ANNUAL WINTER MEETING AND TRADE SHOW
February 10, 2022
8:30 am - 5:00 pm - VIRTUAL*
VNLA Annual Winter Meeting & Trade Show
UVM Conference & Event Services
Burlington, VT 05401
*As of 1/24/22 we have made the decision to move this meeting to a virtual event, due to the continued spread of COVID. While we were very much hoping to meet in-person, after surveying members and erring on the side of safety and caution, we have come to this decision. The schedule for the day will remain the same and links to join the meeting will be emailed to all registrants. PLEASE NOTE: all sessions will be recorded and available to view by all registrants at a later date. We hope you can join us virtually!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2022 SPONSORS!
READ CUSTOM SOILS - Program Sponsor
PRIDES CORNER FARMS- Oak Sponsor
SARATOGA SOD FARM- Cherry Sponsor
Scroll down to register as an attendee, sponsor, or exhibitor.
SCHEDULE
8:00 - 9:00 am - Trade Show Registration
8:00 - 10:30 am - VCH Exam
8:30 - 9:00 am - Visit Vendor Rooms
9:00 -10:30 am - Kim Eierman, CH, AOLCP and founder of EcoBeneficial, Keynote Speaker.
“Getting Real about Ecological Landscapes and Native Plants.” - Creating and maintaining landscapes that improve environmental health requires thinking like an ecologist, not to mention a realist. Let’s get real about best practices for ecological landscaping and native plants, including setting client expectations, reflecting native plant communities, purposefully enhancing biodiversity and genetic diversity, planting for full ecological function, embracing ongoing invasive species management as a revenue opportunity, and much more.
10:30 - 11:00 am - Visit Vendors Rooms
11:00 am - 12:15pm - VNLA/Green Works Business Meeting - includes presentation of VNLA awards.
12:15 - 1:00 pm - Lunch
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
ZOOM ROOMS
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Kim Eierman, CH, AOLCP and founder of EcoBeneficial.
“The Pollinator Victory Garden: Best Practices for Pollinator Landscaping” - Countless pollinator species have suffered dramatic declines in recent years. It’s a serious problem for all of us since pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 80% of all flowering plants, and at least 30% of the food that we eat. Unfortunately, most managed landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat and forage for these essential animals. With simple strategies and you can create landscapes that attract and support not just bees, but an array of pollinators that have different requirements.
OR
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Dr. Josef Gorres, UVM Plant & Soil Science Department.
“Invasive Snake Worms in Vermont!” - Join Dr. Gorres in this hour to learn about the invasive snake worms in Vermont, the tell-tale signs of their presence, how to identify them and their impact on the environment. We also discuss why they are so numerous in horticulture and recent advances in how to manage them.
2:00 - 2:30 pm - Visit Vendor Rooms
ZOOM ROOM
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - VNLA/Green Works Industry Award Winners Presentation of Projects. The winners of the 2021 Industry Awards Program will present their winning entries complete with a description of their project and photos.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
ZOOM ROOMS
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Industry Panel Discussion.
“Facing the COVID Challenges in 2022”. Ed Burke, moderator.- Come join the conversation as Ornamental Horticulture Industry (OHI) panelists speak about the challenges they see the OHI is facing in 2022 in their represented business sectors. These sectors include the wholesale, retail, greenhouse, hardscaping, and landscaping trades. Panelists include: Charlie Plonski, New England Nursery Supply, Ray DeFeo, Prides Corner Farm, Andrew Barry, Griffin Greenhouse Supply, Eric Mootz, Trowel Trades Supply, Chris Conant, Claussen’s Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm, Tom Hoffman, Homestead Landscaping and Chris diStefano, diStefano Landscaping, Inc.
The Garden of the Five Senses at the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm - Judith Irven, Outdoor Spaces Landscape Design.
“Finding Inspiration and Information in Contemporary Public Gardens of the Northeast.” - In this beautifully illustrated talk Judith describes her favorite public gardens of the Northeast, each of which offers a wealth of ideas—from evocative designs to new plant selections—that can inspire us all as we seek to create lovely gardens for our own clients
SPEAKER PROFILES
Kim Eierman is the Founder of EcoBeneficial LLC. She is an environmental horticulturist and 
ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants. Based in New York, Kim teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Native Plant Center, Rutgers Home Gardeners School and several other institutions. Kim is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, presenting for industry conferences, "green events," Master Gardener groups, garden clubs, nature centers, Audubon Society chapters, beekeeping groups, and other organizations interested in environmental improvements. Kim also provides an horticultural consulting and landscape design to homeowners and commercial clients.
In addition to being a Certified Horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, Kim is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional, a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center, and a member of The Ecological Landscape Alliance and Garden Communicators International. Kim is the author of the new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.
Dr. Josef Gorres is an Associate Professor at the University of Vermont, Plant and Soil Science 
Department. His teaching and research connect ecosytem services with agricultural economics for the sustainability and prosperity of farms in Vermont.
Judith Irven is a landscape designer and Vermont Certified Horticulturist. Judith studied 
Landscape Design at Vermont Technical College and for the past twenty-five years has worked as a professional landscape designer with her own business— ‘Outdoor Spaces Landscape Designs.She also gives talks for local garden clubs, teaches Landscape Design as part of the Vermont Master Gardener course and writes a regular gardening column for both the Addison County Independent and Vermont Country Sampler newspapers.
PANELISTS:
Charlie Plonski is a Sales Representative for New England Nursery Sales in Waterf
ord, Vermont. Currently representing top regional growers in Northeast Ohio, Western NY, NJ and PA, he has been involved in the Landscape and Nursery trade for over 36 years. A Vermont Certified Horticulturist, he has also worked as a landscape foreman and operations manager as well as a nursery and garden center manager. He is a past VNLA Board member and was the 2001 recipient of the NENA Young Nursery Professional Award. Charlie lives in Waterford, VT (NEK) with his wife Elaine, enjoys gardening, hunting and fishing and spending time with his 3 grandchildren.
Ray DeFeo joined Prides Corner Farms in 2007. In 2013, Ray became the Sales Manager which prompted a move back to Connecticut after 30+ years living and working in New Hampshire and 
Maine. Ray’s experience in the green industry includes time in retail garden centers and owning my his own landscape design/build firm prior to his 20+ years as a nursery sales representative working throughout New England. The move placed Ray back amongst his family, having grown up in the southern part of CT. Living between his two grown daughters allows him the opportunity to babysit (better known as ability to spoil) his grandchildren a little easier. When not at work Ray enjoys gardening (of course) along with woodworking and carving. He also like spending time outdoors fishing, boating and golfing in the summer, while during the winter blazing trails snowshoeing, or skating on lakes and ponds. www.pridescorner.com.
Chris diStefano was raised in Cabot, Vermont on a large Christmas tree farm and nursery surrounded by streams, forests, meadows, and ledged hillsides that were home to countless wildlife sanctuaries and secret gardens. As a kid, Chris spent hours exploring this place and honing a deep appreciation and understanding of the natural landscape and the elements that make it so inviting. From the time he could walk he helped out at his family’s ornamental tree nursery and landscaping business, planting, watering, digging, and learning even more. Today, Chris shares the lessons from the wild classrooms and family apprenticeships of his childhood with clients and staff to create and enhance beautiful natural spaces. He continues to build on this ingrained knowledge by keeping abreast of industry trends in design, horticulture, and stone masonry, and works hard to promote professionalism in these trades."
Tom Hoffman is currently the design build manager at Homestead Landscaping located in 
Bondville Vermont at the base of Stratton Mountain. He is a self-taught designer with a love for architecture and construction with an eye for design. In 2002 Headhunters put Tom and his family here in Vermont. Tom believes that a good landscape needs to fit the architecture and its surroundings and a good design sells itself!
Tom started his own company, Hoffman’s Inc., in 1977 located in western Kentucky, not far from the tornado that hit Mayfield, Kentucky. He ran Hoffman's Inc. and together with his employees, built it up for 24 years. The company’s focus was on retail sales, landscape design and Installation with an irrigation division and maintenance services. The retail division consisted of greenhouses, a display yard, Christmas shop, garden center shop and patio shop. The design build division installed high end landscapes in Western KY and TN. Their designs included sighting homes on building lots, driveways designs and entries, swimming pools, patios, walkways, low voltage lighting, masonry work and of course planting installations.
