Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Consumer demand for native plants is high, but native plant growers face many challenges in meeting this demand, including: 1) meeting aesthetic standards demanded by the ornamental plant market, 2) lack of access to research-based information on sustainable sourcing and practical production of native plants, 3) a lack of information on native plants' performance in ornamental landscapes (beyond common species, already in use), 4) the role of cultivars and ecotypes in the native plant marketplace, and 5) lack of a formal network to facilitate information sharing and problem solving. Our goal is to support the long-term success of native plant growers serving ornamental markets, and overall growth of the native plant nursery industry. We plan to initiate work towards this goal by conducting a survey-based needs analysis of native plant nursery professionals to assess their interest in joining a network of native plant growers, determine their preference for network structure, and identifying their key research, teaching, and extension priorities. We will use a Zoom webinar series as an opportunity to highlight the science surrounding key issues confronting native plant growers, engage industry professionals, address key issues confronting the industry, and promote participation in the survey-based needs analysis. Finally, we will outline a strategic plan and craft and submit an SCRI SREP during the 2022-2023 funding cycle that will address identified research, teaching, and extension priorities serving the native plant nursery industry
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
Our goal is to support the long-term success of native plant growers serving ornamental markets, and overall growth of the native plant nursery industry. We plan to initiate work towards this goal by conducting a survey-based needs analysis of native plant nursery professionals to assess their interest in joining a network of native plant growers, determine their preference for network structure, and identifying their key research, teaching, and extension priorities. We will use a Zoom webinar series as an opportunity to highlight the science surrounding key issues confronting native plant growers, engage industry professionals, address key issues confronting the industry, and promote participation in the survey-based needs analysis. Finally, we will outline a strategic plan and craft and submit an SCRI SREP during the 2022-2023 funding cycle that will address identified research, teaching, and extension priorities serving the native plant nursery industry.
Project Methods
Activity #1: Surveying Native Plant Professionals. We will conduct a survey-based needs assessment of the native plant nursery industry, as a starting point to facilitate the formation of national native plant growers' network, with regional hubs. Specifically, the needs assessment will help determine the organizational structure and level of engagement that participants want in a native plant growers' network, as well as identify teaching, research, and extension priorities. For the survey, we will vet and update an existing list of 339 native plant nursery operations across 47 US states. This list was developed by Dr. Rick Martinson as part of his Ph.D. dissertation project at Oregon State University, and shared with our project team in support of our SCRI proposal (letter of support #1).We will work with the Oregon State University Survey Research Center (OSU-SRC) to develop and test the survey instrument and to obtain IRB approval. The survey, itself, will be posted online. However, the OSU-SRC will reach out to the contacts on the vetted list of native plant nursery operations via email and/or USPS mail, in order to promote broad participation in the study. Contacts will be targeted to the winter months, to reach native plant growers when they may have more time to attend to a survey.A Dillman mixed-mode survey method using online and mail survey formats will be managed by the OSU-SRC (Dillman, Smyth, & Christian, 2009). Individuals selected for the study will be provided with a confidential access code, meaning a participant can only complete one survey. For the first contact, the OSU-SRC will send a preletter or email on behalf of the project team, introducing the study, its purpose, and the OSU-SRC as the data collection unit for the study. A second contact will include a more detailed letter, explaining the importance of the survey, why the individual was selected, assure confidentiality, provide contact information if any questions arise, and provide the URL and access code for the participant to access the survey. The next contact will be a thank you postcard sent one week after the second contact. The postcard will thank individuals for their cooperation (if they completed the survey) and serves as a reminder for those that did not respond to the survey. The final contact will be a follow-up letter sent by either US mail or email to non-respondents, reminding them of the survey, with a link and access code. The letter will remind them of the importance of the survey and