Growing Knowledge An ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in partnership with OAN By Richard Regan, Kelly Donegan and Anita Azarenko Oregon State University is training college students to become a viable part of the diverse green industries in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Under the College of Agricultural Sciences, the OSU Department of Horticulture recognizes the need for college graduates with both technical knowledge and practical skills. The green industry – including nursery, greenhouse, and Christmas tree production systems – is one of the strongest sectors of agriculture. These operations are constantly challenged by changes in market demand, regulation of invasive species, production effi- ciency, as well as climate change and sensitivity to environmental issues. At the same time, Oregon’s diverse landscape industry offers careers in landscape design, construction, and management, as well as landscape res- toration, conservation, urban forestry and consulting. Landscape and turf careers Landscape professionals design, build, and manage aesthetic, functional, and environmentally responsible spaces where we all live, work, and play. In recent years, the industry has become more sophisticated to meet the chal- lenges of today’s urban environment. Consequently, there is great demand for creative, motivated individuals who love the outdoors and enjoy working with plants, soil, water, nature and people. Oregon has every kind of golf course, from high-end style country clubs, to world-class links-style ocean courses, to high desert resort courses. Oregon also has some of the finest municipal golf courses in the country. Sports turf abounds in the form of schools, parks, and club facilities for soccer, football, baseball, softball, and lacrosse and we even have polo fields under development. Career opportuni- ties in turf management of golf and sports fields have never been better than they are right now. Many students choose to study under OSU’s Turf and Environmental Landscape Management option. The turf industry offers professional opportuni- ties in golf course maintenance, park and athletic field maintenance, and landscape maintenance. This industry continues to expand and offers more Growing students for the green industry The OSU Department of Horticulture prepares the professionals of tomorrow for nursery, greenhouse, landscape and turf careers Plant Propagation lab sections give students hands-on experience in rooting cuttings, seed germination, grafting and budding while testing the science and principles learned during lectures. 50 ▲ MARCH 2010 ▲ DIGGER 49
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▲Growing Knowledge
An ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in partnership with OAN
By Richard Regan, Kelly Donegan and Anita Azarenko
Oregon State University is training college students to become a viable part of the diverse green industries in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
Under the College of Agricultural Sciences, the OSU Department of Horticulture recognizes the need for college graduates with both technical knowledge and practical skills.
The green industry – including nursery, greenhouse, and Christmas tree production systems – is one of the strongest sectors of agriculture. These operations are constantly challenged by changes in market demand, regulation of invasive species, production effi-ciency, as well as climate change and sensitivity to environmental issues.
At the same time, Oregon’s diverse landscape industry offers careers in landscape design, construction, and management, as well as landscape res-toration, conservation, urban forestry and consulting.
Landscape and turf careersLandscape professionals design,
build, and manage aesthetic, functional, and environmentally responsible spaces
where we all live, work, and play. In recent years, the industry has become more sophisticated to meet the chal-lenges of today’s urban environment. Consequently, there is great demand for creative, motivated individuals who love the outdoors and enjoy working with plants, soil, water, nature and people.
Oregon has every kind of golf course, from high-end style country clubs, to world-class links-style ocean courses, to high desert resort courses. Oregon also has some of the finest municipal golf courses in the country.
Sports turf abounds in the form of schools, parks, and club facilities for soccer, football, baseball, softball, and lacrosse and we even have polo fields under development. Career opportuni-ties in turf management of golf and sports fields have never been better than they are right now.
Many students choose to study under OSU’s Turf and Environmental Landscape Management option. The turf industry offers professional opportuni-ties in golf course maintenance, park and athletic field maintenance, and landscape maintenance. This industry continues to expand and offers more
Growing students for the green industryThe OSU Department of Horticulture prepares the professionals of tomorrow for nursery, greenhouse, landscape and turf careers
Plant Propagation lab sections give students hands-on experience in rooting cuttings, seed germination, grafting and budding while testing the science and principles learned during lectures.
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career track jobs than any other in horticulture.
Golf course maintenance, leading to positions such as golf course superin-tendent, historically has drawn the most students and is the largest component of the curriculum. Athletic field main-tenance is emerging as a strong career track as well.
Students at Oregon StateStudents come from across the
United States, and many other parts of the world. Some have grown up in horticulture as part of family farms, per-haps looking to diversify their operation or form their own horticultural busi-nesses. Others simply know they enjoy working with plants and want to build a career in the green industry.
Many students begin their studies at OSU, while others transfer from com-munity colleges and other universities or return to school later in life to train for a new career. While they study at college, they have the opportunity to intern at nearly any place in the world.
