Bailey Nurseries is a fourth-generation family-owned nursery serving customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. We are widely recognized as one of the United States' largest wholesale nurseries, with products distributed by more than 4500 independent garden centers, landscapers, growers and re-wholesalers. Our main offices and growing fields are located in Newport, Minnesota, (just outside the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul) and we also operate nurseries in Yamhill and Sauvie Island, Oregon and Sunnyside, Washington.
The Bailey Difference
Throughout our long history, Bailey Nurseries has earned a reputation as a leader in the nursery industry with inventive techniques, high-quality plants and active involvement in industry organizations. Integrity, innovation and quality were the hallmarks of our company when it began - and they continue to this day.
Bailey Nurseries offers a complete line of nursery stock that includes deciduous trees and shrubs, evergreens, fruits, perennials, annuals and roses. Our plants are offered from seedlings and rooted cuttings to finished bareroot and container-grown stock. The attention our plants receive throughout their growth results in some of the finest plants available anywhere.
Green Team Mission Statement
Here at Bailey Nurseries, we like to say - our roots run deep. With a history stretching back over 100 years, we are proud of our past and acutely aware of our responsibilities going into the future. As an industry leader, we intend to help set the standard for a “greener” green industry. We will strive to continually decrease our environmental footprint while at the same time producing superior plants and offering unbeatable customer service.
Walking the Walk
Some might say BNI is a conservative, even cautious company, and that’s OK with us. We wouldn’t be talking the talk if we weren’t walking the walk. One of our core principles has always been to protect and enhance the environment. Early in 2008 the Green Team was formed and assigned the task of assessing the sustainable practices we already have in place, making recommendations and setting goals for improvement and beginning a green dialog that involves every single Bailey employee. We are extremely proud of the results.
Teaching One Another
By taking a good hard look at our own processes and production methods we’ve learned some very important lessons. We’ve become more aware of the incredible number of sustainable practices we already have in place. Our interns took on the task of documenting these and putting them into a PowerPoint presentation that we can now use to educate our own staff across the country. We would also like to use this tool to open a green dialog with our customers. Each department has held meetings to discuss and implement ways, large and small, that they can contribute to a greener tomorrow. We have so much to learn from one another.
Going for the Gold
The Green Team set some extensive goals for their first year. By September 1, 2008 all glass, plastic pots, greenhouse poly, plastic bottles, paper and cardboard, hazardous waste, electronics, and metal will be reused or recycled. Thanks to a committed staff and leadership that takes environmental stewardship seriously, our recycling program will continue to grow and expand. In reality, little investment was needed to reach this goal and it will actually improve our bottom line. Simply put a container full of recycling costs less than a container full of garbage to dispose of.
Many Hands
Recycling is just the beginning. Reducing and reusing everything possible is also helping us to eliminate waste and save energy. Despite an alarming rise in fuel costs we have actually spent less on fuel in 2008 than we did in 2007 by using hybrids, electric carts, more fuel-efficient vehicles and better trip planning. We’ve decreased our fertilizer and chemical usage dramatically, water consumption is down thanks to a more precise, targeted application, and paper, printing and mailing costs and consumption have dropped thanks in large part to electronic alternatives. Maybe the biggest change has been in our own minds; each decision not to print something or walk a little farther to the recycling bin, or to consider a new way of doing something. Many hands make light work and we believe that together we can make a significant impact.
Cultivating a New Approach
We are fortunate to be a part of an industry that enriches so many lives, and that also works to nurture and protect habitats worldwide. Being a “green” green industry member has had a positive impact on our bottom line and a positive impact in our hearts and minds. We will continue to monitor our progress, set new goals, seek to educate ourselves and look for ways to lessen our impact. Together we can grow and plant for the future.