FROM THE BOARD
In addition to the nursery’s sustainability practices, Cheryl credits the support the nursery receives from their employees and from Skagit Farmers Supply (SFS) for the nursery’s success. “I think it’s the combination of the right choice in plants, knowing how to grow them, having wonderful employees and good support on fertilizer and all the things that Skagit Farmers [Supply] does for us,” she said. “It’s made the plants healthy, and the people – we don’t even advertise – they just come in. The plants speak for themselves.”
DIRECTOR APPOINTED TO FILL TERM — Nels Lagerlund, Chairman
Wiggin’s focuses in propagating and growing many plants including cultivated conifer varieties, garden ornamental flowering trees and shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, and a mix of specialty perennials.
Greetings everyone. On behalf of the SFS Board of Directors, we want to officially welcome Jennifer Schuh of Schuh Farms as the newest member of our board! Jennifer brings a wealth of experience to the board, and we’re happy that she’s making room in her busy schedule to take on this additional responsibility. Our co-op serves a much-needed role in support of agriculture. It allows for farmers to have input regarding reinvestment in important, local agricultural infrastructure, as well as in the direction of SFS. The board appointed Jennifer at our June 2024 meeting after the call for nominations came up empty last winter. Jennifer will serve the remaining portion of a three-year term. For more information on Schuh Farms, please read the grower spotlight article in our Spring 2024 newsletter. The mild winter hurt propane sales, and we’re not sure if the showers in May had a similar impact on sales. We were up 15% in dry fertilizer and even more in liquid fertilizer prior to the rain. Having said that, the agronomy team has worked around the rain to keep product flowing. We continue to invest in our capacity to serve the membership. I want to remind everyone to watch your mailbox for an invitation to the annual appreciation picnic. Our Skagit County tradition of salmon, steak, oysters, live music and fun brings our farmer-members together for a great Saturday afternoon in July. NOTE: We have some members who can be busy in July with the berry harvest, so we do offer another event in early October in Whatcom County for anyone who misses the Skagit County event. If other members of your farm would like to receive this newsletter, please let the agronomy staff know or email directors@skagitfarmers.com to be added to the list.
For many years, SFS has provided Wiggin’s with fertilizer for their plants.
“Jennifer brings a wealth of experience to the board, and we’re happy that she’s making room in her busy schedule to take on this additional responsibility.”
The biggest challenge for the nursery has been finding staff in younger generations. Cheryl says the nursery has a great employee team, but they don’t see many young people interested in growing landscape plants. However, the Wiggins are ready to pass the nursery on to someone who wants to learn. They are actively moving towards retirement.
But like most farming, Terry says those in the industry need to be passionate about the work.
“You have to really like doing it to do it. If you don’t, it’ll wear you out and you’ll be done with it, and it’ll be done with you,” Terry concludes. “So it’s got to be in your blood, just like any type of farming.”
Wiggin’s Landscape Nursery specializes in a large variety of ornamental plants, including an extensive collection of large container specimens.
Jennifer Schuh of Schuh Farms, SFS’ newest director.
Scene from our 2023 Customer Appreciation Picnic.
Wiggin’s Landscape Nursery is located on about 80 acres off Pulver Road in Mount Vernon. The nursery sells to customers across the country, including from North Carolina to Maine on the east coast.
12 | SUMMER 2024
CO-OP CONNECTION | 13
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