Industry News

Growing job education grows job opportunities by Mary Kay Woodworth, Georgia UAC Executive Director A recent economic analysis of Georgia’s workforce shows we are home to 2.1 million jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related fields and more than half are held by residents who do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Data from…

Legislation would bring standards and enforcement Recently, the Georgia Legislature assigned a resolution to the committee on regulated industries to hold hearings regarding a bill for possible new legislation. The goal of that legislation would be to bring standards and enforcement to the tree industry in Georgia through required licensure. GFASTI (“Georgians for a Safer…

The Georgia Urban Ag Council is proud to have the Landscape Equipment and Agricultural Fairness “LEAF” Act signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp. Upon signing HB 374, Governor Kemp remarked “This bill is about choice and freedom.” His leadership and that of Senator Shawn Still and bipartisan support of the Georgia General Assembly, HB…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the Department of Labor (DOL), will be issuing a regulation that will make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year (FY) 2023. These visas are in addition to the 66,000 H-2B visas that are normally allocated each fiscal year. DHS hopes that…

Kudos to these industry leaders! Brian Schartz Dr. Brian Schwartz, assistant professor of turfgrass breeding and management at the University of Georgia, Tifton Campus. Schwartz was bestowed the “Phil Karr Water Wise Award” by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP).  GAWP recognized Dr. Schwartz for his great “contributions to water conservation in Georgia” through…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…