion lighting and decorations lent a festive holiday atmosphere as we celebrated outstanding members and students. There was much laughter, reminiscing and bantering as friends, family and colleagues caught up. The Silent Auction tables were active as folks competed for great Christmas gifts and home enhancements. Thank you to those who donated the variety of beautiful and enticing items. We also had the opportunity to support re-forestation efforts in Arizona with a raffle benefitting the National Forest Foundation. Thank you Lauren and Shawn Cox for bringing this worthwhile charity to us again this year!

President Joe Traficano was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Outstanding industry leaders were recognized with awards, horticultural students in attendance were awarded ANAFUND scholarships, business matters were conducted, and Jessica Cox with Cox Cactus Farm was added to the board of directors. To begin the evening, Joe welcomed everyone (Benvenuti in Italian) and got down to business with a vote for the acceptance of last year’s meeting minutes which were on the tables. Executive Director, Cheryl Goar, then presented ANA: Per Proteggere, Servire e Promuvere: To Protect, Serve and Promote. She gave examples of how ANA has protected member business interests, served their needs and promoted their plants and services throughout 2012. She highlighted our successful promotional campaigns, Arizona Grown and Plant Something, promising more creative marketing for 2013.

Cindy Riding, Moon Valley Nursery, and Matt Bigham, Western Growers Insurance Services, introduced the ANAFUND scholarship winners. ANAFUND, the charity foundation of ANA, supported the continuation of studies for 17 students with scholarships totaling $14,925. The students in attendance

received the following scholarships: Rafael Casillas – $500 General Fund; Kelley Clark – $1,000 Carroll Ladd Smith; Kyle Fiano – Frank Kolley and Brad Farber Funds totaling $900; Christopher Ford – AJ & Cybil Becker, Lou Cusma, and Wheat Family Funds totaling $925; Brooke Griggory – $1,000 Williams Family; Justin Meyer – Carroll Ladd Smith and Richard O’Riley Funds totaling $1,000; Ryan Sawdey – $1,150 AzASLA Fund; Grant Schaefer - $1,000 Mike Krantz; Mathew Thomas – Warren Jones, Dave Kazan and Harper Family Funds totaling $650 and Brandon Watkins – Williams Family $1,000. All of the scholarship winners, as our “seedlings for the future”, are a welcome addition to the ANA family. The Arizona Nursery Association offers its sincere appreciation to the ANAFUND Scholarship Committee Chair, Cindy Riding, and committee members Roger Athey and Jean McGrath. ANA also thanks Western Growers for sponsoring the dinners for the scholarship award recipients.

The evening continued with the Association Award presentations and in line with the Italian theme, large pizza paddles were engraved with ANA’s logo and awards…both handsome and handy! Past President Rob Johns, A & P Nursery, and Treasurer Eric Johnson, Western Tree Company, were the first presenters. A difficult economic environment brings out the strengths and creativity of outstanding individuals and two such people were recognized as Salespersons of the Year: Jeff Grass of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery and Cody Bennett of Arizona Wholesale Growers. Congratulations Cody and Jeff!

The next award was the prestigious Board of Directors Award, in appreciation of an outstanding contribution to the association. President-elect Jay Harper, Harper’s Nursery, and Don Waltemeyer, Treeland Nurseries, described the many extra hours and effort by Board Member Jimmy Fox, Evergreen Turf, in 2012. Jimmy was out of town, participating in a national turf professionals’ board meeting. Don and Jay accepted on his behalf.

ANNUAL meeting


The Associate Member Award highlights an allied member who significantly contributes to association programs and our industry. Partnering with the Arizona Farm Bureau has contributed to ANA’s success in representing and protecting members not only in 2012, but for decades. Don and Jay expressed our appreciation to Jim Klinker and Kevin Rogers with a beautifully engraved natural wood plaque.

