MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

The March meeting was held by conference call and called to order by President Sarah Kleinschmidt. The minutes and financials were approved.  The Board approved renewing the contract with Bar Accounting Services for the upcoming year.  Gainan’s will present a seminar on March 28 on the "2015 Widespread Damaged Evergreens in Yellowstone County; To Remove or Not Remove".  James Prchal will assist with the seminar.  The MNLA Expo Booth Contract has been updated.  Lynda Wightman of Hunter Industries has expressed interest in holding an "Irrigation College" at the 2016 Expo and is working with the Board on the presentation.  Ian Baldwin has agreed to be the Keynote Speaker at the 2016 Expo.  Donna Rise from the MT Dept of Agriculture reported their website lists upcoming Pesticide Applicator Training dates as well as Farmers Market listings.  The Department will host a Pollinator Protection Symposium in conjunction with the MNLA Fall Tour in September.  The Board discussed the possibility of holding the 2017 Expo in Bozeman.

The MNLA Board of Directors met at the Holiday Inn in Helena with Sarah Kleinschmidt calling the meeting to order. The board reviewed and passed the previous meeting minutes.  The board reviewed and tabled the budget for 2015 until the next meeting.  Details of the 2015 fall tour in Helena are starting to take shape with a date of Friday September 18th.   Shane Clouse reported on The Montana Dept. of Agriculture rules hearing and Donna Rise gave update to changes occurring with staff and regulations.  The 2016 Expo was discussed with Missoula a strong choice and ideas for speakers and seminars presented.  Expo 2017 city was discussed with the possibility of Bozeman brought to light.  Jennifer Weiss updated the board on CPP test results.  James Prchal discussed the status of the spring newsletter.  New board members were welcomed and agreed to the duties given.  The board discussed the future of MNLA and the need to find new members.  The Board agreed that the benefits of joining the MNLA are not being presented to new member candidates well enough.  The MNLA board feels that the strong camaraderie, the valuable knowledge network of its members, and the connections with the MDA to be able to help shape future legislation are key.

The meeting was called to order at the Holiday Inn in Billings during the Expo.  The Minutes of the previous meeting and financials were reviewed and approved.  233 people are registered to attend Expo.  The Board reviewed their duties and responsibilities for Expo. The 3rd Vice President Position nominee is Shane Clouse – Agro Vitae d/b/a Pink Grizzly Greenhouse, Missoula, MT. The Secretary Position is also available since Karen Chadwick has fulfilled her term. Greg Johnson, the acting 3rd Vice President announced he would have to step down from his position due to personal circumstances leaving a 2nd Vice President Position open. The board voted to accept Shane Clouse into the 2nd Vice President Position if acceptable at the annual membership meeting. The Plant Something grant was discussed and its value as a member benefit.  James Prchal and Jyl Story will attend the Idaho Exposition January 21-23 in Boise, ID.  James Prchal and Sarah Kleinschmidt will attend the ATMOPP Conference January 25-27 at Fairmont.  The Fall Tour location was selected in Helena in September.

Donna Rise from the Montana Department of Agriculture reported the Nursery Fee Legislation was resurfacing.  More details will follow once a bill sponsor has been secured.   The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing the Expo.  Ryan reported 66 booths secured for the Expo with a potential of 3-5 more.  Gainans will provide an interesting seminar on Tuesday evening which will also be free to the public.  Marketing was discussed.  We feel we have a very good slate of speakers this year.  Jyl noted good sponsor participation in the Expo.   Holly requested each board member secure two auction items for the Scholarship Silent Auction.  Jennifer noted we have six people signed up to take the CPP Exam at Expo.  Shane Clouse has offered to have his name considered for the 3rd Vice President position on the MNLA Board.  We are still searching for a nominee for the Secretary position.  A job posting board will be available during Expo for members to post job opportunities.  Sarah will add some games to the Trade Show reception festivities.

The majority of the meeting was spent discussing the upcoming Montana Green Expo.  The speaker list is getting completed, we will brainstorm more ideas for additional vendors in the trade show, the book order is being finalized for the book table – a new feature at the show this year, and awards and contests were reviewed.  Concern was noted in the report from the Department of Ag with Idaho petitioning the National Plant Board to change Montana’s status from category 1 to a category 2 state.  This information is preliminary and the Board will keep updated and follow through with whatever action is necessary.  A Board working group along with Professor Bill Hoch from MSU will meet to review the Certified Plant Professional manual and exams for any necessary updates.

