Plant Procurement Reimagined

Empowering organizations to get the plants they want.

Rewarding growers with guaranteed multi-year income.

What is Conservation Plant Network?

Conservation Plant Network is a new approach to tree and shrub procurement* for organizations with large-scale plant needs, like municipalities, counties, parks and open spaces, universities, nonprofits, public gardens, and other government agencies.

Conservation Plant Network reimagines the tree and shrub supply chain, shifting it from a speculative growth model to a stakeholder-driven procurement system.

*This system could be used for herbaceous native plants too.

Organizations can proactively request, source, and track high-quality trees and shrubs to meet their tree diversity and sustainability goals. No more struggling to find the species and quality of plants you want!

Nurseries get paid for each year of a tree’s growth—guaranteed. The financial risk of multi-year grows is shared. This system removes the risk of getting stuck with unsold plants and burning through profit on missed projections.

How this procurement system works

Stakeholder-driven plant growth

Organizations post RFPs for the woody plants they want grown. Nurseries can choose to bid.

Clear contracts and expectations

Everything is negotiable before a contract is signed. Quality standards can be built into contracts, ensuring higher-quality plants.

Multi-year contracts, invoiced annually

Nurseries get paid each year of a tree’s growth—guaranteed. Organizations work within their existing purchasing structure.

Digital transparency

A secure, digital record keeping system (known as blockchain) tracks and verifies every stage of a plant’s journey—from contract, through growth, to final delivery.

Accurate provenance and chain of custody

Genetic provenance and chain of custody can be digitally tracked from a plant’s source location through its entire lifecycle.

Diverse, climate-resilient plants

Underused and climate-resilient trees and shrubs can get to market faster, transforming our communities and readying us for the future.

Yes, this system meets new RFP requirements* like:

QR code tagging on plants (batch and/or individual)

Online integration with a mobile app

End user transparency to show plant chain of custody

* The City of Fort Collins and City of Boulder will soon be requiring greater plant traceability as part of their RFPs.

“Conservation Plant Network allows organizations to plan for the climate ahead, while nurseries can accurately plan which trees to grow with less waste. Everyone wins with a system built on efficiency, transparency, and shared risk.”

— Ross Shrigley, Plant Select

Why join the network

Organizations:

✔ Get the trees and shrubs you actually want
✔ Stop competing for limited stock and settling for what’s available
✔ Justify paying for higher-quality trees and shrubs
✔ Accurately, quickly, and digitally track your trees’ growth progress
✔ Gain better transparency on genetic provenance
✔ Use your time efficiently and proactively
✔ Plan years ahead for tree replacements and other initiatives
✔ Align with your organization’s purchasing guidelines
✔ Achieve your organization’s tree diversity and sustainability goals
✔ Drive positive, long-term change in your community

Nurseries:
- ✔ Share the financial risk of growing multi-year plants with contractual annual payments
- ✔ Gain a consistent revenue stream (yearly cash flow!)
- ✔ Grow pre-sold inventory
- ✔ Eliminate unpurchased inventory, reducing your overhead and financial exposure
- ✔ Lower the risks of growing new types of trees
- ✔ Easily track each plant through your own supply chains
- ✔ Quickly and clearly show chain of custody for the Department of Agriculture and clients
- ✔ Operate more efficiently
- ✔ Gain access to big RFPs
- ✔ Get rewarded for your quality practices
- ✔ Drive positive, long-term change in your community

Are you a good fit?

Currently, Conservation Plant Network is getting rolled out in the Intermountain West—states like Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Oregon.

If you’re located in the region, you may be a good fit if you are:

A forward-thinking orgranization, grower, or plant supplier.
Naturally curious with a “there has to be a better way” mindset.
Open to using technology to work smarter and achieve big goals.
Committed to high quality.
Passionate about plants and making our world a better place.

How to join

All you need is an annual license.

We’ll coordinate with you on training, so you and your colleagues know exactly what to do. You can start the RFP and bid process almost immediately after training.

Small but mighty? You’re part of this too!

Let’s say you’re an independent collector or a specialty nursery that supplies seed, cuttings, or scion. You can get our app and participate for a small annual fee. (It’s easy to get started!)

Conservation Plant Network is…

Brought to you by:

Using blockchain technology from:

Worth noting: You can use Conservation Plant Network for any woody plant.

Reach out today

Phone: (970) 481-3429

Mailing address:
Ross Shrigley
Executive Director
Plant Select
c/o Colorado State University
1173 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1173