Two awards that are all about scores are the ACNP and Safety Awards. Susan Chase, ANA, and Beth Gosnell, All Season Wholesale Growers, came up to speak to these achievements. Moon Valley’s Bo Barrett’s 88% was the highest score on the Arizona Certified Nursery Professional exam in 2012. Congratulations again, Bo! Safety is not only in everyone’s personal interest, it also makes good business sense. As chairperson of the Safety Committee, Beth Gosnell was proud to recognize Don Waltemeyer and the Treeland Nurseries team for their 0% loss ratio. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Eric and Rob returned to the podium, surprising Susan Chase, ANA, with the Person of the Year Award for her successful transition from effective ANA volunteer leader to valued staff member. They also highlighted her past service as ANA President and ANAFUND Trustee along with her many other contributions. The Outstanding Service Award honors an individual who has contributed extraordinarily not only in the past year, but for an extended period of time. Phil Hemminghaus, Wilbur Ellis, was recognized for his second “tour of duty” on the ANA Board, his industry representation on the ADA Advisory Council, and years

of Green Raffle ticket sales supporting ANAFUND scholarships. Thank you and congratulations Phil!

Joe Traficano was pleased to honor his parents, Adele and Carlo Traficano, with the 2012 Presidents Award. This award is permanently displayed on a plaque in the ANA office with each recipient’s name. Adele received an etched crystal vase and flowers from her son with warm hugs of appreciation.

Eric Johnson, Western Tree Company, retired from the Board and was recognized for his years of service as a Director and ANA Treasurer. Past President Ken Williams presided over the election of officers.The ANA Board of Directors for 2013 are as follows:

President: Joe Traficano, West Coast TurfPresident-Elect: Jay Harper, Harper’s NurseryTreasurer: Don Waltemeyer, Treeland Nurseries

Board of Directors: Jimmy Fox, Evergreen Turf Cindy Riding, Moon Valley Nursery Les Shipley, Civano Nursery Phil Hemminghaus, Wilbur Ellis Scott Tenge, Queen Creek Growers Jessica Cox, Cox Cactus Farm Associate Reps: Matt Bigham, Western Growers Insurance Services Carol Ward-Morris, AMWUA Dan Scholl Roger Ramsey, Ewing Irrigation

Ex-Officio Member: Brett Cameron, Arizona Department of Agriculture

Past President: Rob Johns, A & P Nursery

Joe closed the evening by congratulating the award winners and thanking everyone for their participation and service. He encouraged everyone to find a way to become even more involved in 2013 as we look forward to improvement in the economy and continuing ANA’s endeavors to protect, serve and promote your business. “See you at SNL or the next LLC!”


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22nd Annual Desert Horticulture Conference

May 17, 2013

Casino Del Sol ResortTucson, AZ

Visit our website for schedule andregistration information

http://ag.arizona.edu/deserthort/


Member servicesWorkers Compensation

SCF of Arizona offers group rate discounts to ANA members as well as an Association Dividend Plan.SCF of Arizona Tod Dennis - 602-631-2212

Health, Life, Property, Casualty and Crop Insurance Benefits

Western Growers provides an array of medical insurance plans including major medical, HMO/PPO plans as well as competitive pricing on specially designed industry insurance packages.WGA - Matt Bigham 602-266-6147 x.7452 Chad Klein – Property, Casualty, General Liability602-266-6147 x 7453

Dental InsurancePreventive and emergency dental insurance for the whole family.American Dental Plan1-800-224-8810

ANLA Member Discount ProgramANA members are subject to the NIAP benefit program from the American Nursery and Landscape Association. There are multiple discount programs such as, PartnerShip, Live Asset Insurance, and Lands’ End Business Outfitters. There are also educational benefits offered such as the ANLA NewsBrief and monthly Webinars. ANLA - Amanda Flynn202-789-2900 x 3010

Social Events/Networking Opportunities

ANA member social events include the Saturday Night Live; Local Lunch Connections; and our Annual Meeting.ANA - [email protected]