An internship is a requirement for graduation, and is the best way for stu-dents to learn their craft and network with industry leaders. Students typi-cally intern at nurseries, greenhouses, golf courses, and landscape manage-ment firms. They can also intern with a research project leader or facility, such as the North Willamette Research and Extension Center. These students learn about using scientific methodology to solve specific production problems or ecological issues.
Students graduating from the Horticulture Department find jobs throughout North America. Numerous OSU graduates are hired to help man-age green industry businesses. Some eventually work towards ownership. With the technical education they receive and a few years of industry experience, these graduates are posi-tioned to move into management.
Other graduates find themselves working as consultants and field repre-sentatives of supply and service compa-
nies. Students within our turf program have found jobs throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain states, Arizona, and throughout California.
Faculty at Oregon StateOur faculty members use contem-
porary research tools in plant biology, genetics, and ecology to solve problems important to the horticultural industries. They research the basic biology of hor-ticultural crops; explore the ecology of horticultural systems, and work to develop a productive and sustainable horticulture industry.
These experiences are used to teach students how to develop plant production systems that optimize water use, improve soil and water qual-ity, reduce or eliminate pesticide and fertilizer use, and utilize new plant varieties that are more productive and marketable.
One leading goal is that students become skilled at finding and synthesiz-ing information in order to deal with new situations they could face during their careers.
A major faculty responsibility is to advise and mentor students on how best to prepare themselves for a career within the green industries. Every effort is made to show how sci-ence is connected with the horticul-tural enterprises and how it can apply to the continued growth of green industry businesses.
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The OSU campus is a rich resource of plant materials that help students learn to identify mature trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials.
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Outside the classroom, faculty members encourage students to con-sider possible internships and explore career opportunities. The faculty can help interested students develop indi-vidual senior research or undergradu-ate thesis projects.
CurriculumThe department’s Ecological and
Sustainable Horticulture Production option integrates courses in horticulture, landscape ecology, soils and plant sci-ences with business, social and envi-ronmental issues, and globalization. Classes in the Turf and Environmental Landscape Management curriculum include Principles of Turf Maintenance; Plant Propagation; Plant Nutrition; Plant Genetics; Ecology of Managed Ecosystems; Plant Material Identification; Students in this Floriculture and Greenhouse Systems class at Oregon State University propagated and
finished this crop of geraniums.
“The new shipping program through C.H. Robinson and OAN fits my needs. It’s easy to use and gives me competitive market pricing updates every Monday. I can even track my shipments online.”
Dave Van EssenVan Essen Nursery, Lebanon, OR
Complete Logistics Services for OAN Members
The Oregon Association of Nurseries and C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. have developed a collaborative transportation program providing a reliable, cost-effective shipping service.
This service is a free OAN member benefit and is designed for the efficient, low cost transport of nursery products.
OAN members receive these exclusive benefits:
• Reliable surge capacity when and where you need it • Weekly market pricing and communications exclusive to Oregon • Dedicated account management teams with nursery expertise • Flexible, multimodal transportation options • Customized transportation plans • Online shipment visibility and other technology services • Executive scorecarding and reporting
For more information about this program, contact:
Shannon ZavorskiSales Manager, Grower-Shipper ServicesMonterrey, CA [email protected] 866.771.1270
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Landscape Design; Landscape Maintenance; Landscape Construction; Floriculture and Greenhouse Systems; and Plant Nursery Systems.
For all students in the program, firsthand experience is provided through field trips, laboratory exer-cises, industry guest lecturers, and real world case studies. Many classes include field trips and labs that dem-onstrate the diversity of Oregon’s green industries. These field trips include visits to golf courses, parks, sports fields, landscape design/con-struction firms, contemporary and his-torical landscapes, wholesale and retail nurseries, greenhouses, and Christmas tree operations.
Our courses tackle contemporary issues. We draw from top practitioners in the Pacific Northwest who share their experience and knowledge from real world settings. These guests share ideas and insights on new turf cultivars, sustainable landscape design, construc-tion, and management, techniques to reduce pesticide use, improved plant propagation and production techniques, as well as new varieties of plants and plant materials for low-input ecological landscape, green roofs, bioswales, rain gardens and more.
Our goal at Oregon State University is to prepare students for future success and career satisfaction.
Students gain the necessary knowl-edge and skills to plan and manage horticultural businesses. At the same time they are taught to see horticulture as an activity connected to our larger society and which includes issues of ecology, economics, and politics.
For additional information about the OSU Department of Horticulture, browse http://hort.oregonstate.edu.
The authors are all members of the Oregon State University Department of Horticulture. Anita Azarenko is a full professor and the department head, Richard Regan is an associate professor, and Kelly Donegan is an academic adviser.
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