07/02/07 Idaho's growing green industry

The Idaho Green Industry continues to grow. The Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association took a survey after the 2005 season and estimated its total one year sales to the state's economy at more than 834 million dollars. 43 percent of that came from retail garden centers and wholesale nurseries, growers and suppliers. Another 41 percent of the sales are in the service sector. BATES "We see a lot where maintenance, and applicators, and arborists, any of our members that have a service to offer we're seeing a lot more people take advantage of that." INLA's executive director Ann Bates says most new home buyers don't get to the lawn and plants right after they move in, there's a couple of years lag time. But the industry has been growing hand in hand with Idaho's ever expanding population. BATES "I haven't seen the construction stop yet so until we get some of that construction that slows down then our industry probably won't slow down either." During the peak season 14 thousand 500 Idahoans worked in the Green Industry and earned an estimated 335 million dollars. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott