Fall is Here! The Time For Big Trees Is Now!

Fall is Here! – The Time For Big Trees Is Now!

If you have been sitting on the fence wondering whether or not to plant those big trees, stop thinking and get on the phone to our office.  1-800-313-7444, do it now!  Or come visit us at Springvale Nurseries

We are in clearance mode for our pre-dug stock (dug last spring) and a few field clear out specials.

Our prices on “above ground” pre dug stock are at their seasonal lowest.

These are wonderful healthy trees and we want to find homes for them now, not next spring.  So all above ground wire basket, large caliper trees are offered at WHOLESALE PRICES…..and it doesn’t get any better than that.

Supplies are limited and going fast.  Contact our office as soon as you can to see what is still available. If you have a large planting you have been considering, this is the time.

Unfortunately, this sale will end when the ground freezes and we can’t plant any more so do not wait!

That’s all for now, the message is simple.

BIG TREES ON SALE – TAKE ACTION NOW! 

1-800-313-7444

Paul Grimm

PS:  We do offer planting service depending on the quantity and distance from Berwick, but time this year is running out.

PPS:  Sorry but the sale extends only to our above ground and a few selected items from our fields, all the rest of our great trees are still available at full price.

It’s That “BFT” Time Of The Year

As we are all aware, fall is just around the corner and….have we really had summer?

We can bitch about it but we can’t change it.

But……THIS SUMMER HAS REALLY SUCKED! 

I am going to make this post short and sweet.  We have two digging seasons a year, spring and fall.  It is time now to book any trees you want for our fall dig.

We start digging conifers right away, once they are hardened off.  Most deciduous digging starts towards the end of September.

Blink twice and September will be here.

This is the time for you to place your orders for fall digging.  We hope to have an updated availability of trees in the field very soon.

Call our office for more info on our fall dig.

PHG.

PS:  BFT – “Big Freakin’ Trees”

The Thin Line Between Life and Death

As you have read in my blog before….business is not easy.  We try at every step along the path to provide good value to our clients and to take care of our staff.   We work hard but we also work safely and take every precaution so that those in our care will be safe.

None of this mattered last week when one of our beloved employees, Don Smith made a miss-step, fell only five feet and lost his life from a blow to his head when it hit the concrete.

We have been through barn fires, financial meltdown and almost every imaginable challenge in trying to keep our ship afloat but all prior difficulties pale to the loss of an employee in such unpredictable circumstances.

Our hearts are heavy as we grieve together as a staff which has become like a family to us. We grieve for Don and for each other.  But most of all we grieve for Don’s father Bud Smith who has recently lost his wife to cancer and now his only child…and is left alone.

Don was buried in a little cemetery in Milford, out near Keji along side of his mother, Shirley.  It could not have been a more perfect place, close to nature and in the wilds of the province.  This is what Don loved….nature, and wild life.   He was a compassionate, articulate and kind man, always cheerful.  While we were taking part in the service I thought I heard the call of a lonely moose off in the distance.

The pastor spoke some of the most comforting words I have ever heard at a funeral service.  He seemed inspired at his choice of words, prayers and scripture.  Don was a self proclaimed atheist but it seems impossible that he is not now in a better place with his Lord, and reunited with his mother.

We are thankful to have known you Don and in sorrow that we have lost you in the prime of your life with so much yet to live.  We do not profess to understand, only accept.

It is only right to weep for those you love.  Don, you were loved.  And we weep.

RIP – Don Smith 1963 – 2011.

$10,000 Gift of Trees to The United Church Camp Meeting Association”

Yesterday we announced we announced a major gift to the United Church Camp Meeting Association because of the destruction which took place in December’s Storm, in keeping with Springvale’s ongoing comittment to community service.

This has been sent to all media in the province and we hope it is picked up to the degree that last year’s announcement of our financial difficulty was publicized.

Here is the entire text of the press release.

PRESS RELEASE: Berwick NS, June 24th 2011

“Springvale Nurseries Makes $10,000 Gift of Trees to The United Church Camp Meeting Association”

It is seldom that a press release contains good news.  Today we are very pleased to announce that our company, Springvale Nurseries has managed to dramatically improve its financial position over a year ago.   Springvale is making excellent progress toward full recovery.

