Newsletter August 2010, Volume 41, Issue 3
President's Report
To all IPPS members
This is my first report as IPPS President, so it's time for me to tell you a little bit about myself.
I have been involved in horticulture since I left school in 1969. I started work at Bees Nursery in Chester in the rose department, many years followed including numerous trips to the famous Chelsea Flower Show where I helped to bowl the plants and roses. After leaving Bees, I went contract rose and fruit budding around Europe, Australia and New Zealand where we finally emigrated in 1991. We finally became proud NZ citizens in November 2009 after nearly 20 years here. I currently work at Appletons Tree Nursery and also have my own small business growing cut bloom roses and my other passion is Bonsai.
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My first experience of an IPPS conference was way back in the early 1990's when I was invited to attend one in Wellington. Even back then, I thought what a great bunch of enthusiastic people you all were: passionate, friendly and a real feel of wanting to seek and share knowledge with you. Well guys you are all still the same, I hope that in my time as President that the passion continues. The goals that I hope to achieve and continue on with are the hands-on workshops and to continue seeking new members to carry on in the industry. I hope I serve you well.
In Nelson our winter so far has been so mild; only a few really bad frosts but by 10am the day is lovely. We are very busy and orders still continue to flood in, hopefully for all of us in the industry, you will also have a good season.
The Nelson pre-conference tour and Blenheim Conference were a great success and even now, the comments are still flowing in. The weather was not so great in Blenheim, but as always the members of the IPPS didn't let that get them down.
Over 120 people attended and thanks go to those on the organising committee of Grant and Donna Robertson, Jill Reader for the speakers and Shirley Ogilvy for the lovely up-to-date spreadsheets. Without their help, it may not have occurred. Special mentions go to the Four-pack which actually ended up being 5 when we had our Japanese exchange student Shigeni Ohuchi. He fitted in really well and like the rest of the Four- pack was a great asset to the conference. Many thanks to them and hopefully they continue with IPPS as they get free membership for a year.
The pre-conference tour in and around the Nelson area waswell attended over the three days; members had the option to pick and choose what they wanted to see and that proved successful.
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A day trip into the Abel Tasman National Park went well even though the previous day the weather looked dodgy; many thanks to the local nurseries who opened their doors to us.
The theme for conference this year was SUNSHINE, WINE & WEATHER and even though we did not get two, the wine certainly took precedent!! The sun did not really show until the Sunday, but as always that did not deter the enthusiasm of the IPPS members.
We had an excellent range of speakers, approximately 14 in all and some even speaking twice. The topics they covered held the audience, with questions always needing to be answered at the end.
The field trips were interesting too and thanks go to the people who opened up their doors to us.
Our conferences cannot happen without our sponsors, so a big thank you to the following for their contribution this year: Daltons Ltd, Hortfert Ltd, Interworld Plastics, PSP Athco, Scotts Australia, Canterbury Landscapes, Commercial Horticulture Magazine, Infoservices combined with KingGrapes, RX Plastics combined with Egmont Commercial, Starter Plants, Appletons Tree Nursery, Gus Evans Nursery, Harford Greenhouses and Southern Horticulture. Without these guys, I am sure it would have been a lot more expensive.
Our society recognises great people at the conferences and this year the John Follett Award of Recognition went to Peter Waugh, with Richard Ware receiving the Award of Merit for their contribution to the IPPS. Well done gentlemen, well deserved.
On the executive committee, I would like to thank Murray Mannall for his passion over the past few years and his leadership and drive will be a hard act to follow. Unfortunately due to health reasons, Murray will not continue this year as International Director. Ian Duncalf has stepped into this role; Murray will still remain on the executive committee.
Our executive committee consists of:
- Phillip Smith - 1st Vice President in charge of conferences
- Jeff Elliott - 2nd Vice President role of organising field trips
- One of the most stalwart members of our committee is Shirley Ogilvy as Treasurer
- Glenys Evans as Secretary, very ably assisting Shirley and the President
- Jill Reader - Editor of papers and organiser of speakers for future conferences
- Hayden Foulds - Newsletters
- Gordon Scott - Merchandise
- Lana Hope and
- Our newest member is Lindsay Hatch from Joy Plants
Please feel free to contact any of the above or myself if you have any issues, comments or suggestions that you think may benefit the society.
You can email me at snow.willija@xtra.co.nz anytime if you have any concerns.
For those not able to attend the conference, IPPS NZ is in good hands and membership is looking good.
Wishing you all a good spring.
Ian Williams
President, IPPS NZ Region.
New Zealand Field Days
Here's what's lined upfor the foreseeable future:
- Tauranga - 16-17 October 2010
- Christchurch - Feb 2011
- Great Barrier - March 2011
and ...
- Southern California, USA - June 2011, Philip Smith organising.
For those who did not get to conference this year, Eddie Welsh and PhilipI are planning a trip to Southern California next year. They already have a keen group of intrepid travellers that have registered, but have another couple of places left. We are limiting the group size so please register now if interested. If you need some more info of the outline of the trip Phillip can send you a powerpoint presentation of what we are proposing ... Contact Phillip at philip@tauponativeplant.co.nz for the info.
How's this for commitment?
We're told that Gus Evans has not missed a conference for his entire membership duration of 37 years. That must be an attendance record and worth noting!
International Website Member Access
With the new subscription year behind us, new access codes have been established and a note is attached with these details.
2011 - Napier - IPPS 40th Celebration Conference
Don't forget these dates…
- 4 May - Pre-conference field trip Cape Kidnappers
- 5 May - Pre-conference field trip local nurseries
- 6 to 8 May - Conference
Great venue, international guest speakers, workshops on mist propagation, cutting production, stock bed maintenance etc and numerous other 'hands on' topics.
Great food and great company - you won't want to miss this one!
Contact either Richard Ware or Philip Smith for more details.
2010 Pre-Conference Tour
By Hayden Foulds Sunny Nelson turned out to be an appropriate base for the pre-conference tours before the 2010 IPPS conference in nearby Blenheim, not only for its strong local horticultural industry but also because it must have been the only part of New Zealand with decent weather for when the tours operated! Although a bit cold and with the odd shower or two, those who took part in the pre-conference tours enjoyed visiting the Nelson region's natural attractions as well as a good mix of horticultural operations, including a number of nurseries for which the region is well known. The first day tour took us into the Abel Tasman National Park, the smallest national part in New Zealand which was established in 1942. While it was wet in Nelson, we encountered a fine, if not cool, day enjoying the sights of the Abel Tasman and as it was in the off-season for tourists, we almost had it to ourselves. We set off from Kaiteriteri Beach with its famous golden sand, headed for a day cruising into the National Park. Those of us brave enough to stay outside on the top deck and enjoy the views soon retreated to the warmth of down-below. The history of the park was explained to us from when Abel Tasman first sighted the area in 1642 through to the unsuccessful human settlement of the park in the mid 1800's and the formation of the park in 1942. The coastline is a mixture of golden sand beaches for which the area is famous and granite outcrops, plus numerous offshore islands and rocky outcrops with a multitude of plant and birdlife. We passed close to the seal colony on Tonga Island before we reached the turn-around point of our trip at We then headed back to Bark Bay where after a fantastic steak lunch, we set off for a walk to the waterfall behind the estuary. Again, the evidence of attempted human settlement was evident with gorse prevalent, although the sooty mold was giving it a run for its money. Back on board, we headed to Kaiteriteri and our bus ride back to Nelson. From the natural attractions in the Abel Tasman, the next day was spent visiting some of the horticultural operations near Nelson. Our first stop was at Vibrant Earth, where Mary Duncan welcomed the group in true IPPS style with morning tea. Mary and her husband Phillip Jones run Vibrant Earth which produces over 90,000 plants per year for both the garden centre and landscaping sectors. Production is focused around New Zealand, Australian and South African plants but with other lines, over 800 varieties are in production at any one time. In these times when the variety of plants being produced by nurseries is shrinking, it was good to see a number of rare and unusual plants being grown alongside the more common lines. It is something that Mary is continuing to develop by seeking out the more different and unusual lines. Production batches are kept small, but there are fresh lots coming through all the time. Most propagation is done on site. The nursery also has the great benefit of being frost-free. It was only a short trip to our next visit, Gardens of the World, a six acre garden featuring plantings from all around the world. Originally owned by Geoff and Gillian Etherington who started the garden in 1990, the garden has in recent years been sold to the Day family of Nelson who plan to continue for garden for future generations to enjoy. It was amazing to see what had been achieved in 20 years and while early winter is not the best time to visit, our walk around the garden revealed a wide range of plantings all laid out very well. A large lake was the focal point of the gardens which included separate plantings from New Zealand as well as Australia, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. The