AFE’s 2021 Arizona Travel Grant Recipient

Bringing Arizona Florists Continued EducationWith industry events back in full swing, the American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s programs like the Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant are key to bringing industry members continued education and valued experiences!AFE’s 2021 recipient, Patti Klawans of Tucson, Arizona, and Designer at Mayfield Florist, was able to connect with and learn from skilled designers volunteering in the flower room at the AIFD Symposium 2022 this past July in Las Vegas, Nevada after a year of postponing travel.Experiences like these are invaluable to industry members, bringing them to the crossroads of connection and first-hand education. AFE recognizes that professional skill building and career growth are continual pursuits. With the Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant, Arizona florists have the…

Continued Education Empowered by Our Retail Florists’ Grant

No matter where you are in your career, the pursuit of knowledge is an essential pillar of progress. The industry is constantly evolving, and it’s more important than ever to expand your ability to stay relevant, build skills, and facilitate preparedness. The American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s Retail Florist’s Continued Education Grant encourages these endeavors with reimbursement to support steady success and improvement across the retail sector. Michael Richardson of Smith’s Florist and Gift Shoppe. LOVE VA is a program of Retail Alliance that offers workshops and networking for businesses in Gloucester, Virginia, and beyond. This year, AFE was happy to award $500 to Michael Richardson of Smith’s Florist and Gift Shoppe in Gloucester, Virginia, through the Bob and Carol Sharpe…

Phillip Floral Design Grant Funds Passions & Inspires Growth

The American Floral Endowment’s James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant is a testament to family values and deep-rooted passion for the floral industry. The Phillips left a profound impact on floral design, and today, their legacy is carried forward through the work of inspired young professionals and recipients of the Grant!In the 2021-2022 academic year, five institutions were awarded funding through the Grant to provide scholarships to floral design students, including Bergen University, Kishwaukee College, Texas A&M University, The Ohio State University, and Mississippi State University. Lauren Baskin of Mississippi State University shared with us how her floral design passion came to fruition and what the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant means to her.“I am so excited to…

Hands-On Learning Supported by AFE’s Educational Grants

To your average non-industry member, the scope of horticulture and floriculture may not run far outside of lawn care and gardening. Education is an excellent place to start when it comes to showing the scale of our industry to a broader audience of students and encouraging them to enter our field. Oklahoma State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture recognized this and utilized support from the American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s Educational Grants to offer a successful Hands-On Horticulture course in 2021-2022. The result? Enlightened students with a deeper understanding of this field, newfound hort knowledge, and industry promotion. What began as an idea for an alternate science class became a fun, informative foundation for horticulture education at OSU. The…

AFE’s Tips for Vibrant Valentine’s Day Flowers

Millions of people celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers, and AFE has some expert industry tips to keep blooms looking radiant for as long as possible.“Displaying roses appropriately on Valentine’s Day means less product loss and more happy consumers who hopefully become repeat customers,” said Terril Nell, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Florida and AFE’s Research Coordinator, who along with Ria T. Leonard has coauthored more than a dozen AFE research reports outlining best practices for the retail display of fresh-cut roses and other flowers.Tips for Retail FloristsFlorists should display flowers in coolers, not at room temperature.Customers want quality flowers that last a week or more. In order to achieve that, flowers must be handled properly. Sanitation of storage…

Increasing Demand and Satisfaction in the Floral Industry

New Study Results Explores Purchasing, Preferences, and Targeted Messaging The Floral Marketing Fund (FMF) released the results from the first of three consumer preferences studies being completed in 2021, Increasing Demand and Satisfaction in the Floral Industry. The results come from two separate surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (one in July of 2020 and one in June of 2021) by researchers Dr. Benjamin L. Campbell, Dr. Julie H. Campbell, and Dr. Jessica A. Holt at the University of Georgia. The study was funded by the FMF, whose mission is to develop, support, and promote collaborative fundraising, research, and marketing efforts to increase flower sales. As businesses look to serve new and existing customers, they must ensure they are not only driving…

Announcing the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund

New Grant Provides Support for Retail-Focused Educational Programs We are pleased to announce the creation of the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund that will provide financial support for retail florist education. Established through generous contributions from longtime industry members and AFE supporters, Herman and LaDonna Meinders, this new fund combines with the first-ever AFE Named Fund established in 2011 by the couple now totaling more than $500,000. “Herman and LaDonna paved the way to encourage others to support AFE’s overall mission of providing for the future of the floral industry. Since that time, more than 30 additional named funds have been created,” said AFE’s Executive Director Debi Chedester. When asked about his continued commitment to the Endowment, Herman Meinders shared, “As…

Our Educational Grants Strengthen the Future of Floriculture

$70,000 Awarded in 2021-22 to 17 Programs Alexandria, Virginia, October 20th, 2021 –17 programs will receive funding through our 2021-22 Educational Grants. The organizations, universities, and industry groups receiving grant funding offer a diverse array of programs that are vital to the floral industry’s advancement and success.The funding of these essential programs supports a wide range of activities that serve the floriculture industry by increasing awareness, expanding training and education, supporting conference programs and research, and expanding industry resources for floral industry members, students, and faculty.“While the programs cover many levels of educational opportunities, together they help build a strong future for the floriculture industry,” said AFE Treasurer/Secretary and Education Committee Chair Greg Royer. “At the American Floral Endowment, we are committed…

Call for Applications: Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant 2021

Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel GrantDeadline Extended to December 17th, 2021The Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant was established in 2017 to assist florists from Arizona in traveling to national industry events for educational programs and to provide networking opportunities on a national level. The application deadline has been extended – apply by December 17th! The grant is open to owners, managers, and employees of traditional retail florists with a brick and mortar storefront in Arizona.Each year, one recipient will be selected by AFE’s Education Committee to receive the travel grant of up to $1,000 to help cover the cost of attending an out-of-state industry educational event.Examples of eligible opportunities include floral design schools, SAF Convention, FTD Boot Camp, Floriology Institute, Teleflora…

Florists’ Review New Ownership and Ongoing Partnership with AFE

Since 1897, Florists’ Review magazine has chronicled the ups and downs of the floral industry. Throughout that time, the Endowment and Florists’ Review has built a long-term partnership supporting both each other and the floral industry, which we both serve.Last Spring, the Endowment was able to rescue the Florists’ Review’s extensive library of more than 120 years of floral industry history when the Review sold its building.In January of 2021, the Review announced their new ownership, FUSE Media+. Continuing our ongoing industry connection, AFE’s Executive Director, Debi Chedester recently was invited to meet with new owner, Jules Lewis Gibson, and Associate Publisher, Mechell Lord over Zoom who shared Florists’ Review’s plans to engage, support, and provide educational content to the floral industry. Florists’ Review New…

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