Promotional AssistanceANA provides members with metal signs, window decals and use of the ANA logo to be displayed in their

businesses and on company literature.Specific Plant Something marketing materials include bright green 3-foot stakes, window clings and small pot stakes. ANA - [email protected]

Discount ProgramsANA offers numerous opportunities for members to receive discounts on various services and programs. Significant savings may be found when members use AMO, an office supply discount program; Hertz rental car discounts; and prescription drug discounts. ANA - [email protected]

Certification ProgramThe Arizona Certified Nursery Professional (ACNP) program is specifically designed for retail nursery employees, and those interested in improving their professional knowledge of general horticulture. Industry experts instruct this comprehensive program. Recognition of Certified Professionals is an important part of the program and is promoted to the public. Advanced levels of certification are available in Integrated Pest Management, Turf Management, and Irrigation Management. Discounts for class material and exams are provided to ANA members. ANA - [email protected]

LibraryThe ANA Library contains many videos and resource books that are loaned to members. Videos and brochures are also available in Spanish. ANA - [email protected]

ScholarshipsThe Arizona Nursery Association Foundation (ANAFUND) awards scholarships to qualified students who are pursuing careers in horticulture and related fields. The annual deadline for submitting scholarship applications is April 15. Scholarship applications are available online at www.azna.org.ANA - [email protected]

Website Services & Facebook Page

ANA’s website, www.azna.org, is an excellent source of information for members and non-members. ANA members may list employment opportunities on the website free of charge. Member companies may also offer links from the ANA site to their business site for a minimal charge of $100. Important information and publications such as the Container Grown Tree Guide are provided in a downloadable format from the website. For our social media members, the ANA Facebook page is available for those quick updates on what is going on in the industry. ANA - [email protected]


Insurance updateMatt Bigham, Regional Sales Manager, Western GrowersWestern Growers Insurance Services is endorsed by the ANA to provide insurance to its members.

Starting at Point A with Health Care Reform

I am reporting to you after attending three health care reform workshops that Western Growers hosted for a few large employers and a group of small employers. Trying to explain everything that was relayed would be impossible in this column alone so I will attempt to pare down some of the highlights. The law has many layers, and is giving employers fits on how to implement it. The framework for the law is established, however, much of the puzzle is unfinished and new information will continue to be released.

First, as a shameless plug I would encourage you to maintain your membership with the Arizona Nursery Association because as a partner with Western Growers we will continue to distribute information through membership publications on this subject. Changes can be voluminous, so electronic distribution will help get updates out in the most efficient manner.

Next, I came away understanding one clear message. None of the employers we met with has yet to establish a game plan. Across the board, from large employers to small, I have not heard anyone confidently proclaim they know what they are going to do in terms of offering benefits, calculating their full time equivalent count of employees or implement any strategy for this new law. So everyone is at point A.

A good starting point is the 50 life mark, which is the threshold between large and small group employers and each has different rules that apply. A major point discussed at our workshops was “controlled group of corporations” or “affiliated service group”. These two terms are relative to the determination of small or large group employer. To bring yourself up to speed on the subject of combinability of companies within a family of owners, check out Section 414 (b), (c), (m) and (o) of the tax code. Also, your accountant or tax liability

professional should be contacted for assistance. It is well worth paying for an hour’s consultation to go over your corporate structure and the liabilities therein.

After confirming the size of your employee base, find out if your current health plan is “Grandfathered” or “Non-Grandfathered”. The status of your plan will in turn indicate if you face certain penalties or liabilities with regard to how you can offer your plan going forward.

As you may have heard, the state of Arizona has declined to set up a state based health insurance “Exchange” and opted to go with the federal option. Only 18 states have opted to set up an exchange and the federal government has a large task in front of them to get set up by January 1st, 2014. By the way, beginning in 2014, individuals without employer sponsored coverage are required to get qualifying coverage. That means they must buy through the health exchange or elsewhere or pay a penalty.

