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New England Grow Boston, Massachusetts

February 4-6, 2009 Unearth your greatest potential at New England Grows. New England Grows is one of the largest and most popular green industry events in North America ---- known for its progressive educational conference and world-class exhibition. In 2008, 14,300 green industry professionals attended New England Grows. The exposition features 1400 booths jam-packed with the latest in plant material, products, equipment and services for the green industry. Thirty educational sessions are held during New England Grows. World-renowned speakers present the latest research, trends, and predictions for the green industry. Many seminars are approved for continuing education credit. Last year, New England Grows was named one of the Fastest-50 growing trade shows in the country the prestigious industry publication Trade Show Week magazine. New England Grows is an educational partnership between the New England Nursery Association, Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Arborists Association, and Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association. Its co-sponsor network includes more than 30 green industry organizations from throughout New England. New England Grows is one of the largest and most popular green industry events in North America ---- known for its progressive educational conference and world-class exhibition. In 2008, 14,300 green industry professionals attended New England Grows. The exposition features 1400 booths jam-packed with the latest in plant material, products, equipment and services for the green industry. Thirty educational sessions are held during New England Grows. World-renowned speakers present the latest research, trends, and predictions for the green industry. Many seminars are approved for continuing education credit. Last year, New England Grows was named one of the Fastest-50 growing trade shows in the country the prestigious industry publication Trade Show Week magazine. New England Grows is an educational partnership between the New England Nursery Association, Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Arborists Association, and Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association. Its co-sponsor network includes more than 30 green industry organizations from throughout New England.

Message From The President To paraphrase the Beach Boys song 409, “Its real fine and it’s oh nine! Save my pennies and save my dimes ‘cause it’s oh nine!” Ok, it is 2009 and there are plans a-foot for the economy! What about your economic outlook, has it brightened over the winter? If you are not planning for spring start ups now you may miss the boat. Why? Because those that have been really hit by the economic slump that are unemployed may beat you at your own game. We know that in this business even in good times there are the “gypsies”. Historically, we know that these folks feel they can install all of the following; siding, irrigation, landscaping, water features, etc. We also know that because it is thought to be easy money or that just any one can do it, we as professionals take a beating. As spring creeps north and the season starts, the “Joe” the gypsy will offer your pond people pond cleaning at a better rate. I have looked at my own area and the economic impact that the east coast of nowhere has taken. Like the coast of everywhere else, it’s not pretty. So we, the service industry of ponds, have to ask ourselves on an individual basis, are we that bullet proof in this economy? As professionals, we all have clients that would take a rate increase at this time and not feel it or even notice it, they’re the exception though, here in sunny central America. Many of my clients would start to think harder about my services in this economic market place if I should increase my fee to cover lost clients. On the coast of nowhere in central America I have had to re-think my rates for service. I have to consider what the pulse of the industry really is here in my market. Many parts of the country have had other events that have impacted their localities and businesses, such as the continuing drought and corporate lay offs. Even the moneyed professionals, doctors, lawyers and financial planners have been hit equally in this market. Yeah I know, break out the violin, but many of those categories pay my rent and I really don’t want a lawyer with time on his hands watching me cleaning his pond, or worse, helping me clean his pond. It could happen! What I have heard across the board this past year and starting with the Western trade Show in Olathe, KS the first week of this month, reports there suggest there is very little new stuff going in. In the last two years in my market, I can count on my hands the number of new installs I have done, and I don’t need all of my fingers. The other side of the coin is this; the service calls have gone through the roof and refits or up grades has been increasing or been at least pretty steady. As for me and my market, I have always been top of the pay scale @ $60.00 per hour and I don’t make any bones about it to my clients. The catch 22 is this; in my market landscapers top out at $45.00 per hour. That gives them leverage to encroach into my market place. I have a choice to make as I enter into this season; am I really that bullet proof or would I be a hero to my clients by lowering rates by 25%? I tell them that at the end of the year they owe me a plate of Christmas cookies. The actuality is that my client saves money and I match what my “Joe” gypsy and/or friendly landscaper charges, but I know my clients will get the best possible pond care by staying with me. When your client knows that you understand the economic times and are willing to share the financial burden with them, you may get the “gold” star. We are all hoping for the something good to happen, will it happen? I can’t say, but I can take a hard look at my market and access damage control and act rather than re-act. That’s why I am singing, “It’s real fine in Oh Nine!!! Save my pennies and save my dimes in Oh Nine! Rocke’ Huntington President 2009

