As a member of the Maple Leaves Forever (MLF) Nursery Partner Program, you play a vital role in spreading awareness, supporting the public and advocating for Native Canadian maples. We strongly rely on your knowledge, experience and cooperation in reaching our goals.
The following Nursery Partner Agreement clarifies the MLF nursery partner requirements. In order to continue as a valued nursery partner with MLF, your nursery is expected to comply with the following conditions:
Nursery Operations
- You must own or operate a tree nursery in southern Ontario that produces Native Maple species that are available for purchase by rural landowners.
- You accommodate tree orders from rural landowners when they purchase 10 or more Native Maple trees.
- Trees can be picked up from the nursery or delivered to the landowner’s property.
- Your nursery provides a nursery stock guarantee, warranty or stock replacement policy for trees purchased from your nursery. Customers are made aware of this policy.
- You provide basic information to callers about the services you provide and what they should know prior to picking up trees from your nursery.
- You understand that tree prices are between the nursery and the customer. MLF does not involve itself in that pricing or compensate the nursery directly for being an MLF Nursery Supplier.
- You have a website or facebook page that provides information on the trees available from your nursery, its location, a link to a catalogue or list of trees available and a means of contact for potential clients.
- You have road signage identifying your business as a tree nursery.
Stock Availability and Requirements
- Your nursery produces Native Maples as bare root stock, container grown or B&B caliper trees. One or more of these stock types must be available.
- Your Native Maples are grown as saplings, small trees or caliper size trees.
- Your trees conform to Landscape Ontario and Horticultural Trades Standards.
- Nursery stock sold under the MLF Rebate Program must adhere to industry quality standards and meet the size requirement of 150cm minimum height. The maximum size that will be eligible for a MLF rebate is caliper stock is 60 mm (2.5 inches ) caliper size classes.
Native Maple Species
- The Native Maples available from your nursery are grown from seed collected locally or from known Ontario seed sources. They are not trees with unknown heritage or produced from seedlings or saplings purchased out of province and grown for resale at your nursery.
- You provide MLF with a list of the following available Native Maple tree species, sizes and prices applicable for the MLF Rebate Program annually:
- Acer rubrum
- Acer saccharum
- Acer saccharinum
- Acer rubrum x saccharinum (Acer x freemanii)
Invoicing
- You provide MLF applicants with an Invoice marked PAID with the purchase of trees from your nursery. Your invoice is the basis for MLF processing a rebate to the rural landowner for a Native Maple tree.
- The invoice must include your nursery and/or suppliers verification of species, size, seed source as well as seed zone.
Trial Partner Program (TPP)
Maple Leaves Forever has initiated a Trial Partner Program (TPP) for new potential nursery partners. As part of the TPP, your nursery is expected to follow the aforementioned requirements as well as the following additional conditions:
- Nursery stock and site conditions may be audited throughout a 3 year period to ensure compliance with MLF quality standards and specifications.
- Customer plantings may be audited during the 1st and 2nd year post-planting period to assess tree health and maintenance practices.
As part of this agreement, MLF is committed to work with our TPP nurseries to communicate any issues, challenges and successes.
If you have questions or require any clarification, please contact our Executive Director, Deb Pella Keen at deb.pellakeen@mapleleavesforever.ca.