request their participation. The OSU-SRC will manage, analyze, and summarize survey data, and share these with the project team.As part of the survey, individuals will have the opportunity to give their name and contact information at the end the survey (divorced from their replies in the main survey), in case they would like to actively work on or otherwise contribute to the formation of the native plant growers' network and/or the development of teaching, research, and extension priorities. This provides the benefit of additional information exchange with native plant growers and serves as a feedback loop about the project, information provided, and potential future opportunities.Beyond the vetted list of native plant nurseries, we will recruit participation throughout the project year, via presentations at nursery and landscape industry events (e.g. FarWest Show, MANTS, Cultivate) and during the Zoom webinar series. Recruitment will involve asking individuals for their name, contact information, and native plant professional affiliation. This information will be passed on to the OSU-SRC, to initiate contact and invite individuals to complete the online survey. Survey data will be analyzed and reported back to industry groups, at two or more industry (e.g. FarWest show, FNGLA landscape show, MANTS) where we will extend additional invitations to engage in the network.The survey, itself, will include demographic questions that will allow our team to understand how nursery size, customer base, products, and propagation practices influence perspectives on the need for and preferred structure of a native plant growers' network.The next set of demographic questions will be for nurseries (retail or wholesale) and seed producers only.The next set of questions will ask native plant producers about their key interests, challenges, and concerns related to the collection, production, and/or sale of native plants, as a way to identify strategic teaching, research, and extension priorities.Additional questions will ask individuals about their views and preferences related to a native plant growers' network.Activity #2: Develop and Deliver a Zoom Webinar Series. We will organize and deliver at least six Zoom webinars to native plant growers and other interested nursery industry professionals. The webinars will be delivered by recognized experts and will address issues confronting native plant growers. Presentations will be 40 minutes in length, with an additional 15-minute question and answer period. Webinars will be broadly marketed to current/potential growers and users of native plants, and will also be used to recruit survey participants. Advance registration will be required, where we will collect participants' names and contact information, as well as the name of the native plant nursery that they might be associated with. If native plant nursery professionals sign up for the webinar who are not on our current list of 339 native plant nurseries, we will add them to the list and pass their contact information on to the OSU-SRC.Webinar topics and presenters will ultimately be determined by feedback received from native plant nursery growers via the survey and other outreach efforts. However, several of our core team members are prepared to present on a range of topics that we anticipate will be of interest to growers. Potential presentations include:Lessons Learned in Networking the Native Plant Industry (Cammie Donaldson, Executive Director of Florida Association of Native Nurseries)The Importance and Benefits of Preserving Genetic Diversity in Native Nursery Plants (Dr. Meghan Avolio, Johns Hopkins University)Native Plant Propagation: From Seeds to Tissue Culture (Dr. Sandra Wilson, University of Florida)Can Plant Breeding Preserve Ecological Function in Cultivars of Native Plants? (Ms. Jen Hayes and Dr. Gail Langellotto, Oregon State University)Marketing Native Plants to Today's Gardeners (Dr. Alicia Rihn, University of Tennessee)Designing Native Plant Seed Mixes for Ornamental Landscapes (Dr. Orville Baldos, Chair of WERA-1031 and University of Hawaii, Letter of Support #15)What Do Native Plant Growers Want? A Summary of the First National Survey of the Industry (Planning Project Team)Activity #3: Outline a Plan for an SCRI SREP. The core project team, as well as individuals that self-identify an interest in further working on the creation of a native plant growers' network and/or developing a strategic teaching, research, and extension plan to serve the needs of native plant growers, will use the information gathered during the survey to outline a plan for an SCRI SREP that meets industry needs and addresses USDA legislative priorities. Specifically, we will sort data to focus on 1) nursery plant growers and sellers (answers example survey question 1, choices a, b, and c) that 2) focus on native plant production and/or sales (answers from example survey questions 3-6) to identify key practices, research, and extension priorities and perspectives on a native plant growers' network. We will analyze responses from other groups that may answer the survey (e.g. gardeners and LAs/LDs) separately.