The Board of Directors held a phone conference on June 19 called to order at 7:00 am by Past President Shane Rogers and continued by President Holly Wadsworth. The minutes of the May meeting were approved as presented. The board reviewed and approved the current financial statements. Our own board member Jennifer graced the cover of the summer issue of the Zone 4 Magazine. Jyl reported on the progress of the grant application and mentioned we may hear of the results around June 27. The Plant Something Grant request was $59,000 over a 3 year period. Scott Norris of the Small Business Growth Alliance will be contacting members throughout the month of June. Jyl attended the Fire Safe annual meeting which is creating a certification for home builders emphasizing the importance of building with fire safety in mind. They would like to partner with MNLA to include landscapers in the education and certification process. Jyl visited several nurseries in Kalispell as well as Missoula. The Expo forms are available on the web site and the Fall Tour registration forms will be available soon. Legislative members from the MNLA and AMTOPP met in Kalispell with Donna to discuss the licensing budget and language. The goal of the meeting was to simplify, educate, and cooperate. An additional meeting is being scheduled for Billings Aug. 7 following the Golf Tournament during the Fall Tour. Shane emphasized more education and self-policing as well as nursery inspections being included in the annual licensing fee rather than additional charges. The Fall Tour is shaping up. The Board of Directors will meet at 10:00 AM. The golf tournament will begin at 1:00 pm and the CPP Exam will begin at 2:00 pm on August 7. August 8 James has been working on tour stops and has just a few left to confirm. Jyl is working on the brochure with the designer. Ryan reported six additional booths have been spoken for the Expo Trade Show. The next meeting will be August 7 at the Fall Tour.

The Board of Directors held a phone conference on April 16 called to order at 7:00 am by Past President Shane Rogers. The minutes of the April meeting were approved as presented. The board reviewed and approved the current financial statements. The tax return has been filed for 2013. MNLA had a booth and education station at the Arbor Day Celebration in Billings. Donna Rise from the Dept. of Ag reported the discovery of Japanese Beetles in potted roses this spring. She added that trapping would continue. The Legislative Committee will hold a conference call to further discuss the nursery fee legislation. Jyl is working on a Specialty Crop Block Grant for Montana to participate in the Plant Something program. It will also include a component to enhance the Certified Plant Professional Program. Sarah continues to work on the securing Green Expo speakers and Ryan continues to promote the Vendor Trade Show. Jennifer reported four MSU students have successfully passed the CPP Written Exam. They will take the Plant ID test in the fall. The next meeting will be on June 19.

The Board of Directors held a phone conference on April 16 called to order at 7:00 am by President Holly Wadsworth. The minutes of the March meeting were approved as presented. The board reviewed and approved the current financial statements. The Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings was confirmed for the 2015 Green Expo and the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula was secured for the 2016 Green Expo. Sarah is working on securing speakers for the 2015 Expo. Julie Moir Messervy has been secured as the Keynote Speaker. Ryan sent an email to the Vendors for booth signup. Nursery license fee legislation discussion continued. AMTOPP will be invited to participate in the ongoing discussions as well. Two scholarship applications have been received from MSU students. Winners will be determined in the fall. A new addition to the Fall Tour will be a Vendor Show and golf tournament. Steve Lehenbauer is the lead organizer of the tour. A poster encouraging the Certified Plant Professional Program was printed and distributed to the membership. MNLA is considering submitting a grant proposal for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program through the Department of Agriculture. The next meeting will be on May 14.

The board of directors held a meeting in Helena on March 11, 2014. The minutes from the February meeting were approved as presented. The board reviewed and approved the current financials. A Small Business Growth Alliance partnership was entertained and accepted. The details will be forthcoming. The board then turned the discussion to the Fall Tour and the 2015 Expo. The board discussed details and future speakers. Amendments to nursery licensing were also discussed. The meeting was adjourned at 4:11 pm. The next board meeting will be April 16.

The board of directors held a phone conference on February 19, 2014. The minutes from the January meeting were approved as presented. The board reviewed and approved the current financials. The new venue and location was liked by the majority of attendees at the 2013 Expo in Missoula. Donna Rise, of the Department of Agriculture, updated the board on the insect issues facing Montana. She also provided 5 options for future licensing structure. The board discussed Arbor Day and the 2014 fall tour. Marks Lumber agreed to donate $.05 for every cubic foot of landscape material purchased by a MNLA member to the MNLA to help offset costs of the operating budget. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 am. The next board meeting will be March 11.