Oregon Association of Nurseries

The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,300 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is the state's largest agricultural commodity, with annual sales of nearly $1 billion. For information visit our Web site at www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.

Oregon Environmental Council

The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For over 40 years we've been a champion for solutions to protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. Our vision for Oregon includes solving global warming, protecting kids from toxics, cleaning up our rivers, building sustainable economies, and ensuring healthy food and local farms. Find out more at www.oeconline.org.

 

Climate Friendly Nurseries Project

The Climate Friendly Nurseries Project (CFNP) is an innovative partnership between the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the Oregon Environmental Council. The first of its kind in the nation, the project’s central goal is to help nurseries reduce energy, resource inputs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while achieving greater economic efficiency and profitability. Ecos Consulting and Oregon State University serve as valuable resources for the CFNP, both bringing research expertise and technical assistance that benefit nurseries.

One Green World/Northwoods Nursery: Greenhouse Heating Efficiencs

The CFNP offers significant resources and tools to nurseries interested in efficiency, costs savings and reducing greenhouse gases in three ways:

  • Through Best Management Practices for Climate Friendly Nurseries, a guide updated in August 2011 that provides best practice recommendations to help nurseries become more efficient and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
  • Through the many resources and tools on this website, and
  • Through the Climate Friendly Nurseries Demonstration Project, which works directly with participating nurseries to measure their energy and resource use and GHG emissions, identify best practices to reduce both, and to track reductions in energy and resource use and GHG emissions over time. Currently there are 12 Oregon nurseries participating in the demonstration project, from the largest in the state, to small, niche operations. You can learn more about participating here.

Best Management Practices for Climate Friendly Nurseries

The CFNP has developed a guide — Best Management Practices for Climate Friendly Nurseries — to help nurseries reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The BMP Guide contains detailed best practice recommendations, Oregon case studies and low and no-cost efficiency improvements for nurseries.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool

Our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Tool, developed specifically for the nursery industry, will help you calculate and track your resource and energy use, and measure reductions in use, costs and greenhouse gases over time.

Project Objectives

The management and reduction of resource consumption and GHG emissions is a long-term process that achieves the following strategic objectives:

  • Increase nurseries’ understanding of resource-related costs, giving them more information with which to make informed business decisions, increase efficiency and reduce overall operational costs
  • Proactively reduce operational GHG emissions and resource consumption
  • Enable nurseries to be leaders on climate change in Oregon and beyond

If you’d like to learn more about the Climate Friendly Nurseries Project, please contact:

Whitney Rideout, Oregon Association of Nurseries, (503) 682-5089

or

Allison Hensey, Oregon Environmental Council, (503)222-1963 x116

We welcome feedback about the project, and encourage you to share you experience with efficiency improvements in your nursery. Read about all the sustainability efforts currently being addressed by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.