Overview (All sessions)

Empowering the Workforce: Apprenticeship Progress and Policy Updates

As part of our mission to strengthen Michigan’s workforce, MNLA invites you to this seminar highlighting recent progress in our apprenticeship initiatives and important updates in compliance and employment law.

Learn how new regulations—including the Earned Sick Time Act—impact your programs, and discover resources to help navigate these changes effectively.

Simplifying Respiratory Safety at Nurseries & Greenhouses

Respiratory safety can feel confusing when your work involves a mix of regulations. In this session, we’ll use realistic examples to show how the new respiratory safety guide from the MSU Dept. of Occupational Medicine and MSU Extension makes it easier to choose the right protective gear.

You’ll leave with tools you can use right away to keep your workers safe and your firm compliant.

 

Quit Stressing Me Out! Coping with Abiotic Plant Issues

Tree stresses caused by environmental factors such as drought, cold, and flooding, are among some of the most common problems faced by trees in the Great Lakes region.  In this presentation, Dr. Bert Cregg, Professor of Horticulture and Forestry at Michigan State University, will discuss abiotic problems that affect trees and the site conditions that often lead to them. 

Dr. Cregg will present ways to deal with abiotic issues and suggest tree selections that may head off problems before they start.

 

The Safety Myth: Why Getting Home Isn’t Enough

“Safety First” sounds great until you realize everyone says it and yet no one defines what it actually means. In high-risk work, slogans and checkbox trainings rarely translate to real protection in the field. This session bypasses the feel-good buzz words and digs into what keeps people safe and shows why simply “getting home at the end of the day” is the bare minimum. Of course, everyone goes home at the end of the day - but how do we do that?

Controlled Chaos: Turning High-Risk Work into Safe Practice

High-risk doesn’t always mean jumping out of planes. In this dynamic session, a professional skydiver and safety consultant draws parallels between the intensity of extreme sports and the day-to-day pressures of the Green Industry. Whether you’re trimming trees under tension or managing tight timelines and working on a roadside, success depends on focus and adaptability, paired with well-executed systems and procedures.

Social Media Management for the Green Industry: Marketing and Content Creation

Posting on social media can feel like a full-time job, especially when you’re already busy running your business. Here, you’ll learn simple ways to use AI tools to plan, write, and organize your social media content faster and easier. We’ll show real examples made for landscaping, nursery, and garden center businesses, including how to:
•    Come up with post ideas that attract new customers
•    Write captions that sound natural and professional
•    Reuse photos, reviews, and videos to make fresh posts

Using AI for Team Training & Knowledge Sharing

In this session, we will cover how simple AI tools like ChatGPT can help you build training guides, checklists, and even SOPs in minutes, no tech skills needed! We’ll walk through real examples of how landscaping and nursery businesses are using AI to:
•    Turn company notes or safety tips into step-by-step training materials
•    Create on-boarding SOPs for new employees
•    Keep important information easy to find and share with your team

Research Update on Field Horsetail Control and Recommendations for Improving Your Herbicide Program in Ornamental Production

Field Horsetail, also known as Equisetum, is a tough weed species in field ornamental production. It an herbaceous perennial weed which is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and it is a spore-bearing plant. At MSU, IR4 herbicide efficacy trial has been performed where several herbicides have been tested for Field Horsetail control. In this presentation, audience will get an overview of the IR4 Equisetum herbicide efficacy trial results.

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