gardens are an important tourist attraction for the Nelson region and also hosts a wide variety of events from weddings and concerts, through to garden tours and funerals. It's well worth a visit if you are in the Nelson region with something to see whatever time of the year you choose to visit. It was then onto John Ewers indoor vegetable production operation, probably the largest in the South Island and one of the top 10 glasshouse producers in New Zealand. Established 30 years ago by John and his wife Margaret, the business has recently been sold to MG Marketing, a grower's co-op but John will continue to be involved in the business. A visit to a horticultural operation such as this is a mind-blowing experience given the numbers involved with 8 hectares of greenhouse production, 20 hectares of crops and 150 staff employed, this is no small operation. It's fair to say everyone on the tour was very impressed with the quality and quantity of the crops grown, particularly those grown under glass, which included tomatoes, eggplant and capsicums. Our final visit of the day was to Franks Trees, run by Frank & Tracy Goeddert, which produces trees for both wholesale and retail sales. The nursery has only been going seven years and is small in size with Frank & Tracy doing most of the work, but makes up for this with exceptional plant quality and Frank's passion for trees. Through retail sales, Frank is building up a growing base of customers through word of mouth who are seeking out his high quality trees for their gardens. The nursery is only open for retail sales three days a week to allow for time to be spent in the nursery and for Frank to indulge in his other passion, pig hunting! One line the nursery grows in good numbers is Liquidambar 'Gumball' on standards of varying height and at the time of our visit, were showing good late autumn colour. Frank also has a new Fraxinus 'Purple Spire' which is upright-growing in habit with stunning autumn colour. A PVR is being applied for and Frank says it would make a good street tree. The final day took us from Nelson to Blenheim, via the Nelson Lakes National Park. Heading south from Nelson into the Waimea Valley, we visited two nurseries specialising in tree production. Our first stop was at the Tree Farm, the nursery of Bruce Dippie and Marie-Christine Pain. Only a small nursery on leased land, Bruce fits his nursery work around other work including a contract to the parks department of the Nelson City Council looking after its street trees. Production is centred around field grown deciduous and evergreen trees, with some also produced in containers. A speciality line is topiary buxus trimmed and trained to several shapes including spirals, cones and balls. Bruce, like it seems all other nurseries, has a 'play around' area for experiments and new ideas. It was then onto Appletons Tree Nursery, well known around New Zealand for the range of trees produced in open ground and in containers, which are sold to the forestry sector, other nurseries and to the general public by mail order. Eric Appleton and Ian Williams showed us around the very tidy nursery where many of the trees were showing great autumn colour and there was not a weed to be seen anywhere. Most lines are produced by seed and sown directly into raised beds where they are grown on until lifted. Large quantities of pink bark are added to the soil each year, making it into a potting mix for plants to grow. A specialised bulldozer is a great asset to lift plants by shaking them and lifting them to the surface, so no more back breaking work to lift plants. Plants are then dispatched with the roots wrapped is sphagnum moss and wrapped in plastic which allow them to get to their destination in good condition. An exceptional catalogue with lots of information on planting and growing a range of trees is the main method of sale. Leaving Appletons, the tour headed the Nelson Lakes National Park and what was to be an hour's guided walk with someone from DOC. However, the weather had different ideas and it was snowing by the time we arrived there, so a five minute look around was all that everyone wanted to do. |
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Conference 4 Pack 2011
Four-pack nominations are now required for 2011 IPPS Conference.
We're seeking four enthusiastic, passionate and motivated people to assist with running next year's IPPS conference which will be held in Napier from May 5 to 8. This is a great opportunity for someone who has been in the industry less than five years and who is studying or has just finished studying in some form of horticulture. They are introduced to IPPS, learn more about the industry and meet people involved in various aspects of horticulture. Plus they get to experience all the different aspects of conference and it's something to put on their CV for the future. In return, the successful applicants will receive free travel to and from conference, free accommodation and meals whilst at conference and free registration. They will also get to keep their 4-pack shirt and will also receive a free IPPS membership for the following year. Those applicants who are not successful receive a reduced conference registration of $50.
If you would benefit from this experience or know someone who would, then contact Jeff Elliott (phone 03 314 9049 or email jeff.elliott@clear.net.nz) for further details and an application form. Applications close 30th November 2010.
