I now have my "snail-free nursery" paperwork completed. (I know, whoopee). However, it reduces the cost of shipping (ag inspection fee) to Texas considerably, beginning 7/1. It also makes it possible to ship to Canada, and Florida without a 30 day quarantine (and thus immensely less cost).

Yesterday was my annual inspection of my nursery for renewing my nursery license, inspection for inclusion on the "Host-free" Sudden Oak Death Nursery list,  and the inspection for the "snail-free" certification. Yes, all these things cost $. All part of the fun of operating a licensed nursery.

I am not whining - just think it is important to remind ourselves of the real world, sometimes.

Good for you Jon 1 Now you can update your potted fig for sale list for whats available !  ; )

Another note i watched the Blackhawks as usual my favorite sport here in the windy city beat Vancover now onto

AHEM


Jon's neck of the woods the San Jose Sharks.

Well done Jon!
You deserve it.

Martin,

The "Available" list is getting pretty short, but I still need to find some time and do it.

Congrats Jon.

Woohoo thats great to hear Jon think I need to start putting some more money aside.

Great to hear Jon.

Nelson, yes $$$ indeed, but space as well!  Nas

I understand Jon.
In near future i will be in the "Taste and Discard Mode" as my dark types mature  which will enable more room for different Dark types. Get rid of one and replace with another.
If my climate was like some i could grow many on the nearly half acre here but thats not the case and its to much work to bury em or cover them for me and a heated greenhouse is out of my thoughts.

Whats nice is now our neighbors in Canada will have easier acces to your plants.

Good wishes for you and the nursery.
Now about quarantine: where did plants used to stay in quarantine when shipping to Canada; at Encanto or somewhere by a Canadian agency in Canada?

Ottawan, the plants were never quarantined in the past but requirements changes all the time. CFIA have no idea about the 30 days quarantined. Infact the requirements were imposed by respective certifying agencies or even inspectors in USA to ensure snail free status unless nursery is certified as free of snails. Its a subjective issue and there are other issues. Anyway, I think quarantine is meant for potted figs if the nursery is not certified as snail free. This requirement may not apply to bareroot or cuttings. Again, CFIA may have guidelines and its open to issuing agencies in US to impose conditions as they interpret CFIA requirements before issuing phyto cert.

If quarantine time is required, it would be done in the nursery itself before they phyto cert is issued.

Thanks Paul (... it sounds like St. Paul !)
Now how nice it will be if there was another level of nursery Certification i.e.  "Phyto-Certified" nurseries so there will be no need for Phyto-Certificates for customer orders. I know there will be extra cost to the nursery that will need to be passed on to the customers but most probably it will be less costly than in the phyto-certificate situation ( at least for orders with fewer items ).  Just doing wishful thinking at no cost.

Ottawan, Paul has it pretty well nailed down in his explanation.  I'm with you - it should be easier, but it isn't. I've banged on that door more than once. In other places it would be different, but then it wouldn't be paradise. Business would be easier, but life would not be as sweet.

Hopefully we can work out some sort of group order plan next season to share the costs for importing twigs for all our fig friends in Canada. The inspection/paperwork costs are "per shipment".

Jon, coincidentally while writing the above post I was also simultaneously thinking the same idea i.e. of combining orders from interested Canadians for a single shipment from Encanto to a Canadian location (preferably to a F4F forum member) and then distributed from there with additional shipping/handling cost to the recipients.
We have enough time to discuss this among the known members until fall and see how much interest is shown for this idea.

Ottawan, easiest way to beat all the mumbo jumbo work is for all the key guys selling plants to send me & Ottawan their best and we can grow them & send them out on their behalf. That said, I need to get authorisation from the 'boss' first to buy a bigger piece of land. This is actually a bigger challenge.

Jon knows Im in for this idea if need be...

Paul, Akram, whatever works to get us more varities.  Although, we are doing pretty good.

Talk to you soon