In June 2010 we had nearly depleted all available cash and were facing closure unless we were able to generate some serious revenue from sales.  We announced at the time a “Going out Of Business Sale” for our Berwick (Welsford) Garden Center.

The response from our customer base was overwhelming.  Our clients went away with fantastic value.  This provided us with the cash needed to remain solvent and keep our garden center open.  Landscaping activities through the fall months also assisted in our recovery.

In December of 2010, a monstrous storm ripped through Berwick and surrounding areas.  During this storm Springvale Nurseries sustained massive damage to 90% of its greenhouse structures.  This loss was uninsurable.  We are hoping to receive assistance to rebuild these from the Disaster Relief Program.  This was announced recently by the Province of Nova Scotia to replace and rebuild business assets destroyed in the storm.

Also, during this storm a huge amount of damage was suffered by the Camp Meeting facilities at Berwick United Church Camp.  More than four hundred old growth trees were knocked down and did immense damage to the buildings on the property.

Springvale Nurseries, in celebration of our survival and financial improvement is pleased to announce that we are celebrating in two ways.  Paul Grimm, President of Springvale Nurseries is pleased to announce today that the company is making a gift of $10,000 value of large caliper trees to the United Church Camp Meeting Association.  This will help replace some of the trees lost in the storm.

We are also holding a “Second Annual Going Out of Business Sale” on the anniversary of last year’s sale which saved our business.  This is being held from June 24th – July 24th as a huge “Thank You” to the many customers who helped us stay in business and with continued support, we will be in business for many years to come! .

We are very thankful to all those who continue to appreciate our products and services. As our financial situation continues to improve we plan to continue our tradition of giving back to our community.  We hope that this demonstrates very clearly to the marketplace that there are huge benefits of buying locally grown products; beyond the obvious quality and service value.

With any business recovery some outstanding issues have not yet been fully resolved, nor can we state categorically that we are “completely out of the woods”.

However…it is comforting to know we are on the path to recovery and hopefully within a couple of years, the business will be on full and firm ground for our future developments.

Cash flow, the bane of small business still remains a problem which we are working to overcome with aggressive marketing and sales activities as well as cost controls.

Springvale Berwick Garden Center remains open to the public and our staff have done a
magnificent job so that our product and sales area has never looked better.

Springvale continues to build on its core business lines:
• Retail Garden Center (Berwick Location)
• Large Tree Production and Installation.
• Wholesale Supply to Landscapers and Garden Centers.
• Commercial and Residential Landscape Construction and Installation
• Springvale “True Bloom Roses” (roses on their own roots produced by tissue culture)

The company is also embarking on innovative research and development into native plant propagation and mass production.  This is for application on wetlands and uplands sites to mitigate site damage from construction, highways, mining and other activities requiring site mitigation and restoration.
www.springvalenurseries.com

Thank You Lord!….But What Is That Big Yellow Ball?

Wow! Summer came yesterday with a “SLAM!”   Rain after rain, after rain…. I though I was going to mold!

But the sun came out and suddenly it was 25 degrees!

That is great for gardeners and garden center shoppers.

OUR GARDEN CENTER IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND OUR PLANTS NEVER LOOKED BETTER!

The best way to see what Springvale has to offer is to come out and visit us.  We are now open 7 days a week and for open hours, check our website:

www.springvalenurseries.com

This is the best time of year for planting new trees, doing landscaping projects whether ‘Do It Yourself” or hired landscape installation.  You will find a full selection of great shrubs, perennials, vines etc and most of our stock is grown right here on our farms, providing jobs and economic value to our area.  We will visit your property within a reasonable distance of Berwick*.  And…. Springvale offers complete landscaping installation, planting, hardscaping, hydroseeding,…..anything you need to enhance your property.

Plants that are grown here are hardy here, all have survived at least one winter (except some of our perennials).  Some of our largest trees (BFT’s) are as much as 10 years old!

We are also, very quickly running out of digging time for spring so get your buns up here for a tour and choose the trees you want for your project.  Everyone who comes is amazed at the selection and sheer quantity and size of trees and other plants in our production fields and container yard.