International Tour and Conference
Eastern Region: 29 Sep to 2 Oct 2010
Hosted by the Eastern Region the Pre-conference tour runs from 16 to 28 September followed by Eastern Region 60th Conference 29 September to 2 October.
The International tour starts from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the long tour on September 16th; although you can also join the tour here also on the 17th and 18th, while the short tour starts in New Jersey on September 24th and finishes in Warwick, Rhode Island for the Eastern Region Conference.
Contact Glenys or Shirley for further information, or see the International website at www.ipps.org
Conference Friday Field Trip
Marlborough Convention Centre, coats, umbrellas and warm clothing was the order of the day as we headed off to explore two horticultural operations that are based in the sunny Marlborough region. Heading inland from Blenheim into the Wairau Valley, we passed the Waihopai Spy Base (known as Dolly Parton to the locals!) to Marlborough Lavender, a commercial lavender farm run by Tony and Shirley Thoms. By now the weather had packed in, so members took shelter for lunch in the Thoms large living room and verandas surrounding their home. Few braved the wet and cold to view the lavender plantings which at that time of the year didn't look much anyway. Lavender flavoured chocolate was passed around to taste, an acquired flavour to say the least. The Thoms gave an overview of their operation which produces high quality lavender oil, something New Zealand is gaining a reputation with in overseas markets. Some members indulged in a spot of shopping at the shop. It was then back onto the buses for the long drive back through Blenheim and south to Seddon where we visited the Yealands Eco Winery at Seaview. Rising out of the low cloud was the impressive curved roof building that houses the winery operation and shop. Developed by local entrepreneur Peter Yealands, everything done at the winery is done with sustainability in mind, from the growing of the grapes though to the processing and development of the wines and packaging of the wine itself. It is rated as one of the top sustainable wineries in the world and are still looking at improvements all the time. Some of the sustainability practises at the vineyard include:
We were taken on a tour of the winery and shown the steps involved in the wine making process, including some forty-odd 80,000 litre stainless steel tanks that cost $1 per litre. Do the sums! After, we got to do some tasting and some managed a little shopping as well while afternoon tea was served. |
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Conference Saturday Field Trip
By Bronwyn Rowse The first visit was to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, where we were split into smaller groups and given a wonderful guided tour by a collection of men who are passionate about vintage aircraft. The museum is a collection of aircraft (many of them are still airworthy, and fly for display days and for fun) and memorabilia from famous aviators from both sides of the great war mostly collected by and belonging to Peter Jackson. The amazing static displays built by Weta Workshops are set up to portray cameo moments from World War One and to tell stories of wartime adventures. We moved to Morgans Road nursery and were treated to more food and a free walk around. The nursery grows mostly revegetation plants and is working well with conservation species. The nursery is irrigated by a flooded bed system. We then went to Ormonds Grape nursery and were shown a video about their operation, which produces grape plants for new and replacement plantings. They talked about the problems of over-production in the wine industry and said that they expected a downturn in 2009 and reduced their production by 50% but the down turn was actually 90%. They have diversified into owning production vineyards and into machinery for vineyard management eg. pruning. |
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Richard Ware - Award of Merit
Richard Ware was presented with an Award of Merit at Blenheim's conference. Murray Mannall highlighted Richard's contribution to IPPS.
I have the very pleasurable job of awarding our Society's top award tonight. The Award of Merit. To receive this award the recipient must have given meritorious service to the IPPS, to still be an active member, and they must have given meritorious service to NZ horticulture. Only eleven other members have received this award. The recipient fills all of the above criteria in spades.
In asking around our long-term members a number of stories came out. Gus Evans tells me about the times at conference he has seen him working out on his 'rebounder' on his hotel balcony in the early hours of the morning. Also the time while on an IPPS field trip to one of his previous employers, he got commanded to "SHUT THE BLOODY DOOR ******** ". Our recipient tonight duly jumped and got it done. Many members will never forget his presentations at conferences. Delivered with passion and strong conviction, with great content but with little interest in inconsequential things like time. Others recall him using a fridge for a filing cabinet, his penchant for "alternative food" and healthy living, and his nursery site where you have to be a contortionist mountain goat to survive.
