New TSCL Compliance Agreement Creates Consistent Path for Nursery Stock Movement
By Kamron Newberry The National Plant Board has finalized a new compliance agreement aimed at limiting the spread of the two-spotted cotton leafhopper (TSCL) while maintaining efficient interstate movement of nursery stock. TSCL, also known as cotton jassid, is an emerging pest of concern in the Southeast for cotton, okra, and ornamental plant production. USDA […]
State of the Horticultural Research Institute: Building on Strength, Investing in Tomorrow
By Jennifer Gray, Senior Director, HRI Programs & Advancement What an encouraging and joyful season this has been for the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI). Thanks to the steadfast partnership of our longtime supporters, HRI continues to strengthen the foundation that keeps our industry resilient, innovative, and growing. The milestones we have reached are more than numbers. They are living proof that […]
100 Years of Phytosanitary Collaboration: AmericanHort at the National Plant Board
By Kamron Newberry AmericanHort joined state plant regulators, USDA APHIS, Customs and Border Protection, and industry partners in Alexandria, Virginia, for the 100th Annual National Plant Board Meeting. Discussions focused on several issues with direct implications for horticulture businesses, including e-commerce plant shipments, regulation of latent plant viruses, and greater recognition of SANC-certified nurseries. E-Commerce […]
Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation True-up Process
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) provides workers’ compensation coverage based on estimated payroll. Therefore, at the end of the policy year, BWC asks employers to report their actual payroll for the prior policy year and pay any shortage (or receive a refund for any overage) in premium. This process is called a true-up. […]
AmericanHort, California Association of Nurseries, and Oregon Association of Nurseries Coordinate Industry Response to State Plastics Regulations
Rachel Pick, Jeff Stone – OAN, Emily Rooney – CAN AmericanHort is working closely with state nursery and landscape association partners to monitor the growing number of state extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and proposals affecting plastic packaging. Seven states – California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington – have enacted packaging EPR programs, while similar policies […]
Senate Ag Committee Holds Farm Bill Markup
By Matt Mika The Senate Agriculture Committee marked up the Farm Bill 2.0 with over 200 amendments on Thursday, August 6. The committee lacked enough votes to advance a farm bill Thursday due to partisan division over issues related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Committee failed to report the bill out of committee on a […]
New Section 338 Tariffs on Canadian Imports: What Horticulture Businesses Need to Know
On July 20, President Trump issued three proclamations imposing an additional 50% tariff on certain Canadian products under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The actions respond to Canadian policies affecting U.S. motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, and dairy exports and are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on August 19, 2026. Together, the tariffs […]
Important Win for Horticulture in New Section 301 Tariff Action
The Office of the United States Trade Representative investigated 60 economies and determined that each had failed, in some form, to impose or effectively enforce a prohibition on imports made with forced labor. In response, USTR imposed new tariffs on most products from those economies beginning July 24, 2026. The new tariff rates generally fall into two categories: For the European […]
Meet David McKinney
Five questions with a 2020 HortScholar David McKinney is Curator of Collections and Grounds at Iowa Arboretum and Gardens, where he blends formal horticulture, prairie restoration, and native woodland management across 170 acres. Since participating in the AmericanHort HortScholar virtual program in 2020, David has become a leading voice in conversations around ecological gardening, native […]
Who Will Tend What You’ve Grown?
By Tommy Irvine, lead agriculture advisor, Pinion The horticulture industry is approaching a major wave of generational turnover. Many business owners today are Baby Boomers in their 60s and 70s, meaning a significant number are expected to retire within this decade. When veteran owners step away without a transition strategy, key decisions stall, institutional knowledge […]