The best proof is in a visit!  Come soon and come often.  I will personally escort you around our fields and share with you my twenty five years of experience in tree production.

Paul Grimm,

* Of course, this depends on the size of the job.

BUY LOCAL, IT MATTERS!

Lord, Please Shut Off the Tap!

Lord, Please Shut Off the Tap!  

I just came back from the nursery.  Our guys are loading a truck this morning in the soaking cold rain.  They keep coming to work everyday in spite of horrendous working conditions.  Bless them!

After a month of rain I start to feel sorry for myself.  Our spring digging has been a nightmare with equipment  broken or stuck, staff soaked to the bone and….to make matters worse, retail customers staying away in droves because it is too wet to plant in their yards as well.

There is better weather in site next week if the weatherman is right. But….for this week, it looks like nearly 2 more inches of rain today and 5 out of the next 6 days still calling for rain.

This is hurting our business this spring really bad and as many know, last year was survival for us, that’s all!

Then when I get feeling real sorry for …”poor me” I stop for a moment and think.  We have not had tornados like the Deep South has experienced, we have not had a flood like Manitoba and the folks in the Mississippi Delta, We have not had a Tsunami like Japan, or an earthquake like Christchurch NZ.

It’s all a matter of perspective!

Last weekend, Nancy and I went to Sydney for my annual barbershop quartet frolic and competition.  We stopped on the way there and back at Mother Webb’s restaurant  a little east of Antigonish.  Their lovely young ladies greeted us at the door and held it open for us, welcoming us.  And the food was sooooo gooooood!

So on way home visit to Mother Webbs it was Mother’s Day and they gave Nancy a gift. A little coffee mug and here is what was written on it!    I want to share this with you in full because it kind of puts everything in perspective!

“ If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep….you are richer than 75% of the world.  

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace…You are among the top 6% of the world’s wealthy.  

If you woke this morning with more health than illness….You are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.  

If you never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation…You are ahead of 500,000,000 people in the world.  

If you can attend a church meeting without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…You are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married you are very rare , even in North America.  

If you can hold your head up with a smile in your face and are truly thankful….You are blessed, because the majority can but most do not.  

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch their shoulder…You are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, then you have just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking about you and further more, you are more blessed than more than 2 billion people in the world that cannot read at all.  

Have a good day and pass this on to remind everyone else how blessed you are.”

I have all these things and therefore , am one of the richest men in the world.   Thank you for caring about someone else and keep smiling.

‘There is always a pony at the bottom of every pile of Horse sh__!

Your Humble Servant,

Paul H Grimm

PS:  Please say a prayer for my Uncle Sam Milne who suffered a major heart attack last week, and for the paramedics that saved his life on the way to Halifax!  He had quadruple bypass surgery and to my knowledge is expected to have full recovery.

PPS:  And Lord…You can still shut off the Taps!

PPPS:  And….go to Mother Webbs….best restaurant service in a long time!

We Live To Breathe Another Day!

To Our Friends and Many Clients:

This is a very personal note to thank many people who came forth to buy our plants last year at several levels, retail, wholesale and through landscaping projects.

We made the tough choice of going very public last year with our business struggles.  And this turned out to be a very positive move because in truth, it saved our chops!

Thankfully, enough folks supported our company to allow us to continue for this year.  Our goal for the year is to strengthen the business at all levels and if possible, get back on 100% firm ground so that we can continue to operate profitably and move the business forward.

You, each and every one of our customers are the only reason we exist.  In order to earn our piece of the marketplace we must provide those products and services that you want, and in the manner, presentation and pricing that you want.

No business can exist without a strong market.  And…this market must be supplied with what its customers want.

We hope you will come back this spring and let us show you our many improvements.

We have decided to adopt a new strategy for our retail operation, which by the way, is opening again for the 2011 season.  We have listened to our many happy customers who said, “PLEASE DON’T CLOSE!”  So…we are not closing, but there will be some great changes to make things even better for you!

We have listened to your happy experiences and to your complaints which also help us grow in the direction you want.