In the horticultural world, he obtained a diploma at Massey under Murray Richards in the late 60's. He is renowned for having probably made more cuttings than any other NZ propagator. Many millions of plants around NZ started life under his knife and clippers. He has brought vast amounts of new plant material into NZ, as well as production technologies not previously seen in our country. He was one of the first to prune his plants very hard and to facilitate this he developed an excellent trimming machine. His love of new things takes him overseas and when he returns he seeks to share this information with others.
As to his service to IPPS, there is no doubt about his credentials. He became an inaugural member and committee member at the first meeting on the 26th September 1972. He has served on the Executive in various roles for the periods 1972 to 1980, and from 1984 to 1991. In that time he served two terms as President, in1976/77 and 1988/89, and one term as our International Director in 1990 and 1991. He has been extremely active in attending and organizing field days and conferences, and that extends to our conference today and even more so next year.
To finish with Gus's words "My instant recall would be his love, passion and continued support for IPPS over many many years. He is always available to fulfill and help out with any IPPS tasks asked of him, and always willingly and instantly."
It is with the greatest respect and pleasure I would like to announce the recipient: Richard Ware could you please come forward?
Seeking Employment
My name is Dr. Sheila Bhattacharya. I have held the position of President, Western Region IPPS in 2002. And I have been in the executive board of IPPS for many years.
I am interested in the working in New Zealand and other countries and would like to contribute my experience for the plant propagation management team. I am flexible in terms of short or long term / contract / consulting type employment.
I offer:
- PhD in Plant Physiology.
- Extensive experience in greenhouse management and plant propagation of woody ornamentals, ornamental grasses, perennial plants in high volume operations in California, Arizona and North Carolina.
- Leadership in management of seedling plug production, vegetative cutting propagation in fully automated state- of- the art greenhouse facilities.
- Experience in research and development of tissue culture of plants.
- Technical leadership in plant propagation techniques and tools.
- Extensive research experience in plant biochemical laboratory analysis techniques and plant physiological growth parameters.
I can be reached at (480)-236-2657or at home 919-477-6193 for additional information.
I would be delighted to hear from you in seeking a suitable position.
Sincerely,
Sheila Bhattacharya
United States Citizen
Speaker Coaches
Public speaking always seems to rate highly on lists of people's worst fears, right up there with sharks, snakes and large, hairy spiders. A few lucky people have a natural talent for it, but most regard talking in front of an audience as the stuff of nightmares.
Which probably isn't the best introduction for my request for speakers for next year's conference. However, we now have a team of speaker coaches ready and willing to help first-time, apprehensive speakers, who would like some expert advice on presenting their talk. This advice might come in the form of how to get your message across, how to construct a power point or slide show, or maybe just a big confidence booster. These coaches are 8 IPPS members who between them have vast experience with conference presentations both here and overseas. The concept is a new initiative brought about to encourage all you members who have lots of interesting things to speak about, but for whatever reason have not put your hand up to get on stage yet. Our illustrious lineup of speaker coaches comprises Eddie Welsh, Chris Barnaby, Cathy Hargreaves, Malcolm Woolmore, Nicola Rochester, Terry Hatch, Ken Davey, and Ian Duncalf. All of them familiar faces on our conference speaker lists.
How do you get to speak at conference? The first step would be to email me, and from there we would look at the subject you want to speak about and decide who out of the coaches would best suit your subject and the style in which you want to present it. You would make that decision. Sometime after that point you would contact the coach of your choice. I am also available to give advice on writing up your paper for publishing in the Combined Proceedings.
So think about giving this a go if you've never presented a paper before. We might not have the experts to help you swim with sharks or handle snakes and spiders, but we do have experts willing to help you step up and actually enjoy a spot of public speaking - and besides, remember you would be speaking amongst friends; IPPS members make pretty good audiences too.
Jill Reader,
Editor NZ region
jill@currantaffairs.com
Duncan & Davies Reunion
Not surprisingly none of the original staff of Duncan and Davies are alive. However plenty of others, who worked for the company can still draw breath. This is a message to those people - who hopefully still have a memory and a sense of humour - we're having a reunion.
It's taken a long time to arrange (over 100 years) and it's not likely to be repeated; so put this date in your diary Saturday 6 November 2010. The reunion will include tours of the old sites and a tour of the Brixton block now being very successfully run by The Stepping Stones Nurseries Ltd. We will have an evening meal in the old packing shed and plenty of time to catch up and reminisce.
Alan Jellyman has been working hard to complete a book detailing the history of the company. We hope images from the reunion will be used to fill up the last pages before going to print. Attendees can order their copies and benefit from early bird prices.
For information on registration contact Ian Duncalf at ian@duncalf.co.nz, or 139 Te Puna Road, R.D. 6, Tauranga. Tell your old mates. It's going to a great event and for those looking for an excuse to travel, this is the last weekend of the Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival.
IPPS Travel Scholarship
IPPS is an international organization and the International Board is encouraging members to take full advantage of this by part-funding members to travel, learn and work in one of the other 7 regions around the world. These are in the Eastern, Western or Southern Regions of the US, Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. You should state your preferred destination and preferred duration of trip on the application form.
You will need to be an IPPS member engaged in the profession of plant production and its related fields, and to have completed, or be currently involved in, some form of industry-related training. You will need to be over 18 years old, and be prepared to share your experiences in a report to the International Board, and potentially, at the conferences of your host and home regions.
The International Board may fund the trip up to a total of US$2000. They require that you &/or IPPS NZ match their contribution on a $1 for $1 basis.
For more information (including an application form) please contact the NZ Regional secretary, Glenys Evans. Send your completed application form to Glenys and she will liaise with the relevant parties.
Glenys Evans
IPPS NZ Region Secretary
Gus Evans Nurseries
PO Box 98
Waikanae
P 04 293 2501
M 027 293 2502
E gus@gusevans.co.nz
IPPS Propagator's Scholarship
It's time to be thinking about applying for the IPPS Propagators Scholarship. Further details and application forms are available from Jeff Elliott (03) 314 9049 or jeff.elliott@clear.net.nz. Applications will close 31st October 2010.
IPPS is after keen aspiring propagators to apply for the scholarship. Realising that many in the industry don't have a research or academic background, we are after those people with some practical, loosely-researched observations that will interest our membership base. Anybody can apply for the scholarship, all you need is an interesting project for us to sponsor and be prepared to speak at an IPPS Conference for 5 -10 minutes.
The Japan / New Zealand Exchange Scholarship
'A great opportunity to learn, and to experience another culture, at little expense'
This new travel initiative is open to all NZ IPPS members aged 21 or over who wish to 'seek and share' in Japan, and who are currently working or studying in plant production or a related field. A preference will be given to those applicants in the early stages of their horticultural careers but all members are encouraged to apply. Only one recipient will be selected each year.
You would be hosted by IPPS Japan for 2 to 6 weeks. They would organize your accommodation and travel within Japan, plus visits to nurseries, places of horticultural and cultural interest, and to their annual conference. This is normally held in our spring each year. The dates for the 2010 Japan conference are 20 to 24 October in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture. Dates for 2011 have not been announced yet.
The travel plus your expenses within the host region would be fully funded by the IPPS NZ and Japan Regions.
You would be required to share your knowledge and experiences with NZ members on your return, and hopefully with the Japanese while on your trip.
An application form is available online at www.ipps.org.nz. Click the 'Scholarships' tab. More detailed information is on the application form.
Your initial contact in NZ is the IPPS secretary, Glenys Evans. Glenys will pass your application, or request for more information, on to the 'Japanese Exchange Coordinator'.
Gleny's contacts are:
P 04 293 2501 daytime
M 027 293 2502
F 04 293 5450
E gus@gusevans.co.nz
Applications close on 30 November each year i.e. 30/11/10 for 2011 travel.
New Zealand/Japan Exchange 2010
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Brett Harris of Oderings Nurseries in Christchurch has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the IPPS Exchange Scholarship between the New Zealand and Japan regions of IPPS. Brett was a member of the 4 pack at the Dunedin conference in 2006.
In October, Brett will be spending three weeks hosted by the Japan region and will include visits to nurseries, other places of horticultural and cultural interest plus attending their region's conference in Toyoake, Aichi Provence. Brett's knowledge of the Japanese language and culture will hold him in good stead as an Ambassador for the New Zealand region.
On his visit, he will show Japanese members production methods that we use here in New Zealand and passing on knowledge of different crops. In return, Brett hopes to broaden his experiences by learning and developing new ideas and propagation methods, "with an eye to more sustainable methods, as I believe this is the way the current economic environment is pushing both the retail and wholesale sectors".
He is intending to pass this onto the apprentices that he works with along with others in the industry. Upon his return to New Zealand, Brett will be speaking on his experiences and showing photos at next year's conference in Napier and also sharing his exchange experiences through the IPPS newsletter.
