Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | | |
Calendar
TOMORROW - Women in Horticulture Luncheon, Speaker Anna Ball
Oct. 15 - CNGA Member BBQ and Mini-Workshop, Alameda Greenhouse, Albuquerque
Oct. 21, 2026 - CNGA Fall Workshop: Propagation in Practice
Oct. 27, 2026 - CCNP 2026 Seminars and Exam
Oct. 29-30 2026 - LEVEL UP, Golden, CO
Jan. 27, 2027 - Industry Celebration, Denver, CO
| |
OneCanopy Volunteer Opportunity
This October, join the OneCanopy team in Loveland on Sat. October 10 or 17 to help box more than 150,000 seedlings for fall shipments! Sign up to Volunteer Here
| | |
Welcome New CNGA Members
Michael Simon, Student member, Ft. Collins, CO
Goodmark Nurseries, Out of State member, Melissa Acevedo, Wonder Lake, IL
Rundoo, Auxiliary member, Addy Koehler, Redwood City, CA
Monica Briscoe, Student member, Thornton, CO
| |
New on the CNGA Classifieds
Potting Machine - Red Truck Farms, Timnath, CO
| |
A Note for CNGA Industry Members
Industry members, keep an eye on your mailbox for a membership level verification notice from CNGA. This is an official CNGA mailing, so you can feel confident opening it and taking a few minutes to review your information. Thank you!
| | |
Member Alert: BASYS Email
If you received an email from BASYS with the CNGA logo at the top, we want to clarify that CNGA is not affiliated with BASYS and does not have a partnership or endorsement agreement with the company.
CNGA’s payment processing partnership is with CardConnect, which provides payment processing solutions for businesses in our industry. CardConnect also integrates with several leading software platforms used by our members, including SBI Software, Plantiful and VMX.
We understand that seeing the CNGA logo on a communication from BASYS could reasonably suggest that the company is a CNGA partner. It is not. We want to make sure our members have clear and accurate information about CNGA’s official partnerships.
If you have questions about CNGA’s partnership with CardConnect or the solutions available to members, please contact CNGA.
| |
|
Remembering Cary Hall
CNGA is saddened to share the loss of Cary Hall, a longtime leader and influential figure in Colorado’s horticulture industry.
Cary served on the Colorado Nursery Association board for many years and was CNA president in 1977. Along with his wife, Judie, he served as the association’s Executive Director for 13 years and helped establish both the association’s ongoing certification program and the Colorado Horticulture Research and Education Foundation, which continues to support aspiring horticulture students through scholarships.
His influence on the industry and on the association was significant, and his contributions will continue to be felt for years to come. Service will be held November 6 in Longmont. Read the full obituary here.
| |
Elevate your Knowledge and Credentials this Fall!
CCNP certification classes start Tues. Oct 27 and run through Tues. Nov 17.
Those that already have their CO Certified Nursery Professional, CCNP (or Certified Greenhouse Grower, CGG) designation say that it means everything to them! “It’s a badge of honor!”
Whether you work in a nursery, greenhouse, or garden center, success in this industry comes down to knowledge and how confidently you can apply it. CNGA’s certification programs are designed to help you build that confidence, sharpen your expertise and set yourself apart.
CCNP classes will give you that elevated knowledge to help you move up in your career. You can take just one or two separately to sharpen your knowledge in one area or another or take all 4, read the manual and take the exam to become certified!! This is a credential that stays with you wherever your career takes you.
All CCNP classes are held on Tuesdays from 9 AM to 3 PM (except the Herbaceous class which is 9 p.m. - 4 p.m.) They will be held at the CNGA offices in Lakewood, at 959 S. Kipling Parkway, in the conference room.
- Herbaceous Plants: Tuesday, October 27, 9 am - 4 pm
- Shrubs: Tuesday, November 3, 9 am - 3 pm
- Trees: Tuesday, November 10, 9 am - 3 pm
- Landscape Design: November 17, 9 am - 3 pm
- Exams/Retests (CCNP and CGG): Tuesday, December 1, 9 am – 1 pm
- Lunch is included with the seminars.
Getting certified is straightforward:
Eligibility for CCNP:
- Applicants need 2,000 hours of industry experience with a licensed horticulture business or affiliated horticulture organization in Colorado, Wyoming or New Mexico.
CGG classes will be offered at ProGreen Expo 2027 or online.
Please go to the CNGA website for more information or to register for the classes/exam.
| |
CNGA Heads North for Western Region Nursery Meeting
Dave Dickey, Glenda Mostek, Courtenay Koontz and Dr. Chad Miller are representing CNGA at the Western region nursery Association executives meeting in new Westminster British Columbia this week.
Topics discussed so far included associations successes, certifications, AI, water and regulatory issues.
CNGA joins other associations from British Columbia, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho for this annual meeting.
| | |
New CNGA Website Loading!
We’re getting ready to launch a new CNGA website later this month, designed to better reflect who we are and what we do as an industry connector and facilitator.
The new site will make it easier for members to connect to information, access resources and opportunities, and connect with one another. It will also bring a cleaner, more streamlined member experience with improved navigation, a more useful Member Center ("Member Compass",) easier access to events and education, and better tools for managing your membership.
And there’s one important change to know about: Membership renewals will take place through the new website this fall. We’ll share more details as we get closer to launch and post-launch.
We’re excited to make CNGA’s digital home work a little more like CNGA itself: A place that helps people find what they need, make connections and move the industry forward.
| |
Ag Workforce Development Program Now Accepting Business Grant Applications
Looking to bring an intern onto your team? The Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP) can reimburse 50% of actual employment costs, up to $5,000 per intern, for farms, ranches and agricultural businesses hiring and training new talent.
Businesses can hire one to three interns per year, with each internship requiring at least 130 hours of hands-on training. Applications are open now and due Monday, November 2, 2026, by 5 p.m.
View eligibility requirements and apply through the AWDP website.
| |
Horticulture is Changing. Your Career Can Too.
If you are studying horticulture or plan to, you are preparing for a career in an industry that is evolving rapidly. You don’t have to look far to see it. Some of the most interesting work in horticulture education and workforce development is happening right here in Colorado.
At Colorado State University, students are getting their hands dirty while working on innovative questions involving water and nutrient efficiency, sustainable growing media and other challenges facing the horticulture industry.
At Pickens Technical College and Front Range Community College, hands-on education is preparing students for the skills and careers Colorado’s green industry needs today and in the future.
The opportunities begin even earlier. At EPIC Campus in Littleton and Bruce Randolph School in Denver, high school students can take CSU’s HORT 100 dual-enrollment course, earning college credit while exploring horticulture and potential careers.
CHREF is proud to support these efforts through scholarships, research, education and workforce development. We believe the future of horticulture depends on investing in students and giving them opportunities to learn, grow and build meaningful careers.
Help Grow the Future of Horticulture: CHREF supports horticulture education, research and workforce development across Colorado. Donate or apply for a 2027-28 CHREF CSU Horticulture Scholarship.
| | | | This CNGA industry member is a wholesale grower on the Western Slope, supplying retail garden centers and landscapers with a wide variety of locally grown annual and perennial bedding plants. The business has been part of Colorado’s horticulture community for nearly two decades, with a longtime love of plants at the heart of its work. Today, the team is focused on growing quality plants and building lasting relationships with the businesses they serve. Meet a CNGA Member | | Copyright © 2026. All Rights Reserved. | | | | |