I don’t want to make any excuses but will tell you we have a huge amount of reconstruction and recovery to look after this spring after extensive damage to most of our greenhouse structures (not to mention damage to our house when a 90 foot Carolina poplar fell on it) which took place in December’s Hurricane without a name.

I named it “The Night of the Decembinator!”

I caused conservatively, over $50,000 in damage to our greenhouses (uninsured) and much damage as well to the trees in our fields.  But….we still have huge quantities of great trees to fall back on.

What my blog over the next few weeks for some updates and we are pleased that we will be open for “business as usual”.  With a number of exciting changes that will benefit you, our customers.

Your Humble Servant,

Paul H, Grimm

PS:   “Buy Local, It Really Matters”

PPS:  I almost forgot to Mention Today is My Mom’s 86th birthday  (Ina Palmer).  What a gift to have your Mom still strong and healthy at 86!

The Night of the “Decembinator”

A Ninety Foot Carolina Poplar Was No Match for "The Decembinator"

The Night of the “Decembinator”

Every so often we get a “reality check”.  This past week was one of those times.

Living on the East coast of North America in Nova Scotia we often get bad weather from the south and from the center of the continent as well, depending on the “jet stream” and other factors.

Most often these weather patterns are referred to as “Nor’easters” because of the circular patterns of the wind which usually blow in from the North East.

Of course, in any cyclonic pattern it depends on where the storm hits as far as ferocity is concerned.

Our storm took place this week on Monday night and unlike most hurricanes, didn’t even have a name!  But it was the storm of my lifetime.

My wife and I were up listening to the constant roar of this beast and finally we drifted of about 2:00 AM only to be awoken by a huge crash.

We didn’t clearly know until morning but the biggest tree on our property came down, an 80 – 90 ft Carolina Poplar that looks 150 yrs old but in truth was only about 50.  Down it came roots and all.  It hit the roof of our house and did some damage but thankfully, it was only the very top of the tree that caught the house.

It is always amazing that the next day, everything was completely calm and peaceful but this monster of a storm without a name; I’m going to call it the “Decembinator”, tore the living dickens out of our community and cut a swath from the south shore to the Bay of Fundy.

One of the saddest parts was the devastation to Berwick Camp, a hundred fifty year of camp owned by the United Church and a place of refuge for people through generations,  Over 50% of the buildings were totaled and a forest of magnificent hemlocks brought to the ground.  Not sure what God was thinkin’!

On top of damage to our yard and house, much of our container nursery operation was completely demolished with

And They Called The Wind.....

only 4 greenhouses in our container yard left standing with plastic still intact.

Needless to say, crews are working to return things to normal.

Just another day in Paradise!

Have a Happy Holiday and Blessed Christmas!

Paul H Grimm

Why Do Locally Based Businesses in Nova Scotia Struggle and in Some Cases Fail?

Why Do Locally Based Businesses in Nova Scotia Struggle and in Some Cases Fail?

No one, me included, has any patience for poorly managed business or those without a hope in hell of survival. And…no one has patience for businesses who whine to government every time something goes wrong. But clearly…small business is “not for sissies in this region”!

So my question is this. When there is clearly a market and a favourable climate, production resources, a labor force and personal and private capital behind it, why should there not be private and public procurement policies that at least provide some level of favour to those businesses that support the local economy, tax base and social infrastructure, hence generating economic and social benefit to the community?

And further to this, why is dumping of any product from other markets outside the region tolerated by our political infrastructure when it can be produced economically here?

I have gone very public with our challenge to operate our business in this environment. Others share the same struggle and many have outright failed when there is no valid reason that they should. In so many cases, hard work determination, common sense and persistence have not paid off. We can’t overcome the forces of punitive procurement policies and lack of any political will to change things.

Our appeal to the public for increased patronage and support for Springvale Nurseries has met with reasonable success and gained a lot of public support and attention. Since launching a campaign to liquidate product inventory to raise cash we have attracted well over 1200 purchasing customers to our Welsford garden center. This is the good news!

We have also seen new support for Springvale Nurseries from our wholesale client base as well. The bad news is we have barely made a dent in our inventory, roughly 10% is gone, the rest remains and we need to consider how best to mobilize this resource to generate cash.