Brett has committed his whole working life to horticulture, starting at Oderings at the age of 12 with an after school job and has been their ever since. After leaving school, he completed an apprenticeship with Oderings gaining knowledge and skills across the different departments of the nursery.
Brett now is second in charge of the Perennial and Houseplant wholesale section of Oderings with various responsibilities "I enjoy the opportunity to lead others and relish the chance to make decisions in relation to what lines to grow, and the requirements for the next growing season". He also works as store manager at Oderings Yaldhurst branch on Saturday's and public holidays.
I'm sure all IPPS members will wish Brett well on his Japanese exchange and will be looking forward to hearing about his experiences at conference or through the newsletter.
Snippets from July's Executive meeting
International
- With the exception of NZ and Australia the Society is still having difficulty with membership retention which in turn is affecting us financially.
- Motion moved by NZ that we produce a brief overview of our perception of where IPPS is heading and what it needs to do to retain Membership and present this to the International Board in Sydney 2011. We feel the friendships developed by placing importance on the social side of Conferences is helpful in retaining membership and getting people to attend field days and Conferences. This is not always done in other regions.
New Zealand
- Japanese exchange scheme is now underway with the first recipient from Japan being very successful and Brett Harris about to take off in October for the return exchange.
- Conference 2011 -
Napier 5th - 8th May. All coming together nicely.
Conference 2012 - 26th - 29th April in Cromwell
Conference 2013 - Taupo
Conference 2014 - Looks like a change of venue to Wellington. This is a combined one with Australia.
- Field days - Tauranga, Great Barrier, Christchurch, Los Angeles are all on the agenda with dates to be confirmed.
General
- Promotional bookmarks and fridge magnets have been approved and now being printed.
- Getting a Facebook Page up and running was discussed and is to be investigated. We need to keep mindful of attracting younger members and making access easy for them.
- Eddie has offered to lead a group of volunteers to support people in presenting papers at Conference.
Thanks to these 2010 / 2011 sponsors
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Daltons
Hortfert Plus
GOLD SPONSORS
Interworld Plastics
PSP Athco
Scotts Australia
SILVER SPONSORS
Canterbury Landscape Supplies
InfoServices
Commercial Horticulture
KingGrapes
RX Plastics
Egmont Commercial
Starter Plants
BRONZE SPONSORS
Appletons Tree Nursery
Gus Evans Nurseries
Harford Greenhouses
Southern Horticulture
Editorial Contacts
Hayden Foulds
2A Crewe Street, Pahiatua
P: home 06 376 8436, P: work 06 326 8500. F: 06 376 8436, M: 027 232
4589
haydenfoulds@gmail.com
Glenys Evans
PO Box 98, Waikanae
P: 04 293 2501, F: 04 293 5450
E: gus@gusevans.co.nz
Next Issue early November 2010, deadline for copy 31 October 2010.
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Visit www.ipps.org.nz
©2010 International Plant Propagators' Society - New Zealand Region
S Ogilvy (Treasurer)
C/- Bruntwood Nurseries, 208 Narrows Rd, RD2, Hamilton
P: 07 843 4902, F: 07 843 4396
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Coming Up
D&D turns 100 and there's reunion gathering in November - details here
Done and dusted - news from the 2010 Conference - details here.
International Tour and Conference is in Eastern Region from 16 September
Spring field day plans are a work in progress
Ok, so it's a month or two away, but put these dates in the diary for the 2011 Conference!
News
How's this for commitment? We're told that Gus Evans has not missed a conference for his entire membership duration of 37 years. That must be an attendance record and worth noting!
Never spoken at conference and you'd like some help - Coaching is available
At the Blenheim conference Richard Ware was presented with the Award of Merit.
Peter Waugh was honored too - with the John Follet Award of Recognition.
New Japan / New Zealand Exchange.
IPPS Travel Scholarship details
Sponsors
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Daltons
Hortfert Plus
GOLD SPONSORS
Interworld Plastics
PSP Athco
Scotts Australia
SILVER SPONSORS
Canterbury Landscape Supplies
InfoServices
Commercial Horticulture
KingGrapes
RX Plastics
Egmont Commercial
Starter Plants
BRONZE SPONSORS
Appletons Tree Nursery
Gus Evans Nurseries
Harford Greenhouses
Southern Horticulture