News roundup: AmericanHort plans tour of grower operations

AmericanHort-logoAmericanHort will play host in September to a tour of growing facilities in southern New Jersey. Dubbed the “Field & Covered Production Tour,” the event is scheduled for Sept. 14-15.

AmericanHort says tour participants will have the opportunity to see new techniques, gain a better understanding of industry trends, learn best practices and make valuable industry connections.

Tour stops will include Overdevest Nurseries, Centerton Nursery, and Lucas Greenhouses.

Lucas Greenhouses is one of eight pilot sites for SANC (Systems Approach to Nursery Certification), so growers will have the opportunity to learn more about this harmonized, risk-based systems approach to nursery and greenhouse certification.

Overdevest Nurseries grows more than 1,400 varieties of shrubs, trees, vines and perennials on 210 acres, while container production involves more than 2.7 million square feet of covered growing space.

Centerton Nursery, meanwhile, is a family-owned operation that produces nearly 1,000 types of container-grown garden plants, including perennials, shrubs, vegetables and herbs. Centerton Nursery sells exclusively to independent garden centers, franchises, farm and roadside markets, landscape contractors, and florists.

For more information or to register for the event, go here.

GreenCare for Troops marks 10th anniversary

To raise awareness of the ongoing need for basic lawn care and landscape services for families of deployed military personnel and veterans with service-related disabilities, Project EverGreen recognizes May 15-21 as National GreenCare for Troops Awareness Week.

The program, supported by Toro Co., celebrates its 10th year in 2016. In its first decade, the volunteer effort has provided much-needed services to more than 10,000 military families and veterans. More than 5,000 green industry professionals have registered to provide those services since the program began.

GreenCareForTroops-Anniversary“These valuable services provide military families and wounded and disabled veterans with peace of mind and freedom to heal,” says Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “A managed lawn and yard provides vital space for military personnel and veterans to recover and re-connect with their families.  Our dedicated volunteers are a wonderful sense of support to our military families and veterans in their critical time of need and we are grateful for their leadership, as well as the continued support from the Toro Company.”

As part of the anniversary celebration and awareness week efforts, Project EverGreen has created a Promotional Tool Box for its volunteers featuring tips for promoting their involvement with the initiative, suggested social media posts, a detailed infographic and 60-second promotional video.

For information on how to volunteer, call 1-888-611-2955 or visit Project EverGreen’s website here.

Hardscape North America Awards accepting entries

Hardscape North America is now accepting entries for the ninth annual HNA Awards, which will be presented Oct. 20 as part of HNA 2016 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Hardscapes-North-America-logoThe HNA Awards recognize outstanding hardscape projects of all sizes in both residential and commercial applications and featuring products such as concrete pavers, clay pavers and segmental retaining walls.

The early bird deadline to submit entries is Aug. 15. Entries can be submitted on the HNA website.

Past HNA Award winner Steven Stoltzfus, president of GoldGlo Landscapes, said the company’s 2015 project award “gives us a tangible way to show clients our commitment to excellence in this industry. We are looking forward to returning to the project awards at HNA 2016.”

The early bird entry fee is $100 for members (ICPI, BIA or NCMA) and $200 for non-members. After this date, the entry fee will be $140 for members and $240 for non-members.

To be eligible, projects must have been completed between Nov. 1, 2012, and June 30, 2016.

Hustler Turf Equipment launches new website

Hustler Turf Equipment recently announced the launch of its new website, which features improved navigation and functionality, the company says. In addition to optimizing the site for viewing on mobile devices, Hustler says it’s now more “visually based,” including the addition of new product videos, an extensive photo gallery and improvements in the “Compare Mowers” section.

Hustler-Turf-logo“Customers that visit our website are interested in easily researching our products,” said Andrew Braun, director of marketing with Hustler Turf Equipment. “This website is focused on providing the most relevant and exciting information with intuitive navigation.”

The website also includes new dealer landing pages that give viewers information about each dealership. To learn more about Hustler Turf Equipment and its products, visit www.hustlerturf.com.

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