We have had dozens of emails and phone calls all wishing us well and hoping that we make it though this to the other side and a better future for Springvale Nurseries, its owners and staff.

But…market factors (unfair external competition), lack of political will and some level of public ambivalence have allowed proven and worthy businesses to go down the tubes for lack of market access and significant lack of public and private capital. And at the same time, governments jump to invest funds in “The Next Shiny Thing”, often unproven business models and promoters from outside of the region.

How is it sensible that procurement policies for replacement trees for HRM and other large municipalities are operated by purchasing policies that virtually preclude local growers from access to these markets? How is this so?

Rigid specification as to species, cultivar, quantity and size combined with a 5 – 6 year production cycle make it virtually impossible to hit the target on public tree tenders. Even with 30,000 trees in production we rarely can meet the specs. Do we have good alternative trees and acceptable substitutes? Absolutely!

Why in God’s name does it make sense to bring trees in from Ontario and other regions when excellent quality product is being grown one hour from Halifax?

A perfect example of this was the purchase of a large number of seedlings for Point Pleasant Park a few years back. When trees of local provenance were available and clearly the right choice for the project, the purchase order was awarded to suppliers from outside the region where economies of scale impact specific product availability.

What is missing in this entire equation is the economic and social benefit of keeping our money in the region rather than sending it away. Local businesses like Springvale Nurseries are the first in line to support local charities and causes and I will not bore you with the list but it is very, very long and ongoing to this day.

Further to this, local business support the provincial and municipal tax base, local services and supply businesses. And….provide local employment and its effect on consumption, taxation and local investment in homes, education, etc. This is “Micro Economics 101”!

So what do I personally want for my business and for thousands of others also in my shoes? Simply:
 I want local and provincial governments to recognize the value to the community and the economy of small businesses like ours.
 I want to see fair and level paying field for procurement that provides favour to locally based producers who in turn do so much for the region.
 I would like to see policies that discourage “dumping”, which is defined as selling product in another market below cost of production and believe me, this is rampant in our Maritime Region.
 And finally, I would hope to see a buying public that understands that local small business is the engine of prosperity in the region. Without us (small locally based businesses and local farms) there will be no economic prosperity in this region

Springvale Nurseries will survive come hell or high water. In the immortal words of Winston Churchill, “Never, Never, Never Surrender”.

Amen!

Paul H Grimm, President , Springvale Nurseries, Berwick, NS
July 29th, 2010

“You Still Gotta Milk the Cows in the Morning”

Comments from Our Followers:

(Me) Since we have gone public with our appeal for support for our company and for other locally based producers we have received dozens of messages and positive reinforcement. I have decided to share these with you and please feel free to forward this web address to your friends.

I am humbled by the number of people who have joined our challenge and the content of their messages. In reproducing these messages I have slightly edited a few things to project the identities of some folks. Here is what people are saying, most are positive.

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“This is the most amazing place I have ever seen”

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“This is all we expected it to be and more”

*******************

“Well…I thought everything was 75% off!” ((Me) Go figure!)

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“We don’t have your personal email address, but trust that you’ll get this OK.

We were shocked and sad to learn that you’re shutting down your nurseries and consolidating around your wholesale trees business. A difficult time for you, to say the least, during this tough economic climate…with its relentless competition.

We want you to know that you’ve been in our thoughts a lot.

Keep swingin’.”

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“I am so sorry to here that you will be closing your retail store. It appeared to me that you had an amazing business. I have appreciated your business messages. I will be returning to live in the Annapolis Valley after an absence of over 40 years. I am retiring from the XXXXXX Service and will be seeking employment with a nursery and yours was my first choice. I can’t agree with you more about shopping locally and supporting our friends and neighbours.

All the best in your future endeavours.”

*******************

(Me)I Particularly like this comment from a shopper at our store.

“I was at you site on Tuesday…. and was amazed at the variety you had … and dismayed I can not continue to shop there.

