PIONEER POIIVTERS 



termines the economic value of 

 various sectors of the environ- 

 mental horticulture industry. 



The report is being funded 

 with a $10,500 grant from HRI , 

 along with matching funds from 

 NENA. Dr. Leonard Perry, Uni- 

 versity of Vermont, and Lois 

 Berg Stack, University of Maine, 

 are the lead researchers for the 

 project. The survey will be mailed 

 to about 10,000 Green Industry 

 professionals in September. 



The final report will be pub- 

 lished in early 2000 and will pro- 

 vide regional as well as state statis- 

 tics. Suggested guidelines as to 

 how to use the results to benefit 

 the state associations will be dis- 

 tributed to the states' leadership. 



For information, call NENA at 

 508-653-3112. 



Meeting Announced 



The Eastern Region of the Inter- 

 national Plant Propagators' Soci- 

 ety will hold its 49th annual 

 meeting at the Minneapolis Air- 

 port Marriott in Minneapolis, 

 Minnesota, on September 15-18, 

 1999. 



For information, contact Mar- 

 got Bridgen at 860-429-6818; 

 her fax number is 860-429-6665; 

 e-mail, mbippser@neca.com. The 

 IPPS website (www.accessone.com/ 

 ipps/er-usa/er_ipps.htm) gives full 

 tour and program information. 



A Birthday Celebration 



The American Society of Land- 

 scape Architects (ASLA) officially 

 launched their "100 Parks, 100 

 Years" program, the centerpiece 

 of its centennial celebration, on 

 April 1 3 at a press conference at 

 Ballou Senior High School in 

 Washington, DC. 



The program is a series of 

 projects throughout the country 

 designed by members of local 

 ASLA chapters. Designs include 



Protect Your Assets 



Protect Your Assets 

 Am I a Grower? Or a Manager? 



Yes indeed, you are a grower — and very good at it. But how 

 well do you manage what you grow? Pretty simplistic ques- 

 tion and, hopefully, you can answer it honestly. It's better to ad- 

 mit that you are not comfortable managing than to try to do it 

 and be overwhelmed. 



Remember that you are the owner. Use your talents where 

 needed: growing, training the staff, marketing the product. Then, 

 fill the gaps that are not your strengths: shipping/delivery, phone 

 support, record-keeping (payroll and invoicing), and scheduling 

 work hours. 



This doesn't mean that you exclude yourself from these areas. 

 You will still need to be knowledgeable. However, do not hesitate 

 to DELEGATE these very important tasks to key staff members. 

 Initially, upon delegation of these certain tasks, have them check 

 in with you daily and, as they become more proficient and self- 

 confident, on a weekly or even bi-weekly basis. You can also use 

 staff meetings or one-on-one follow-ups. 



The bottom line is that you cannot do it all yourself and that 

 it's all right. Rely on staff members who can work with you to 

 get it accomplished. Your newly delegated team members will 

 gain a sense of responsibility and a feeling that they too can 

 make a difference. Ultimately, you will gain staff loyalty and im- 

 proved earnings. 



If you need to discuss the management structure of your business, 

 general business and strategic planning, and/or labor management 

 issues. Pioneer Farm Credit has an in-depth consulting staff will- 

 ing to assist. For more information, call our Bedford office at 

 I-800-82S-32S2. (SW) 



school playgrounds, "Alzheimer's 

 gardens," and highway beautifica- 

 tion. The chapters work with the 

 communities and give the re- 

 sources needed to see the projects 

 through to completion. The goals 

 are "to revitalize American neigh- 

 borhoods, beautify community 

 gathering places, and showcase 

 the skills of landscape architects." 

 Of the 105 projects an- 

 nounced, five are in New En- 

 gland: two each in Massachusetts 

 and Rhode Island, and one in 



Connecticut (Old North Cem- 

 etery in Hartford). Both Massa- 

 chusetts projects — North End 

 Park and New England Greenway 

 Project — are in Boston. The 

 Rhode Island Projects are the 

 Rhode Island Veteran's Home 

 Master Plan (Bristol) and a Wet- 

 lands Learning Outdoor Class- 

 room at the University of Rhode 

 Island in Kingston. 



For more information, contact 

 Deb Sherno at 202-216-2329 or 

 visit the ASLA website (www.asla.org) . 



The Plantsman 