Owner of Fins & Flowers Water Gardens LLC since 2002. Retail greenhouse location selling aquatic plants and fish - Design, installation and cleaning services all offered. Joel Police has contributed a series of articles for beginning 'ponders' on the watergardenersinternational.org website and is a strong proponent for pond construction that works with nature and minimizes total drain and clean procedures.

Koi Nations is global, both in practice and in spirit. In times where many magazines have narrowed their view, we are convinced readers want the opposite. Our content and distribution covers the entire globe. We're objective and fair. We're excited by new and developing ideas, yet mindful of the history of koi culture. An independant voice, devoid of affiliations, broad in scope but perfectly focused. Fresh, exciting and different, KOI Nations.

Freddie Combas born in Puerto Rico, started Florida Water Gardens, Inc. on a 10-acre facility in Orlando. Freddie has a passion for his work. His believes in giving the customer more than they expected. Freddie has a weekly talk show “Home and Hearth” which airs every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Orlando area. Freddie believes that if you teach others the basics on ponds, you have done your job. They have an “Open Book Management” system that shares in motivating their employees; keeping their professionalism, installation, and services at their peak at all times. Florida Water Gardens, Inc. was #21 in the nation on the 2002 Aquascape Designs top customer list. He is an Aquascape Certified Contractor and believes in not only the water gardening business and his company, but in the future of the water gardening industry.

February 12-17

Representatives from Great Lakes Bio Systems will be exhibiting at Booth #334. We invite you to stop by our booth to learn more about the innovative Orb-3 Ornamental product line, including private label opportunities, and custom programs for reps, distributors, and retailers. This year's show is being held at: Marriott Mission Valley 8757 Rio San Diego Drive San Diego, CA 92108

Kodama Koi Farm

94-728 Lanikuhana Ave. Mililani HI 96789 TEL 808-623-2997 / FAX 808-623-2993 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Taro Kodama Email: taro@kodamakoifarm.com Web: http://www.kodamakoifarm.com Biggest Event of Japanese Koi in Hawaii -The 3rd Japan Nishikigoi Expo and The 2nd Annual International Aloha Koi Show Honolulu, HI January 18, 2009 – On February 21st and 22nd, at McKinley High School, Kodama Koi Farm will be having The 3rd Japan Nishikigoi Expo in conjunction with the 2nd Annual International Aloha Koi Show by the Aloha Koi Appreciation Society for one purpose – to promote living jewels or Japanese Koi throughout Hawaii as well as the entire United States. Those who are familiar with the Koi in the Ala Moana Shopping Center or Pagoda Hotel, will be astonished by seeing the difference and beauty of Japanese Nishikigoi. Nishikigoi is a national fish of Japan and widely prized by collectors around the world and it is a growing hobby in the U.S. As Nishikigoi is described as living jewels, quality Nishikigoi will one day be worth more than 30,000 dollars. The 3rd Japan Nishikigoi Expo is solely intended to promote the awareness of Nishikigoi and educate the public. This year, Mr. Seki, a top breeder in Niigata, Japan will make his first appearance in the US and provide us with a seminar. Mr. Taro Kodama, owner of Kodama Koi Farm, Mr. John Russell, owner of Russell Water Gardens and Koi, and Mr. Steve Walker, owner of Sacramento Koi will also be present to provide valuable Koi and Pond seminars. The 1st Expo was held at Hyatt Hotel and the 2nd Expo at Hilton Hawaiian Village. The 2nd Annual International Aloha Koi Show is expecting almost 300 entries of top quality Koi, not only from Hawaii but also from the US and Canada. This is one of the biggest Koi shows in the US. Kodama Koi Farm is a subsidiary of Miyoshiike, a 40 year-experienced top Nishikigoi dealer in Japan. Miyoshiike opened Japan Koi Online as the service center of US in California in 2000. Recently, the company expanded to Hawaii in search of a better environment for raising Koi and is doing business as Kodama Koi Farm. Aloha Koi Appreciation Society was founded by Mr. George Ariyoshi, former governor, and Mr. Mamoru Kodama, founder of Kodama Koi Farm and a top authority in the Koi world. Should you have any questions, please contact Taro at taro@kodamakoifarm.com ### If you would like more information, please contact Taro Kodama at 808-623-2997