I ran into a lot of people there that day and then later in Berwick. All of us said the same thing to each other… your interview in the Advertizer really opened our eyes. I don’t think we all look enough at EVERYTHING we buy … we need to focas on it more…. and going forward I intend to do just that . That being said I had already discovered the “cheap plants” I have bought at Walmart etc . in the past bearly made it two weeks after I got home, so I pledged to only buy local from now on.

The best of luck wth your re-organization ….and I , like many others are sorry to see this part of your business go,”

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“Hi Paul, your message was forwarded to me by xxxxxxx. I am the former owner of XXXXXXX Limited and reading your story brought back many emotions of what we went through when we lost our business in 2006. We seemed to have done all the right things and worked like slaves for years only have it slip through our hands in the end. The discount industry which includes private and government XXXXXXX providing XXXXXXX for less than they cost to provide, the Wal-marts advertising free XXXXXXXXX, Revenue Canada, Environment Canada and so on all became too much in the end for us to survive. Now with all the infrastructure having been brought up to standard the new owner, who bought it for pennies on the dollar can sit back and take it easy. From reading your message you are obviously and justifiably frustrated and scared of watching all those years of dedication and hard work go down the drain, my heart goes out to you and your family.

We lost our home, our life savings and even had to buy back our 4 year old car. I pray that your honest and hard working approach will be met with the results you desire!! If they don’t I hope you will find comfort in knowing that on the other side of all that stress that you are feeling they is still joy to be found in life. I didn’t see the toll it was taking on my wife until we were out of there for a year. She is turning 60 in January and looks and feels better than when she was in her early 50’s. I am 3 years into my new career, not where I wanted to be at this point in my life but still looking to the future.

When we were at the bottom, too broke to even file personal bankruptcy which I didn’t even know was possible, I decided to find peace in all that we take for granted, the love of my wife and family and life in general. I kept it simple and took it day by day and decided everyday when I woke up that it was a FANTASTIC day because I was on the right side of the dirt pile.

Sorry for the ramblings but I do wish you every success with your new business model!!”

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(Me) We appreciate the struggles of others and intend to fight with every ounce of our strength to continue building what we believe to be worthwhile.

“Paul; Thank you for all the years of support for Communities in Bloom here in Nova Scotia. I wish you every success in overcoming the current difficulties. It is said that in the midst of challenge lies opportunity.”

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(Me) Important to keep in mind the community service and charitable contributions by us and so many other local businesses that cannot be provided by a supplier in BC!

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“Dear Paul: I read your message and I am quite moved. It reflects my own situation. I a

m now a XXXXXX after a farm failure. You mentioned the word frustration; I think you could have inserted it a few more times. Last year I was in the Farm Debt Mediation process. It took an all out effort to keep from going under. Presently, we have a XXXXXXXX business, that is doing well; but having all the life sucked out of it by FCC and other fine federal institutions.

Anyhow enough about me. If participating in your offer later this month is any help, I will send some cash along, for product later in the year.

Hang in there. It is beyond me, why the feds want to take the most energetic people in rural Canada and simply line them up against the wall.”

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(Me) All I can say is we are not alone!

Here is a comment from a friend who has also been through a similar business problem.

“Paul, I am very interested in helping you solve some of your problems
As you are aware I to was in the same seat as you are now. That was
the most difficult situation I have ever encountered, and we are still trying to
get back on top. It has been a struggle but we are finally seeing light at the
end of the tunnel. Keep your head held high, you are doing the right thing,
eliminate all your dead weight even if it hurts. We used to employ 70 people
during the busy times and now only have 15 employees. We kept the best 6
of the 70 and rebuilt our team. These 15 are now doing the work of 45 and are
now team players. We continue to push each other to work hard and smart and
so far that attitude seems to be working for us.

I would be interested in $ 3000 (min) of your best nursery stock delivered to our store
in XXXXXX.

Paul, when I was in my most difficult moments during our mediation you said something to me I won’t forget, ” Sit back and take a deep breath, you will get through this!” It wasn’t easy but you were right.”

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(Me) I hope I am able to take my own advice! Hard to keep your spirit but we have no choice.

Perhaps only a farmer will fully understand this comment given to me many years ago by my Dad, “No Matter What, You Still Gotta Milk the Cows in the Morning”.

PG July 13th, 2010