Attendee Registration & Information
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 7, 2022
COSTS: $60 for members; $70 for non-members. Each additional registration (per business) $40.
VCH Exam: Register to take the VCH exam and we will schedule an appointment to administer the exam. $10 for members; $25 for non-members.
Sponsorship & Exhibitor Registration / Information
Become a Sponsor!
PLEASE NOTE: The below sponsorship levels will be extended to our Summer Meeting and Trade Show and any events, such as twilight gatherings, for the entire year.
Keynote Sponsor - $2,000
- 2 minute talk at both presentations
- Free exhibit space ($300 value)
- Four complimentary expo registrations ($240 value)
- Recognized as the Keynote Level Sponsor on VNLA website and poster at meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
- Four full page color ads in The Dirt, our quarterly on-line publication ($800 value)
Program/Lunch Sponsor - $1,500
- 2 minute talk at VNLA Business Meeting/Presentation of Awards
- Free exhibit space ($300 value)
- Four complimentary expo registrations ($240 value)
- Recognized as the Lunch Level Sponsor on the VNLA website and signage at the meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
- Four ½ page color ads in The Dirt, our quarterly on-line publication ($500 value)
Oak Sponsor - $1,000
- 2 minute talk at a Seminar
- Free exhibit space ($300 value)
- Four complimentary expo registrations ($240 value)
- Recognized as the Oak Level Sponsor on the VNLA website and signage at the meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
- Four 1/4 page color ads in The Dirt, our quarterly on-line publication ($250 value)
Maple - $750
- 2 minute talk at a Seminar
- Free exhibit space ($300 value)
- Two complimentary expo registrations ($120 value)
- Recognized as the Maple Level Sponsor on the VNLA website and signage at the meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
- Four 1/8 page color ads in The Dirt, our quarterly on-line publication ($170 value)
Birch - $500
- Two complimentary expo registrations ($120 value)
- Recognized as the Birch Level Sponsor on the VNLA website and signage at the meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
- Four 1/8 page color ads in The Dirt, our quarterly on-line publication ($170 value)
Cherry - $300
- Two complimentary expo registrations ($60 value)
- Recognized as the Cherry Level Sponsor on the VNLA website and signage at the meeting
- Verbal recognition during event
EXHIBITOR INFORMATION
The Vermont Nursery & Landscape Association/Green Works would like to invite you to VIRTUALLY exhibit at our Annual Winter Meeting and Trade Show on Thursday, February 10, 2022. The meeting will be held via Zoom facilitated by the UVM Conference and Event Services. We expect 100-150 attendees to visit our Winter Meeting & Trade Show.
Each exhibitor will have their own Zoom Room where you can show a pre-recorded presentation, in addition to being "live" in the room. Full tech support from UVM will be available to help with a presentation of your choosing and to help with set up in your Zoom Room.
Each exhibitor will be able to sign up for two out of three time slots: 8:30am-9:00 am; 10:30am-11:00am; or 1:30-2:00pm. Exhibitors can also attend any of the presentations throughout the day. Once registered, you will be contacted regarding available time slots.
Please complete the registration form by January 29, 2021. There is a limit of 16 exhibitors; first come first serve.
Our keynote speaker is Kim Eierman, founder of EcoBeneficial, LLC. She is an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants. She is also the author of the new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.
THE DAY also includes the VNLA business meeting and presentation of awards, including a presentation of Industry Award winning projects. There will be an educational presentation from Dr. Josef Gorres, UVM Plant & Soil Science Department who will be speaking about invasive snake worms, a panel discussion with industry leaders on “The COVID Challenges in 2022”, and a presentation by Judith Irven, Outdoor Spaces Landscape Design entitled “Finding Inspiration and Information in Contemporary Public Gardens in the Northeast”.
SET-UP: Set-up time is between 6:30 am - 8 am February 10, 2022. Once you register we will email you specific information about move-in and set up. Registration for attendees begins at 8 am.
COST: The cost to exhibit for the day is $225 for members and $300 for non-members. Each additional attendee is $45 for members and $60 for non-members.
EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION: Click the link below to register or download the registration form which you can mail/email to the office.