Welcome to 'Sprout,' American Nurseryman's e-newsletter published on the first and third Thursdays of each month. For even more, be sure to read our December issue.

Immigration enforcement outspends other Fed programs
Spending on immigration enforcement outpaces expenses for all other major federal law enforcement agencies combined, according to a report issued by the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. As reported in the Washington Post, the study states that the U.S. government spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement efforts last year, which is nearly 25 percent more than that spent for the FBI, the DEA, the Secret Service and other agencies. When the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed in 1986, spending on immigration accounted for only about a quarter of overall federal law enforcement. Comprehensive reform? Yes, please. Read more>

How does your company compare?
Got a minute? Then click the link below and take our annual Wage & Benefits Survey. American Nurseryman’s annual Wage & Benefits survey helps you determine the appropriate benchmarks for best business practices—most importantly, how your company compares to similar operations when it comes to compensation. Help us help you by taking a few minutes to fill out the survey. Your responses will remain anonymous. It’s quick, it’s easy, and you can read the report in the February issue of American Nurseryman. Click here to take the survey.

BASF creates Specialty Products Department
Two businesses within BASF—Pest Control Solutions and Professional Turf & Ornamentals (T&O)—will merge to form a new entity known as the BASF Specialty Products Department (SPD). The new department also will incorporate secondary businesses including Professional Vegetation Management and Market Business Development. While each separate market will continue to be served by BASF, the company has structured the new department to function as one business unit under the direction of Jan Buberl, Director of Specialty Products. Read more>

McHutchison opens greenhouse division
Focusing exclusively on the commercial greenhouse business, Vaughn’s Horticulture, headquartered in Naperville, Ill., is McHutchison’s newest division. Vaughan’s will carry the full McHutchison selection of new and innovative greenhouse products, including geraniums, bulbs, foliage, perennials, plugs, poinsettias, pot crops, spring plants, supplies and more. Read more>

Nufarm acquires Cleary Chemical Corp.
Nufarm Americas has acquired Cleary Chemical Corporation, a marketer of fungicides, insecticides and plant growth regulators. Nufarm will offer the entire line of Cleary products under the Cleary brand name. “It will be business as usual for the short-term as we integrate the two businesses,” said Sean Casey, Vice President of Turf & Ornamentals for Nufarm. “Customers looking for products and information on Cleary’s products should continue to contact their Cleary’s representative, and likewise for Nufarm products.” Read more>

Toland Home Garden partners with GreaterGood charities
If you’ve ever visited the web sites of GreaterGood charities, including The Breast Cancer Site, The Veterans Site or The Animal Rescue Site, you know the drill: Click on a button and your click helps to fund mammograms, meals and a variety of other benefits. You can also purchase items, with the understanding that your purchase also helps the charity. Now you can buy hanging planters, bird feeders and garden flags, supplied by wholesaler Toland Home Garden of Port Townsend, Wash. Each of the specially marked items will provide support for nonprofits providing services in the areas of breast cancer detection, food banks for veterans and animal rescue. Distribution of the grants funded by this partnership will be done by the nonprofit GreaterGood.org. Read more>

“Like” Valley Irrigation, donate a dollar
Valley Irrigation has issued a challenge: For every new “like” on the company’s Facebook page, $1 will be donated to Planet Water, whose goal it is to help 5 million people gain access to safe water—worldwide—by the year 2020. “The accessibility of clean drinking water is a major concern throughout the world,” states Michelle Stolte, Global Marketing Manager, Valley Irrigation. “Planet Water does an amazing job providing clean drinking water to people who need it most and we are excited to make a donation to their cause. When you ‘like’ the Valley Irrigation Facebook page at www.ValleyIrrigation.com/Facebook, you will have an immediate impact on bringing clean, safe water to children.” Read more>

Western NLA celebrates its roots
The Western Nursery & Landscape Association will observe its 125th anniversary year beginning in 2014, and in anticipation of the observation, the organization has announced it will return to its roots. “The Western,” the association’s historic trade show, will return to Kansas City next year, bringing along with it the National Green Centre as the education arm. The events will be held in Overland Park, Kan., in January of 2014 and 2015, and will remain in the Kansas City area for the foreseeable future. Read more>

Introducing the real Epimedium ‘Space Invaders’
Well, we goofed. In the paper version of the December 2012 New Plant Introductions issue, the photo that accompanied the description of Epimedium x ‘Space Invaders’ was not, in fact, the cultivar ‘Space Invaders’. (If you read only the digital edition, you saw the correct photo.) The plant that appeared in the photo was its cousin, Epimedium x ‘Raspberry Rhapsody’. A lovely plant — nay, a breathtaking plant — but not the correct one. Our sincere apologies to Broken Arrow Nursery, the company that submitted these glorious plants for introduction. Pictured here is the lovely ‘Space Invaders’. Read more>

People News

Cable joins McHutchison
Keith Cable has joined the senior management team and board of directors of McHutchison; Cable brings 20 years of experience at Syngenta Horticultural Services to the position. Read more>

Passings

Ernest Higgins
Ernest Higgins, founder of organic soil product company Mr. Natural and partner in ItSaul Natural LLC, died Dec. 25, 2012 in Gainesville, Ga. He was 69. Read more>

Hot Products

Temp + humidity data logger
TandD Corp has introduced its new RTR-507/507L wireless data logger. Recorded data can be collected via wireless communication, plus used for data monitoring, warning monitoring and data management through networks to construct a data logging system to match the needs and environment of the user. Logging capacity is 8,000 data sets consisting of both temp and humidity; TandD says it has achieved humidity measurement accuracy of ±2.5%, as well as wide range measurements of temperature from -30 to 80C and humidity from 0 to 99%RH. Read more>

Finally: Wicked cold; still no snow