As you begin to frame your strategy, start by establishing your true group size and the status of your plan. Much of the law pertaining to large and small group employers has been established and you can get a foothold on what you may want to do. As concepts and figures get firmed up that help round out the law, Western Growers will distribute information to help you as quickly as possible.

If you missed the workskhop, the handouts are available on the ANA website:

www.azna.org


Two species of imported fire ants were introduced into the United States from South America at the port of Mobile, Alabama through soil used as ballast in those ships. The black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri Forel, arrived sometime around 1918 and the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, in the late 1930’s.

Today, imported fire ants infest more than 320 mil-lion acres in the United States and Puerto Rico, with Arizona being the exception. Imported fire ants are a major public nuisance because of their sting and ag-gressive behavior that can result in death in the most severe situations.

Through the Federal Quarantine (7 CFR 301.81), Arizona’s parallel quarantine (R3-4-239) and cooperation from infested states to regulate articles such as nursery stock, bee hives, and soil-moving equipment, the spread of these species has been slowed

significantly. The Arizona Department of Agriculture maintains a robust detection program for these ants through an efficient, low cost, minimally disruptive survey process (canned meat baits) to detect the ants in high risk locations such as nurseries, parks, truck stops, etc. Those surveys will ramp up during the period of March through October, as warmer soil temperatures and monsoon moisture later in the season increase ant activity.

During 2012, the department placed 145,060 baits at 303 high risk survey sites, and detected three small infestations in nurseries that were abated effectively, thereby allowing Arizona to retain its “free-from” status. This afforded Arizona nursery stock exporters, in particular, to trade across state lines without the significant regulatory costs associated with the fire ant quarantines producers in infested states have to bear.

It’s the LawFire Ants

Contributed by John CaravettaAssociate Director - Plant Services Division, Arizona

Department of Agriculture

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WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO NOW TO FIGHT INFLUENZA AT WORKArizona has reached a widespread influenza status (http://www.maricopa.gov/publichealth/stopthespread.aspx), the highest level for flu activity recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The single best way to prevent the spread of flu is to get a flu vaccine, but employers can also take these effective steps to mitigate the impact of flu on workers: • Whenaworkergetssickwithfluorflu-likeillness, encourage him or her to stay home until at least 24 hours after the fever has gone away without the use of fever-reducing medications. Think about allowing workers to telecommute to get work done without coming in contact with co-workers and spreading sickness. • Activelypromotegoodhand-washingtechniques.

Employees should use soap and water, especially before eating, after coughing or sneezing and after using the toilet. If soap and water aren’t available, offer workers a supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. • Remindworkerstocoughorsneezeintoatissueor shirtsleeve, rather than the palms of their hands, and to throw away used tissues.

When influenza impacts businessEmployers who seek to minimize the impact of flu on their workforces may want to take these steps, which are part of the Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist available at FLU.gov: • Planfortheimpactofaflupandemiconyour business • Determineastrategyforthepandemic’simpacton your employees and customers

Safety news Contributed by Bruce Trethewy, SCF Communications Manager

726-4896

16777 S. Avenue 2EYuma, Arizona [email protected]

Wholesale Arizona-GrownCitrus Trees

Proud participants of the ArizonaClean Citrus Stock Program

Our Arizona-acclimated citrusis available for delivery

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office: 928.726.4896fax: 928.726.0343

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Let UsRootFor You

NURSERY LOCATION:

Jeff: 602-809-4150

8606 West McDowell Road

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CALL FOR PRICE QUOTES

Jonathan Mobile: 602-903-3700

Fax: 623-936-4737

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• Establishpoliciestobeusedduringapandemic • Allocateresourcestoprotectyouremployeesand customers during a pandemic • Communicatetoandeducateyouremployees • Coordinatewithexternalorganizationsandhelp your community

The CDC estimates that flu costs businesses $10.4 billion (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/business/Toolkit_Seasonal_Flu_For_Businesses_and_Employers.pdf )in employee hospitalization and outpatient visits. Each flu season, which typically lasts from October through May, nearly 111 million workdays are lost because of the flu. This amount of time equals an estimated $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-03-17-11.html).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=27284) recommends all employers properly inform workers of the benefits of the flu vaccine, including encouraging them to get the vaccination; however, employers may specifically require workers to take vaccines even though it is not an OSHA requirement. Employees who refuse a vaccination because of medical

reasons may be protected under Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health act of 1971 (http://www.thecre.com/fedlaw/legal12fed/whistle.htm).

