Jack,

When you had Diego on you advertised the essay writing contest where the winner was going to get a pair of PV2 tickets. Did you announce the winner? If not do you know when you will announce it?

This is good stuff.

Hey Jack I just did another workshop with Jonathan Bates and Eric on Bio Shelters and helped them set up the thermal battery system.. they are using marine fan from like West Marine because of the humidity They have about a zone 8 in Holyoke Ma

Count me in when you have this video course up for sale. This was a fantastic episode. Really got my brain running… I’ve heard Mark Shepard talk about how he runs a nursery business that finances his mass tree plantings, but that sounded like some difficult thing to do. You did a great job showing how it is done. Way easier than I would have expected, and way cheaper for the permitting than I would have expected too!

Jack, I was wondering if you remembered the name of the hardy fig you got from Raintree. I was poking around the site and wanted to check with you before making a final decision.

Nice timing Jack. I corresponded with my local Ag department last month about opening up a perennial edible nursery from my property. I live in Ohio and I need a $100 annual license. Here is our email exchange:

Hello,

I am interested in selling perennial / annual edible plants. I would like to sell from my residential property, where the plants will be propagated as well as at farmers markets. Do I need both Plant Health (Nursery Dealer License) and Plant Health (Nursery Inspection Certificate) licenses to do so? Do I need to acquire these permits before I start propagating or just when I plan to sell them?

Thanks for your time,

Patrick H

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Hi Patrick,

If you are selling only herbs, or any edibles, you do not need a license from us (the same goes for any annual sales). However, if you are selling ornamental perennials, such as Daylilies, Hostas, ornamental grasses or the like, then you would need a nursery license (the inspection certificate). Since you are going to produce your own saleable plants, you would only need the Nursery license. The Dealer license is for those individuals or companies that purchase ready to sell plants from a wholesaler, and either install them in a landscape job, or immediately turn around and resell them. In other words, they don’t add any value to them by growing to a larger size, dividing, reproducing off of the mother plant, repotting, etc.

You can get the license when you are ready to sell. One of our inspectors will inspect your plants before you sell them, issue you an inspection report of any insect/disease problems you may have (if any), and help you with any control measures if necessary. Once the report is sent to the office, this generates a bill, and, once paid, you will receive your nursery license. It is good for one year. The cost is $100.00, plus an acreage fee (yours, I am guessing, would be small; 1 acre or under). The fees for the acreage are $7.00/acre for field stock, and $11.00/acre for intensive production, i.e. containers, beds, greenhouse grown plants).

Hopefully, this answers your question. If you need any further help, let us know…

Thanks for your inquiry,

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Hello Jim,

Thanks for the information. I just need a little clarification on “any edibles”. All of the perennials I would be selling are edible like horseradish, sunchokes, wolf-berries, and other edible perennial plants. Some could be considered “woody perennials” like blueberries and wolf-berries. I do not plan on propagating and selling anything that you would find in a ornamental nursery. The only thing that would come close would be a rose I propagate called Rosa Rugosa. I propagate it for its edible / medicinal rose hips, which are the largest in the Rosaceae family, not as an ornamental. Is that a grey area? I would like to avoid getting the $100 certificate to grow one type of rose.

Also, I have researched the State and Federal noxious weed list, I do not plan on propagating anything on it. Do you know of any other Ohio or Federal list I should be aware of? For instance I want to propagate a sterile variety of Russian Comfrey. Some consider the non-sterile cultivar invasive. I cannot find any restrictions on growing perennials in Ohio. If you know of any, please let me know.

Thanks for all your help,

Patrick H

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Patrick,

Anything that can overwinter in Ohio, and survive a “normal” winter, is considered a hardy, perennial plant, and that is what we would issue a license for. Certainly, Blueberries and Roses would fall under that category. The herbaceous plants, like herbs, can be borderline hardy, so we lump them in with annuals , like the so-called hardy Mums. The only list of noxious weeds we currently have is listed on our web page. It is under review, and due to be updated, and upgraded in the future.

Thanks,

Jim
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Hope this helps anyone in Ohio thinking about doing the same. Jack, thanks again for all your work. Sometimes I think you are clairvoyant.

Patrick H

Hello Jack
What do you think I can start planting now here in zone 7a so I can sell this spring? I do not have a greenhouse but would be willing to get some grow lights.

Thank you for all your help