MELNA’s Video Library

Fran Chismar is the "Sultan of Sales" at Pinelands Nursery in NJ, and the Co-Host of "Native Plants Healthy Plants" Podcast. This video is titled "Beyond the Buzz - Native Plants are Good for the Ecosystem and Your Business".

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]

Daniel Robarts, Ph.D. is Grower, Propagator, and Greenhouse Coordinator at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. This presentation is titled "Sustainable Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate". In a changing environment, constructed landscapes will require increased thoughtfulness and scrutiny for long-term success. From materials to management, there are many simple considerations green professionals can make to increase viability and resilience, while providing beauty, ecological function, and even pest control.

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]

Topic of panel discussion: Shaping the Future of Horticultural Education for Professionals and Consumers. Climate impact, market demands, and evolving Pest management resources are all in constant flux, shaping how we approach horticulture. This panel discussion explores how the UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine horticultural industry can collaborate to address these challenges and meet future needs together, focusing on professional development, consumer education, and industry growth.

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]

Zac Smith-Hess, Entomologist and Educator, Maine Botanical Gardens. “Practices for Beneficial Insects.” With all the buzz around bees, it can be easy to overlook other essential insects that share our garden spaces. Beetles, flies, wasps, and spiders are just a few of the more hidden beneficial arthropods that may be found in your space. We can also plant and landscape to create habitat for predators, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Together with the charismatic pollinators, bees and butterflies, these critters support any managed ecosystem.

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Jesse O’Brien, Executive Director Ornamental Horticulture Council. “Update of Advocacy at the Municipal, State and Federal Levels.” Jesse leads a discussion of recent Ordinances and Laws that have an effect on our industry.

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Dr. Charlie Hall, Professor and Ellison Chair in International Floriculture, Texas A&M University, was the keynote speaker at the 2024 Grow Maine Green Expo. His topic: “Are the good times really over?” Merle Haggard popularized a song by this title in 1981, at a time when interest rates were reaching their peak at 21%. Fast forward 43 years and folks are starting to ask me the very same question today. With fears of economic stagnation on everyone's mind, it's important to remember that this is not the first time that Americans have taken a hard look at our country and wondered whether our best days were behind us (and it won't be the last time either). In this presentation, I will address the main economic drivers of our current situation, how our economy has been as resilient as it has to date, why in spite of increased wages and economic growth consumers still perceive the opposite, and what has to happen for folks to feel like times are good again. Finally, what does all of this mean for the future sales of green industry plants and services?

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]

Caleb Goossen, Organic Crop and Conservation Specialist, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. "PFAS Contamination of Gardening, Landscaping, and You". Caleb discusses why customers are concerned, pathways of contamination, and why the ornamentals industry should know about it.

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]

Daniel Robarts, PhD., Grower, Propagator, and Greenhouse Coordinator at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. "Considerations in Ecological Horticulture." Learn about the evolution of best ecological practices in horticulture at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, focusing on plants, their production, selection, use, and management. These practices have come with time/work efficiencies in the landscape and the greenhouse industries and often correlate with cost savings. The long and short of it is being ecologically sensitive can also be good for the bottom line and local businesses! It is advised to turn on Closed Captions for this video due to low audio.

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Carole Neil & Sarah Scally, Assistant Horticulturists. Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry “Invasive Plants and Other Pests” Have questions about the new invasive plant do not sell list? And what about selling rugosa rose? Need help interpreting recent changes to Maine’s forest pest quarantines (hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer and European larch canker)? Do you have questions about jumping worms?  Come learn what you need to know to stay up-to-date on these pests!

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ 5.00 ]

Mark Sellew, President and Owner of Prides Corner Farms, was the keynote speaker at MELNA's Grow Maine Green Expo on January 25, 2023. He spoke about how Prides Corner Farms has strived to stay relevant, and shared what has worked and what has not in the hopes it will help others on their own journeys to increased relevance.

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Bob Mann is the Senior Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs in the National Association of Landscape Professionals. This is his seminar given at the 2023 Grow Maine Green Expo, titled "Pesticide Policy Update". The last twelve months have brought a suite of important changes to the way that pesticides are regulated both in Maine and in the United States. From PFAS to compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act, join Bob for a review of what to expect in the coming year.

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Susan Gallo, Executive Director of Maine Lakes, presents "LakeSmart Landscaping: Building Beautiful Landscapes That Protect Our Lakes," for the 2023 MELNA Winter Workshop Program. Learn about LakeSmart, a program that works with lakefront homeowners to improve their properties and reduce erosion and runoff into their lakes. Landscaping practices that capture and hold rainwater, allowing it to infiltrate into the ground where it is filtered through soil to groundwater, reduce excess nutrient flowing into the lake, reducing the food supply for harmful algae blooms. We’d like to connect more homeowners to landscapers and nurseries that are familiar with the LakeSmart program, and will discuss some ideas for mutually beneficial programs that might help make that happen. (Lake photo by Ian M Jones on Unsplash.com)

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Karla Boyd, Policy and Regulations Specialist, Board of Pesticides Control, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, presents "Board of Pesticides Annual Update” at the 2023 MELNA Winter Education Program. The presentation includes a discussion on the following: Changes in the staff, using the BPC portal, future BPC reporting, use/sales reporting, and the EPA and State of Maine State Plan. The presentation goes into details including consent agreements.

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Priscilla Hansen Mahoney, CPC, Business Coach, Blazing Trails Coaching, presents “Mapping Out Your Employee Journey.” With a tight labor market, competition for talent, and rising costs of payroll, it’s imperative to see employees as “consumers of the workplace” and give recruiting, retention, and employee experience the same effort and resources as one would their top clientele. This means explicitly designing an employee experience that attracts the best candidates, engages, develops and retains talented and skilled people for the organization. This workshop will help you identify systems and processes that create ideal employee outcomes that reflect your desired culture and brand.

Please choose one : I am a MELNA member I am not a member [+ $5.00]