The big nursery industriousness trade show in the West , the Farwest Show , will keep its 50th anniversary this come August .
The trade show and conference is get by the Oregon Association of Nurseries ( OAN ) and will take place August 23–25 , 2023 , at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland , Oregon . It will include special festivities celebrating five decade of making nursery industry connections . cubicle are useable now , adjustment will open up on April 10 , and organizers have planned a full ticket of seminar and social effect .
Highlights of the fiftieth day of remembrance celebration will include a dance band , intellectual nourishment carts , expand educational opportunity , and creative ways of recognise the history of the show and the diligence it be .
“ Not many nursery trade shows have hold up five decades , through all the changes in the diligence and all the transformations in how gross sales happen , ” said Allan Niemi , OAN director of events , who has served as film director of the show since 2008 . “ Farwest has done it , so we ’re going to have a party to celebrate ! We are immensely proud of what the show has done for our growers and baby’s room professional person from all over the country . It has brought people to Oregon where they can see the difference that Nursery Country growers are able to offer . ”
The first Farwest took lieu in 1973 in the expo student residence at Portland ’s Memorial Coliseum sphere . “ All shows lead to Portland , September 11–13 for the Farwest Nursery , Garden and Supply Show : the biggest , boldest glasshouse show ever tell on in Farwest Country , ” trumpet the August / September 1973 number of Digger cartridge clip .
“ It was just an exciting adventure , ” said the late Arda Berryhill , a grower , and member of the Oregon Nurseries ’ Hall of Fame , in the August 2020 emergence of Digger . “ Nothing like it had ever been done . All of us were so emotional to see customers from the Midwest and East that [ most of us ] had never had physical contact with . It brought us some customers that we ’d never seen . ”
Turnout at the first show was 120 exhibitors and 1,500 meeter from 27 states and three countries ( U.S. , Canada , and the Netherlands ) . The show was hail as a success , and the next year , it doubled in size . A few years later , in 1977 , the only version of Farwest to occur outdoors of Oregon take place at Seattle Center . It was successful , but agriculturalist decided they just want the show to take place in Oregon .
And why not ? Farwest has continued to grow over the years , aright along with Oregon ’s greenhouse industry . It made the vainglorious move to the gleaming new Oregon Convention Center in 1991 . The center has since been expanded , and Farwest expanded properly along with it .
“ It fathom corny , but the show add up alive , ” pronounce former Oregon Association of Nurseries ( OAN ) executive director Clayton Hannon in the August 2020 issue of Digger .
During the 1990s , Oregon greenhouse sale doubled from $ 299 million in 1990 to $ 642 million in 2000 , and growth has continued . The Great recess from 2008–2012 run into sales subside , due to the housing smash , and the show contracted accordingly .
baby’s room sale have anneal since then , resuming their anterior growth . In 2020 , the most recent year tallied , Oregon registered $ 1.2 billion in gross sales , translating to about $ 4 per someone in the United States . More than three - one-quarter of Oregon ’s production is sold out of state , with the legal age headed east of the Mississippi River .
“ We pride Farwest on being the greenish show in the industry , ” Niemi said . “ Most of our growers are located within a few hr ’ driving force in the Willamette Valley , where the conditions for growing riotous and beautiful trees and shrub are as good as it experience . There ’s a long growing season , winter cold for dormancy , heavy soil , adequate water supplies , and growers who just get it on what they ’re doing . you’re able to meet them at Farwest and see their plant . It ’s worth come to see and experience . ”
Oregon Association of Nurseries ( OAN)www.oan.org