Pond keepers in the northern climates can have problems in the winter that other ponders in milder climes don’t have. What brings me to write this article is when I got a call from an experienced pond keeper yesterday. Here in the Chicago area it has been cold this winter. This person the day before found a dead Koi in the hole in the ice on his pond. Several others were still alive but floating on their sides on the surface. The next day when he went out to the pond he found that a lot of the Koi in the pond were hanging out in the shallow area of the pond, under thin ice. That is when he called me with the question as to whether or not a bottom temperature of 36.5F could cause his fish to die. The answer is: not at that temperature during the winter. Now, in the spring the fish are more likely to become sick because of the cold temperatures, but not die in the winter. So what caused the problems with the fish? To know the answer we have to know about koi behavior during the winter in cold water. They normally lie on the bottom of the pond and don’t move much. Only two things will cause Koi to move around in cold water. One is something scares them. The other thing is that if the water at the bottom becomes toxic, the Koi will come to the surface to find better water. This is not a good situation. Unless you do a water change immediately all the Koi will be dead very shortly. But changing water in the middle of winter is not easy. I tell my clients not to bother trying to get water out of the pond. Just put the hose on the ice and let the water flow into the hole in ice and overflow the pond. You do have to be concerned with chlorine and other things in the hose water. Dechlor’s will not work, as nothing is mixing the water. Doing your normal water change of pumping water out first is not safe for the fish in a pond with an ice cover. The ice will support itself in suspension, and can break when water is no longer helping to support it and crash into the pond. The fish are already weak and at the surface, this falling ice could hurt them. This client did add fresh water. Within ten minutes the fish that were still alive were back on the bottom and a couple of the fish that he thought were dead started to come back around. Yes, he lost quite a few of his Koi, and the ones that are currently alive are not yet out of danger. What ever caused the water to go toxic is still in the pond. I suspect a Opossum or something falling in the pond getting a drink as the pond was in the process of freezing over, being over looked or un-noticed and laying there decaying. For the rest of the winter, water will have to be changed weekly until the pond is started up again in the spring. But the real problems for the fish now will be in the spring. They are far more likely to get sick in the spring than if this had not happened. This event has caused a lot of stress in the fish and they used up energy that could not afford to use. Both of these two things are going to cause the fish to be weaker than normal in the spring at a time that they can not handle it. Why did the water in the pond go bad? Most of the time it is caused by one of two different reasons. One is decaying debris on the bottom of the pond. The other is a dead animal in the pond. In this case I would guess that it is a dead animal. Why would I guess that it is a dead animal? Well this pond is a bare liner pond with the temperature probe on the bottom. The bottom temperature was too low for there to be a layer of decaying debris on the bottom of the pond. How would I know that the bottom temperature was too low for there not to be a layer of debris on the bottom of the pond? I did an experiment two winters ago, but that is a story for the next article next month. By the way, this article only applies to koi and not other types of pond fish such as goldfish, as they do not behave the same in cold water. That’s another article defining the difference between cold water and cool water fish. A Brief History by Al Kowaleski Perhaps you have heard that carp, which is an exotic species not native to North America, have by accident invaded our game fish waters. You may have heard that the carp of today are descended from fish that 'escaped' from private stocks or were illegally introduced by unauthorized persons. How is it then that carp are found in almost every state and in waters hundreds of miles apart from each other. The reason is because the U.S. Fish Commission and almost every one of the state governments in our land undertook one of the greatest far reaching campaigns to establish the carp everywhere in our country. Let me explain. Prior to 1900, native North American fish were viewed as vital natural resources. Most of the fish we regard today as sport fish were harvested commercially by the millions of pounds. They were shipped by rail to markets where they were an important food source for a growing population. This was before