Pest Alerts
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale in SC – Clemson University Department of Plant Industry announced in September that crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS) was positively identified throughout the Columbia metro area. This is the first confirmation of CMBS in the state. The infestation was described as being ‘extensive’ and likely present for quite some time. CMBS was […]
New Research Priorities Set for IR-4 Project
IR-4 recently convened their biannual meeting to set priorities for research needs over the next two years. Dubbed the ‘Week of Workshops,’ this year combined the food crops program with the Environmental Horticulture Program (Env Hort) for the first time in an effort to be more efficient for participants. AmericanHort participated in the priority-setting process, […]
AmericanHort H-2A Comments Filed Too
On September 24, AmericanHort filed official comments on the Administration’s “notice of proposed rulemaking” (NPRM) that seeks to streamline and modernize the H-2A agricultural worker visa program. The comments describe in detail where we believe the proposed changes would improve the current program, and where we believe the Administration misses the mark or could go further. More […]
Americanhort Files Official Comments On Trucking Agricultural Commodity Definition
AmericanHort has filed extensive comments on the “agricultural commodity” definition in use by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The comment period ended September 27, advancing by one step a potential regulatory change that is much needed as the current FMCSA definition of what is an “agricultural commodity” remains a cause of major confusion. Included in […]
H-2B Cap Fate Tied to FY2020 Government Spending Solution
On September 19, the House of Representatives passed a temporary spending measure to fund the federal government through November 21. The Senate is expected to pass the measure next week. Senate Democrats and Republicans, however, remain deeply divided over many appropriations bills, making it more likely that Congress will pass a second year-long continuing resolution […]
Final Rule Eliminates Wasteful H-2A Print Ads
On September 20, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule addressing a key concern raised for years by AmericanHort H-2A employers. For decades, DOL has required that agricultural employers looking to hire H-2A workers must run costly print newspaper ads in an effort to recruit interested U.S. applicants. The Department now acknowledges what […]
In Memoriam – Irma Bodil Orum
We are sad to report that Irma Bodil Orum, 88, died the morning of Sunday, September 22, 2019, at The Danish Home of Chicago, where she had been a resident for over six years. As was detailed in her obituary, Irma was born in Chicago on March 4, 1931, the daughter of Danish immigrants Carl […]
House Spending Bill Would Restore Key Research Program Waiver
The AmericanHort advocacy team has recently been drawing attention to the 2018 Farm Bill’s inadvertent elimination of language granting the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to waive a statutory requirement for participating entities to contribute matching funds when participating in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The lack of waiver authority has undermined the very […]
Inaugural PlantPAC Dinner Brings On the Beef
An intimate dining experience at Washington, D.C.’s Brazilian Steakhouse Fogo de Chão marked the first in a new tradition at AmericanHort— a premier event bringing together our most dedicated advocates in the horticulture industry with elected officials who consistently show support for the needs and priorities of our member businesses. This year’s inaugural dinner featured an off-record […]
Administrator Wheeler Promotes Regulatory Relief, Transparency at EPA
Andrew Wheeler, Administrator of EPA, was an honored keynote speaker at the AmericanHort Impact Washington Summit. Wheeler did not disappoint. He gave an information-packed presentation that highlighted recent EPA accomplishments relevant to the environmental horticulture industry. Wheeler spoke of the decision to rescind the 2015 version of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation. […]