Christmas tree growers meet in Michigan
Who is thinking about Christmas in July? The more than 700 active member farms of the National Christmas Tree Association, 29 state and regional associations, and more than 4,000 affiliated businesses that grow and sell Christmas trees or provide related supplies and services.
CalFlowers to hold three August regional meetings
Three major flower-growing areas in California will host Town Hall Member Meetings next month by CalFlowers, the California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers (formerly NORCAL). Each of these regional meetings will focus on topics that affect those areas specifically, with additional emphasis placed on issues that concern the California floral industry as a whole, according to an association news release.
Mayo Clinic Flower of Hope launches
The Mayo Clinic celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and to express the spirit of hope and healing through the beauty of nature, it is featuring the Mayo Clinic Flower of Hope at its locations, a bright yellow hybrid Coreopsis “Electric Avenue” by ItSaul Plants in Alpharetta, GA, according to a news release.
More than 9,000 expected to attend Ohio’s Cultivate 2014
Cultivate ’14, AmericanHort’s convention and trade show, is slated for July 12-15 in Columbus, OH, and includes educational programs, design contests, tours, exhibitors, workshops, and networking events for horticulture and floral professionals.
The Plantscape Institute of America will also hold its Plantscape Industry Expo in conjunction with Cultivate ‘14. The event will be known as PIA@Cultivate ‘14 by AmericanHort, according to an association news release.
Memorial Day Flowers honor fallen heroes and their families
The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation was created in 2011 with the distribution of 10,000 roses at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day to honor those who willingly put their lives on the line for us. Most of us have family members who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
It just seemed logical that we in the flower industry would use our resources to show respect for not only those who have served, but also to recognize the sacrifices made by their families.
IFE draws 1,350 to the Big Easy
NEW ORLEANS — Supermarket floral industry professionals gathered, here, for the 2014 International Floriculture Expo June 10-13. Over 170 exhibitors, 210 buyers and a total of over 1,350 visitors filled the 68,000 square feet of the Morial Convention Center to participate in educational seminars, see new products, learn about the state of the industry and conduct business.
Costa Farms continues to grow, buys Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses
With the acquisition of houseplant producer Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses in Apopka, FL, Costa Farms grew to 9,507,300 square feet of greenhouses and rose to No. 3 on Greenhouse Growers Top 100 Growers in 2014 (up from fifth place in 2013), ranked by total square footage of environmentally controlled greenhouse space.
Fully focusing on fabulous floral fairs
I have just returned from New Orleans after attending the 2014 International Floriculture Expo and my head is still spinning. It was a very impressive, well-organized and energetic trade show and many great industry connections were made. In this edition we tell you about some of what took place when floral buyers and suppliers came together to do business, learn, network and celebrate.
Turbana, Weber and ShopRite join forces creating a tropical twist for July 4th
While consumers are busy firing up their grills and preparing for Fourth of July backyard barbecues, Turbana and Weber are slated to introduce a tropical twist on the traditional American holiday.
Growing ethnic influences continue to shape retail landscape in Los Angeles
Not only is California the most populous state in the union, but the population of Southern California is, by itself, greater than the population of all but two other states, with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area accounting for more than half of that.
An ongoing trend in the demographics of Southern California is a shift in the ethnic mix. The Hispanic population continues to grow, but so do the Asian and Middle Eastern populations, and their influence on the Los Angeles produce industry, on the product mix and on the retail landscape is increasingly significant.