AFE scholarship applications now available for advanced students
The American Floral Endowment is now accepting applications for the new Altman Family Scholarship and the Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship for graduate students who have the skills and passion to become leading floricultural scientists and educators, according to a news release. The applications are available online and the deadline is Feb. 1.
CCFC to launch BloomCheck
After concluding a successful pilot project of three farms, the California Cut Flower Commission’s official third-party-certified sustainability certification program, BloomCheck, is ready to launch, according to a news release. The program is the result of a comprehensive study and two-year Specialty Crop Block Grant that was initiated to help better position California’s flower farming practices as the sustainability standard of choice for consumers and the industry.
CalFlowers leads effort to standardize flower shipping box sizes nationally
The California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers announced major steps to standardize the boxes used to ship flowers from the field to users (who include wholesalers and retailers), according to a news release.
Colombia’s Proflora show draws more than 7,000 international attendees
Recently I was asked if it is really worth the time, effort and expense to attend trade shows. This was asked of me in reference to the recent Proflora show in Bogota, Colombia, an event that I have attended every other year for longer than I care to admit. Time away from the office and farms, time away from my family, 20 hours of round-trip travel time — all powerful reasons to say that these shows are not really worth the financial, physical and psychological outlay.
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers’ intensive affirms flower farming is serious business
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers’ Virginia Grower Intensive I recently attended was certainly true to its mission statement, “Grow/Share/Learn/Tour.” From the first Q&A session to the last flower farm tour, I learned that flower farming is serious business.
‘Godzilla’ El Nino threatens to affect Valentine’s Day rose production
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration predicted in August that this year’s El Nino could be among the strongest in the historical record. “This definitely has the potential of being the Godzilla El Nino,” said Bill Patzert, a climatologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, CA, in a conference call for journalists.
Ecuador’s Cotopaxi volcano creating rose supply jitters
No one knows when it will happen but the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador will erupt one day and probably destroy surrounding rose farms and neighborhoods. According to volcanologists, the magma is rising and the volcano will erupt, but it could take days, weeks, months or even years. The uncertainty has growers not only fearing losing their farms but also fearing that current customers are looking for other growers to ensure their flower supply.
Three essential flower design tips for the holidays
The holidays have a way of building up and while we all have intentions of saving ourselves some time to get creative, the pressure of the holidays can leave us feeling tapped out. Fear not — I’ve collected a great arsenal of tips, tricks and hints to help you save time at the holidays — and that means you’ll have more time to be creative, add that extra pizazz, or just knock off early and get some much needed rest.
Tip No. 1. Use and measure flower nutrients.
Time is now to prepare for International Women’s Day
Tuesday, March 8, is Women’s Day 2016 and this floral event is maturing into a serious sales opportunity, so retailers are already starting to prepare. Since the holiday comes three weeks after Valentine’s Day, retailers and wholesalers understand that it is essential that their Women’s Day offerings and marketing are in place for a smooth rollout.
Plan the work and work the plan this coming Valentine’s Day
It’s never too early to begin thinking about Valentine’s Day. Unlike fall and Christmas, where we plan and merchandise for seasons, Valentine’s Day is more of a one- or two-day event, despite our efforts to create a weeklong celebration.
The upside of the narrower calendar is that you can create a “V-Day Minus” plan for each aspect of your floral operation and this plan can be updated and fine-tuned every year. The plan would detail how many days prior to Valentine’s Day each major function would need to occur. For example: