The Northern California Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo in Pleasanton, CA, on April 8 was a very intimate and relationship-driven show.

As a vendor, we look for (and want to introduce the buyers to) new and wonderful products. As I walked up and down the aisles, I realized how each vendor has become a great friend or at least a fond neighbor.

We socialize, have drinks together, laugh, cry and talk about the news in our floral industry.

Karen Nakamura, Carrie Hall and Carmen Garcia from Coastal Nursery, a division of Kityama Bros. in Watsonville, CA.This year there were less Safeway members attending because Safeway’s Pleasanton operations have become smaller, but mass marketers for northern California were well represented from Berkeley Bowl, Raleys, Prime Source and NorCal Produce.

“Locally Grown” is still a popular saying amongst the California growers, although “American Grown” has become the new “California Grown.” California growers made up the largest number of floral members attending the show. Most California growers recognize they need to attend shows and present their product to customers (and prospective customers) in order to continue to thrive.

Over 1,200 visitors attended the one-day expo at the Alameda Fairgrounds and more than 200 companies in 158 booths showed off their products; 32 companies in 36 booths representing floral.

• Fran Araujo from Clearwater Nursery in Nipomo, CA, introduced its new Savant lemon-lime white hydrangea that grows in the sun.

• Martha Saenz from McLellan Botanicals in Aromas, CA, showed a designer’s long-lasting orchid/succulent combination.

• Manuel Morales from Monterey Bay Nurseries in Royal Oaks, CA, and Rose from Rose Gonzales Plants in Vista, CA, impressed us with California native plants.

• Carmen Garcia from Coastal Nursery in Watsonville, CA, displayed its striking lemon cypress and innovative natural containers.

• Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria, CA, brightened our world with infused orchids.

• B-Fresh Floral in Carpinteria, CA, won Best of Show in the floral category with its European display and designs.

• Kendall Farms in Fallbrook, CA, impressed us with its Mason jar designs.

• Kitayama Bros. in Watsonville, CA, introduced fragrant, stemmed gardenia bouquets.

• Ocean View Flowers in Lompoc, CA, displayed its box collection that gives a store more variety with less inventory.

The future of floral looks bright with environmentally conscious consumers — organics, locally grown, natural, back-to-the-earth — and E-commerce is on the rise for customers’ special needs. Floral is still being driven by holidays as Valentine’s Day was strong this year and a new holiday, Women’s Day, has seen an increase in sales and is gaining traction with consumers. Attention is also being paid to more ethnic holidays — Persian New Year, Dia de los Muertos, Virgen de Guadalupe, etc.

My gratitude goes out to the FPFC group for doing such a great job and keeping this show alive and fun again this year. I hope to see you all next year so we can enjoy getting together and selling more flowers.

Karen Nakamura is mass-market division manager at Kitayama Bros. in Watsonville, CA. She can be contacted at [email protected].