PMC Update for May 9, 2024

Here are 5 things that you should know about the PMC for May 9,2024.

Financials

Lori has completed the April financial reports. Like March, the month of April is a positive net revenue month. The PMC posted a positive $29,485 in revenue for the month, which when added to March’s gains results in a positive net revenue for the fiscal year of $274,565. That number is down from last years’ peak of $444,548, but it should be noted that last year was an exceptional year. Total revenues fiscal year to date as of April 30 2023 were $1,790,802 compared to $1,724,805 this year.

There are also some expenses this year that were not incurred previously or have gone up considerably this year. The new expense is listed as a WACD Investment Transfer of $30,000 in April and $65,000 year to date. That expense is needed to offset the corresponding transfer of funds from long-term investments to the Executive Account and did not exist last year. If that expense is backed out, the net revenue fiscal year to date increases to $339,688. Some increases in expenses from last year include increasing the Executive operations payment from $75,000 to $100,000, the brokered stock increased to $92,511 from $80,036 but there is an offsetting increase in revenue for brokered plants. Cold storage increased to $13,226 from $3,450 last year which was largely due to customers taking their plants later in the season resulting in an increased need to use refrigerated trailers to hold it all. The costs for seeds, transplants, shipping, and staff also increased.

Whether or not the PMC shows a profit at the end of the fiscal year remains to be seen. It will be close one way or another. Time will tell.

Sales

The 2023-24 sales season has come to an end. The plants in the cooler have been in cold storage long enough and are deteriorating, plus the weather-imposed planting window is closing. As mentioned before, sales have decreased from last year’s record-setting year. Total sales, including PMC Plants, Brokered, and Contracts, were $1,625,720 for the year, which is less than the projected sales budget of $1,696,000. Sales are down from last years’ record-setting season when total sales were $1,721,630, but exceeds 2022 sales of $1,559,025. 458 orders for a total of 1.54 million plants were received. 27% of sales were to Washington State Conservation Districts, 68% were to non-CD customers and 5% of sales were contract sales. Over 1.6 million plants were harvested.

With the 2023-24 sales season winding down, the PMC has begun gearing up for the 2024-25 sales season. It is difficult to know exactly what will be available to sale since some of the seed is just starting to germinate and some have not been planted yet. By the end of the fiscal year (June 30) those unknowns will be better known, a pricelist and availability will be completed and on July 1st orders for the season will start to be entered. The contract orders will be entered first due to contractual obligations, conservation districts will be entered next in the order they are received. After that, all other orders will be entered in the order that they are received. Jacquie has sent out requests for CDs to order early to better insure adequate availability. They can be changed without risk of any restocking fee before December 1st.

Spring Seed Planting

The next big activity this month is spring seed planting. All the conifer seed is planted in May, along with several species of deciduous hardwood trees and shrubs. All together over 4 acres of seedbed will be planted. A few species will grow 1 season and be available this winter. Most, including all conifer, will grow 2 seasons and be available in 2026 and who knows what demand will be then.

PMC Open House

If a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing something in person must be worth tens of thousands. With that in mind, the PMC is planning an open house here on August 13 and will be inviting CD staff and supervisors for a tour, lunch and get better acquainted session. Invitations and additional information will be sent out in the next few weeks so if anyone ever wanted to see the PMC and get to know the staff put that date on the calendar.

Air Beds

John Knox has started investigating Air Beds. These Air Beds are not the kind one takes camping but a raised bed for growing plants. They are typical of most raised beds used by home gardeners with one important exception. They are raised off the ground a few inches and have a wire mesh bottom, exposing any roots that contact it to air. The roots branch when contacting the air interface, creating a more fibrous root system. They are filled with soil and watered when dry. The PMC has planted Filbert seeds in them so far. More information will be published in time but until them contact John with and questions.