Off-site community influenza vaccinationsBusinesses have the option to support flu shot clinics away from the workplace at participating pharmacies and clinics. The CDC recommends using promotional flyers to inform workers about community flu shot events and have a more flexible work schedule for the employees who receive a flu shot. Employers may also distribute flu and vaccination fact sheets to employees to take home to their families.

SCF Arizona provides online flu prevention tips (https://www.scfaz.com/about_us/news.php?load=news_110209.html) as well as safety seminars to prevent pandemics from affecting the workplace. Small business employers also will find relevant content at SCF’s blog, SafeAtWorkAZ.com, which covers workplace safety tips, workers’ compensation and HR issues, and information for safety professionals.


Advertiser IndexA & P Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

All Season Wholesale Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Arid Zone Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Arizona Wholesale Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Arizona Dept . of Agriculture (Energy Audit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Cox Cactus Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Desert Tree Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Desert Trees Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Elgin Nursery and Tree Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Plants for the Southwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ProCal/Wilbur Ellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Queen Creek Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Rancho Soledad Nurseries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

SCF Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Sonoran Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Southwest Forest Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

Sunset Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

U of A Desert Hort Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

V&P Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

West Coast Turf/Western Sod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Western Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC

Western Tree Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Zvida Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Containers Today! No Delay!Wilbur Ellis has teamed up with Pro Cal Containers to

provide growers in Arizona a local sourcefor nursery containers.

No more waiting. Get your nursery cans when you need them with our convenient forklift delivery service.

For more info contactGlen Steffensmeier 602-918-5293

Providing quality plant material with quickand dependable service. Pick from a

large selection of plant material. 1 Gallon to 36” box. Specializing in plants that

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DESERT TREESNURSERY

9559 N. Camino Del PlataTucson, AZ 85742

1-800-873-3041 • 1-520-297-5664Fax 520-297-5035

DESERT TREESNURSERY

SINCE 1976

Desert Trees_ALCA Ad_136843.2 1/30/12 4:03 PM Page 1

Arizona Wholesale GrowersTrees, shrubs and cacti for arid climates since 1982.

Suncrest Nursery • 4204 Lone Mountain Cave Creek AZ 85331 tel 480-488-1968 fax 480-488-8859

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

PAIDPhoenix, AZPermit No. 1

ARIZONA NURSERY ASSOCIATION1430 West BroadwaySuite 110Tempe, AZ 85282

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PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

PAIDPhoenix, AZPermit No. 1

800.333.4WGA

www.weLOVEag.com

ADI No. 866343CDI No. 0E77959

WE AG

Western Growers Insurance Services is endorsed by the Arizona Nursery Association

LOOKING FOR AN AG-MINDED INSURANCE COMPANY THAT CARES ABOUT AG?

Western Growers Insurance Services is that company! We specialize in coverage for the ag-sector. If you haven’t reviewed your policies in a

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Schedule your complimentary policy review with us today. Stay protected. Stay ag.

AUTOMOBILE CROP PROTECT ION D IRECTORS & OFF ICERS EMPLOYMENT PRACT ICES

& L IAB IL ITY INSURANCE ERRORS & OMISS IONS GENERAL L IAB IL ITY HEALTH BENEF ITS

K IDNAP & RANSOM PROPERTY UMBRELLA WORKERS’ COMPENSAT ION

ARIZONA NURSERY ASSOCIATION1430 West BroadwaySuite 110Tempe, AZ 85282

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Southwest Horticulture

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