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1998 S-103 Winter Meeting
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1998 S-103 Winter Meeting
March 5-6, 1998
Charleston, South Carolina
- The committee members present gathered at the Quality Inn at 8 am on Thursday, March 5, for a tour of local points of horticultural interest. Tom Fernandez organized a tour of Carolina Nursery, Hyam's Garden Center, Baucom's Nursery, and a tour of Waterfront Park with the Charleston City Horticulturist, Joann Breland. Lunch at Hymans was enjoyed by all.
- David Holder is our new CSREES advisor. He is looking forward to working with the group as we submit our proposal for the next five years.
- New and renewed members Bruno Moser (IL) and Dave Beattie (PA) increase the strength and reach of the committee, that now extends far into the northeast and to the west coast.
- Our current regional project will terminate in September, 1998, and we have been approved as a development committee until September, 1999. Dr. Emino encouraged each committee member to make the new project a high priority over the next months. Our proposal needs to be approved by each of the committee members' Experiment Station Director. Our proposal committee needs to complete the project proposal soon and forward it to Dr. Emino with a list of three names (plus one alternate) of individuals qualified to review the content of the proposal. Once their suggested revisions are incorporated, the revised proposal will be forwarded to a committee of five individuals to evaluate the project for inter-connectedness. Dr. Emino urged the committee to focus on how the group works sequentially or concurrently; and to highlight impacts and outcomes to show what the committee's work means to constituents.
- Our annual report is due Mid-February, in only two weeks.
- Dr. Emino spoke about the president's proposed federal budget which shows a 9% decrease in Hatch funds for fiscal 1999 in direct opposition to the recommendation of the Agricultural Experiment Station Directors recommendation to raise funds from $168 million to $183 million. Hatch funds are the base funding and is critical to the success of Experiment Station Projects all researchers have. That was the bad news. The good news was that there is a proposed significant increase in National Research Initiative (NRI) funds to $130 million for FY 99. Of that $130 million, $37 to $47 million is earmarked for plants and $3.9 to $6.5 is directed toward market trade. These funds are awarded on a competitive basis and are not part of the base funding.
- Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (SAAESD) is now on the Internet at http://www.msstate.edu/org/saaesd and the site was highly recommended to each of us. There is a considerable amount of information on this site, including national and southern strategic plans. Visit it soon.
- The other regional project with which Dr. Emino works, the Biological Control of Root Rot Organisms, received considerable funding from the SR-IPM. We need to keep funding in mind and write grants to fund S-103 research studies.
- Robert McNiel reported on the container nursery manuscript. Norm Lownds has much of the information on irrigation. Dr. McNiel is working to put the information he has on the Internet and will transfer the site to Dr. Rhodus for posting on our S-103 home page when completed. There soon should be an opportunity to make the spreadsheets interactive.
- Susan Barton said that the review article on nursery and garden center research was accepted by the Journal of Environmental Horticulture and will be published in the June 16(2) issue. We were asked to review citations and the article in general for correctness, especially since galley proofs would be sent soon. A foot note for the S-103 regional project will be added.
- Charles Hall indicated that he had three of the nine chapters from contributors. His plan is to have them on the website by December 31, 1998, and needs the remaining chapters as soon as possible.
- Dave Beattie asked about the possibility of revising the existing publication on perennials. A committee of Steglin, Behe, Hall, will assist Beattie as sub-committee chair. Send Dave Beattie an email at b50@psu.edu if you need a copy of the perennial publication.
- Robert McNiel reported he had found the electronic file for the landscape bulletin. Dave Beattie offered some information and would provide it to Bob.
- Bridget Behe reported that she and Bob Nelson had developed a journal article for HortScience on the geranium consumer preference study. It has been reviewed internally and is ready to be submitted once the committee members review it.
- Everett Emino opened nominations for committee chair. Charles Hall was elected by acclimation.
- Dr. Emino opened nominations for committee secretary. Bridget Behe was re-elected by acclimation.
- Roger Hinson raised the question of the requirement for a vice-chair. Our project requires no such office. We discussed the possibility of having this position incorporated into our new project proposal.
- Bridget Behe reported progress on the Service Quality study. We received $5000 in funding in 1997 from the Horticultural Research Institute to study consumer perceptions of service quality in garden centers in five markets. We had cooperators in AL, DE, KY, TN, TX, GA, and NC administer the survey in 16 stores in seven markets. We have nearly 500 completed surveys and are in the process of data analysis.
- Susan Barton reported that there is new interest in our service quality work with retail garden centers on the west coast. She and Bridget Behe are pursuing a connection with Monrovia and related garden centers to administer the study in that region.
- Susan Barton also reported that we were successful in receiving a grant for $20,000 from the Horticultural Research Institute in this year to investigate consumer's valuation of different landscape compositions. The sub-committee is working to refine the methodology to administer the study in 1998 and early 1999. We are looking to vary landscape design style, materials, and plant sizes at installation. There was some discussion regarding locations to administer the study including home shows, parades of homes, and garden centers.
- John Brooker reported progress on the 1999 Marketing Survey. All committee members are involved in distributing survey forms to their certified nurseries or members of the state nursery trade association. Dr. Brooker will identify states where he has no contacts so that committee members can assist in the distribution of survey forms. He requested feedback on the survey form. The committee reviewed all questions and revised some. Dr. Brooker estimates cost to mail at $0.55 each. Once completed they are to be mailed to him for tabulation.
- Patricia Knight is interested in heading a study to assess the impact of specialized marketing programs. These might include the Georgia Gold Medal Winners and other state-sanctioned marketing/promotion programs. Discussion ensued around two separate studies that (a) may focus directly on sales and (b) on consumer awareness of featured products.
- Forest Steglin reported on the turfgrass survey and that he had received $20,000 in matching funds.
- Summer 1998 August 5 (1pm) Joint with SNA meeting in Atlanta - Georgia World Congress Center
- Winter 1999 San Antonio or South Padre Island - Charlie Hall will investigate costs.
- Summer 1999 Philadelphia - Susan Barton will investigate details.
- Winter 2000 Florida possibly (?)
- Summer 2000 Florida possibly in conjunction with ASHS in Orlando
Susan Barton, Steve Turner, John Brooker, Bridget Behe, and Charlie Hall serve on this sub-committee. The entire committee reviewed the objectives and indicated parts on which they were most interested in working. Individuals volunteered to write the brief paragraph following each objective. Those are due to assigned individuals on March 20th. Steve Turner will combine the objectives and send to the committee for review by March 27th, and plans to have the completed proposal to Everett Emino by April 3, along with a list of four reviewers. We hope to have those revisions by June 1 and approval around the summer meeting time.
- The entire committee recognized Steve Turner for his excellent leadership as chair of S-103 over the past year. Steve did a great job and was applauded!