the advent of refrigeration and communities relied on 'ice house' preservation. Harvested were the basses, sunfish, crappies, pike, walleye, perch, lake trout, and sturgeon. Also coarse fish such as freshwater drum, buffalo fish, catfish, suckers, bullheads and others. The results of large harvests were declining stocks of lake and river fishes at a time when the population was expanding. To answer these concerns the U.S. Congress authorized President Ulysses S. Grant to appoint the US Fish Commission in 1871 to oversee the nation's fisheries interests. Among the first tasks was to consider what species to introduce to bolster the nations supply of food fishes. By 1874 the commission after long study issued a report entitled "Fishes Especially worthy of Cultivation" It went on to say that no other species except the carp, promises so great a return in limited waters. Cited were advantages over such fish as black bass, trout, grayling and others " because it is a vegetable feeder, and although not disdaining animal matters can live on vegetation alone and can attain large weight kept in small ponds and tanks". In 1876 the commission enumerated other good qualities such as high fecundity (a count of ripe eggs in the female fish), adaptability to artificial propagation, hardiness of growth, adaptability to environmental conditions unfavorable to equally palatable species, rapid growth, harmlessness in relation to fish of other species, ability to populate waters to it's greatest extent, and fine table qualities. By 1877 citing the above reasons and adding 'there is no reason why time should be lost with less proved fishes' the commission convinced of the value of carp imported 345 fishes of scaled, mirror and leather carp from German aquaculturists. On May 26th they were placed in the Druid Hill Park ponds in Baltimore Maryland. The ponds proved inadequate and some were transferred to the Babcock lakes on the monument lot in Washington, D.C. So did they somehow escape from these confines to populate nearly everywhere? No. Now the state governments get involved. Records indicate in 1879, about 6.203 fingerlings were produced in the Babcock Lakes. These were shipped to 273 applicants in 24 states. About 6000 fingerlings were produced in the Druid Hill ponds that year and were stocked primarily in Maryland. One year later, 31,332 carp were shipped to 1,374 applicants. In 1882 carp production increased to 143,696 fish, distributed in small lots to 7,000 applicants. In 1883 about 260,000 carp were sent to 9,872 applicants in 298 of 301 congressional districts and into 1,478 counties. During the years 1879-1896 the US Fish Commission distributed 2.4 million carp, some of which were sent to Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Mexico. By 1897 the Commission discontinued the stocking because carp had been distributed nearly everywhere and many states assumed the task of propagation and stocking of carp. Within several years many states were involved in the propagation and stocking of millions of carp. The Ohio State Fish Commission stocked tributaries of Lake Erie. Every major river in Illinois was stocked. Fish rescue missions from 1890-1920 conducted by various states and the US fish Commission stocked hundreds of lakes and rivers, particularly into the Midwestern region of the US. In a few short years the effort to introduce the resource of carp had been successful. Newspapers and magazines lauded the importance to the food industry and the bright future of all citizens eating carp. Commercial production started in the 1900's. During the decade after World War II, annual catches reached 36 million pounds. Many prominent restaurants and hotels served carp on the menu. Restaurants of the Waldorf and Astoria listed "Carp in Rhine Wine Sauce" Following World War II the saltwater commercial fishing industry captured a major portion of the fishing market by consolidating and modernizing operations This resulted in tremendous productions of ocean fish and improvements in processing, packaging ,shipping and storage and a reduction in operating costs. At a time when the oceans were perceived as pure and our rivers were becoming polluted, contributed among other factors to the decline of carp as a food fish. History demonstrates that the federal and state governments of the US undertook a massive effort to install the carp in all of our waters from coast to coast in an effort that no other country has ever embarked upon. History also indicates that American anglers in great numbers lead the world today in the history of carp angling since the earliest turn of the century. Generations of anglers have enjoyed the carp as a sport or food fish. History also indicates that the carp found in our many waters did not escaped the ponds of long ago carp farmers, as the myth is told, but were placed carefully for our angling benefit by thoughtful government agencies. Al Kowaleski CAG Historian