Page 4 - Free State Summer 2022

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
JOHN MURPHY
Murphy John's, Inc.
4 SUMMER 2022 • Free State News
The uncertainties we imagined pre-season are now beginning to be certain.
For the most part the labor and supply shortages were dealt with by
organizing lean crews and using inventories at hand. Many nurseries treasured
the used pots that have sat in storage for so many years. Others reviewed
their customer lists and re-qualified them for future contracts. These and
other measures remind me of how the 2008 recession affected the way we
organized our businesses. The difference between then and now is that then
we were chasing the dollar and now the dollar is chasing us.
We are not alone. As I sit on the Maryland Agricultural Commission as a
representative for our industry, I hear the echoes of our successes and failures
across the whole range of agricultural sectors. These reports are heard by our
Secretary of Agriculture, Joe Bartenfelder and then passed on to our Governor.
A great big thank you to Secretary Bartenfelder for a job well done. Any
comments you may have for the betterment of our industry can easily echo
in the Governor’s ears. Just simply send me a note and I will pass your
comments onward.
The chambers in Annapolis sat quiet this summer as the election ballots filled
with new names. The incoming elected officials will bring with them new bills
written by their constituents. All these new bills will be reviewed by our lobbyists
hired by the Maryland Green Industry Council (MaGIC). Those bills with an
impact on our industry will be reviewed by the MNLGA board and an analysis
will be provided for member comments. Your input is necessary for the board
to help shape the laws our elected officials sign off on. I encourage all off our
members to get involved, all it takes is a simple letter or email to change a
complex bill. I have witnessed a handful of amendments made in our favor
simply by small conversations with our congressional people.
In this issue of Free State you will find many resources to help keep you growing
including educational opportunities , legislative updates, discounts on a variety
of products and services, and advertisers committed to your growth.
Enjoy the following pages! A
John Murphy
Murphy John’s Inc.
President MNLGA
Maryland Agricultural Commission (MAC) Nursery 2
State Soil Conservation Committee Representative for MAC
Maryland Green Industry Council Board Member