AFE Intern Scholarships Awarded to Six Students

Six students have been selected to receive AFE internships for the March 1 deadline.Five students were awarded Vic & Margaret Ball Internships and one student was awarded a Mosmiller Internship. Each will receive scholarships after successfully completing their internships.The Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program gives students the opportunity to train for three, four or six-month periods at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery while gaining practical floriculture/horticulture experience. Recipients are:Thomas Brumblow, University of GeorgiaThomas Brumblow – three months at Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wash., $1,500 scholarshipBrumblow is majoring in horticulture at the University of Georgia and is a member of the Horticulture Club and the Pi Alpha Xi Honor Society for horticulture enthusiasts. He is eager to become a top…

Memorial Tribute and Fundraising Dinner Announced in AFE Bulletin April 2017

AFE Awards 2017 Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship

AFE announced the recipient of the 2017 Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship.Kaylee South, a Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University – OARDC, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship ($5,000 for two consecutive years).“There were a record number of applications this year, which shows the growing interest and need for AFE scholarships. The high quality of students is a testament to their exceptional determination and passion, and I am confident these future leaders will help the industry progress,” said Dwight Larimer, AFE Chairman and Education Committee Chair.Kaylee SouthKaylee is pursuing her Ph.D. in agriculture and is researching botrytis in floriculture crops. Her focus is isolating bacteria that has beneficial qualities in floriculture crops that can be successfully applied to control botrytis.“I am…

PFCI Honors Bobbi Ecker-Blatchford with AFE Memorial Tribute

“So much of what AFE does is what Bobbi was all about — educate, inspire, develop new talent and promote a healthy floral industry. Bucks for Bobbi is our mission to honor Bobbi and continue her life mission.” Barbara “Bobbi” Ecker-Blatchford of Watervliet, Mich. was born on Aug. 24, 1931 and devoted her life to the floral industry. She worked at her family’s floral and greenhouse operation, Ecker’s Flowers, in Waverly, Iowa. She later started her own company, The Flora Pros., in Chicago. For 15 years, she also worked with FernTrust, Inc., a co-op made up of 13 family farms in Seville, Fla. Over the course of her 60-plus-year career, Ecker-Blatchford became a noted speaker, commentator, award-winning floral designer and consultant…

Overcoming Millennials’ Barriers for Purchasing Flowers

In the first of a series of articles detailing the results of a new study from AFE and the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), called “Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases,” major purchasing barriers for millennials and specific ways to overcome those barriers are featured.Understanding millennials’ purchasing behaviors can help you develop strategies to minimize barriers and increase profits.What are the Purchasing Barriers?Millennial consumers have several main reasons that reduce their likelihood of purchasing floral products. Most millennials surveyed do not purchase floral products due to perceptions of them being expensive, as well as their perceived short life span.Another purchasing barrier is that many millennial consumers believe floral products do not survive well in their homes due to air…

Industry Honors Tom Butler for Second Annual Fundraising Dinner

Nearly $2,000 was raised at the second annual fundraising dinner for The Tom Butler Family Fund, honoring the legacy of the late Tom Butler.The dinner was held on Tuesday March 14, 2017 at Tom’s favorite restaurant – The Capital Grille in Washington, D.C. – following the Society of American Florists‘ Congressional Action Days (CAD).Twenty-two industry members attended the dinner, which was organized by AFE supporter and longtime friend of Tom Butler, Tim Galea.“It was a fun evening with good food, good friends and great memories of our friend and mentor Tom Butler,” said Tim Galea, President of Norton’s Flowers & Gifts.“While the financial contribution is our tangible method of honoring Tom’s commitment to the Endowment, the real goal behind the…

Research Projects, New Named Fund Among Highlights in 2017 March AFE Bulletin

New Research Projects Approved for 2017-2018

The Endowment is pleased to announce $325,000 in research funding for the 2017-2018 fiscal year on projects addressing important floriculture/horticulture issues.“The floriculture industry faces complex challenges that AFE-funded research helps address,” said Terril Nell, Ph.D., AFE Research Coordinator.“These projects will directly benefit the industry by providing useful information to help solve critical issues, which will escalate the productivity and profitability of businesses.”The funding will support four new projects and seven continuing projects. The goal of all AFE research is to provide knowledge that helps the industry grow stronger.PLANT BREEDING AND GENETIC ENGINEERINGMaking Better Plant Products by Understanding Dynamic Facets of Metabolism: Dr. Thomas A. Colquhoun, University of Florida, $33,000Objective: Key enzyme and protein groups are being classified in Lily as a means…

AFE Receives $100,000 Contribution to Support Floriculture Programs

The Endowment is pleased to announce a $100,000 contribution from Egon and Laina Molbak to support AFE’s floriculture programs.Egon and Laina Molbak at their 90th birthday celebration“I am thrilled to continue supporting the American Floral Endowment with this latest contribution,” said Egon.“We give to AFE because they give back to the industry with their important research efforts, wonderful internship programs, and more!”The generous contribution will establish a new named fund honoring Egon and Laina, and will serve as a lasting tribute of their dedication and support of the floral industry.The longtime industry veterans, now retired, founded Molbak’s Garden + Home outside of Seattle in 1956 after moving to the U.S. from Denmark.They grew the business from five glass greenhouses with…

Research Pre-Proposals Due to the Endowment by June 1