Skills USA introduces industry to young adults

Above, from left: NALP Foundation’s Jenn Myers, Oklahoma horticulture instructor Kara Murphy, UAC Executive Director Mary Kay Woodworth, Pamela Moore also from the NALP Foundation, and Raschely Flint from Plants Creative Landscapes teamed together to present the inaugural “National Skills USA Landscape Competition and Careers Booth at the SkillsUSA National Competition at the Georgia World…

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Reducing water needs

Turfgrass trials at UGA Griffin campus. Clint Waltz, University of Georgia (left) and Kevin Morris, Executive Director of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). Turfgrass research yields new varieties by Mary Kay Woodworth, Executive Director, Georgia Urban Ag Council “It’s not easy being green,” goes the saying. As far back as 1975, the legendary country…

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UAC’s Woodworth recognized with award

UAC Executive Director Mary Kay Woodworth was recently recognized as a 2022 Women in the Green Industry Award recipient. The award by Green Industry Pros honors female professionals whose accomplishments and mentorship influence others in the landscaping community and offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage the industry for competitive advantage. Mary Kay…

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Leaf blower restrictions: Update for 2022 and beyond

Lawmakers continued to voice their support for protecting the use of gasoline powered leaf blowers, but even as we pushed into the late hours of Day 40 of the 2022 legislative session, this policy issue fell short. We will continue to engage with colleagues from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), Outdoor Power Equipment…

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H-2A and H-2B: Clarifying temporary guest worker programs

by Arnulfo Hinojosa, Federation of Employers & Workers of America   There are many misconceptions about the H-2A and H-2B programs that have circulated both in the media and within the business community. Here is some clarification: Major misconception:  The H-2A/H-2B workers are employed because they are a source of “cheap labor.”  This could not…

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LEAF: Landscape Equipment and Agricultural Fairness Act

On February 15, 2022 UAC’s Mary Kay Woodworth spoke to the House Governmental Affairs Committee. In February, the Georgia Urban Ag Council, working with Tolar Capitol Partners, asked Representative Don Hogan to introduce House Bill 1301, the Landscape Equipment and Agricultural Fairness Act (LEAF).  This bill was introduced due to concerns with what has happened…

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SkillsUSA: UAC partners with NALP Foundation for landscape competition

Workforce development is a very high priority for the Georgia Urban Ag Council, and introducing our industry to students, parents and educators is paramount to success in growing our workforce. We are excited to announce that UAC is partnering with the National Association of Landscape Professionals Foundation on an exciting new initiative. SkillsUSA is a…

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2022 GA Sod Survey shows limited inventories, higher prices for spring

The Georgia Urban Ag Council conducted their twenty-sixth survey of Georgia sod producers.  The purpose of the survey was to determine the status of inventory levels and projected price changes for spring 2022.  This year, 18 producers participated in the survey, representing farm sizes which were less than 300 acres (8 participants), 300 to 600…

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Not the same ole, same ole

Gibbs Landscape Company

This homeowner stated that she was exhausted of seeing the same ole, same ole in her container garden and that she wanted something more than the ordinary fern in the center and flowers surrounding it.  She was looking for containers that were innovative, exciting and creative. The blue of the scaevola in this container is…

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Outsmarting the deer

Simply Flowers

Deer eat EVERYTHING. And when the property backs up to the Chattahoochee Nature Preserve, the flowers don’t stand a chance. We tried netting. The deer sliced it open with their hooves and continued to eat. We built wire hoops and put two layers of netting. A large buck mistook it for a fashion accessory. He…

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