R.I.S.E. to Support Floral Between May 15-June 30! Donate Now

A Visit with Mosmiller Intern, Gabriella, at Jacksonville Flower Market

The deadline to apply for our two hands-on internship programs is approaching quickly! Students can apply for our Vic & Margaret Ball and Mosmiller Intern Programs by Sunday, October 1st. These internships are great for both students and floral organizations – students gain industry experience working at some of the top companies in the country, and companies get to bring on new, forward-thinking individuals to their operations, helping ensure a steady pipeline of new talent into the industry. Our Vic & Margaret Ball Internship Program gives students the opportunity to gain practical floriculture/horticulture experience while training at a commercial production greenhouse or nursery, while our Mosmiller Internship Program allows students to train at leading retail, wholesale, or allied trade operations. One…

Ashlie Tagawa Mohr Appointed to AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Committee

Ashlie Tagawa Mohr has been appointed as the newest member of AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Committee. She is currently the Director of Human Resources and Intern Coordinator for Tagawa Greenhouses in Brighton, Colorado, where her focus is on staffing, training, and employee relations.  In her new role on the Ball Committee, Mohr will be working with industry, faculty, and the Ball Family representative to review student applications for the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and help promote the program to students. She will be helping the future generation of industry leaders to understand first-hand the lasting effects of this great program. In 1992, Vic and Margaret Ball made a generous donation to AFE to establish…

New Thrips & Botrytis Online Library

We are excited to announce the release of a new Thrips and Botrytis Research Library

Memorial Tribute Established in Memory of Sue Conyers

After gaining a few years of experience in the industry, Sue opened her own importing company in Miami, World Flowers, Inc., in 1979. Her first office was in the original Armellini building next to the airport. They moved into their new World Flowers building in 1986. World Flowers became a family business and inspired generations of industry work. Sue’s husband, Doug, worked for her as the warehouse manager. Sue’s son, Robert, also worked for the company for many years. Their daughter, Christine, worked for some years before joining the Association of Floral Importers of Florida (AFIF) as the Executive Vice President. Sue quickly became a leader in the Miami flower importing community. She viewed the health of the whole industry…

You’re Invited! AFE Friends of Floral Reception at SAF Convention

You’re invited! Join us at our upcoming Friends of Floral Reception in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, September 7th, from 6:00 – 7:30 pm in conjunction with the SAF 2023 Annual Convention.   Join AFE in celebrating recent accomplishments while networking with peers and industry leaders who partner with the Endowment to fund advancements in all aspects of floriculture – including research, scholarships, internships, and other industry programs. New to AFE? Take this opportunity to learn more, get involved, and take advantage of all that the Endowment has to offer! Whether you’re new to AFE or a seasoned supporter, join in celebrating over 60 years of accomplishments while networking with peers and recognizing industry champions who have helped support AFE’s research, scholarships, and…

Celebrating A United Industry – AFE’s R.I.S.E. to Support Campaign Exceeds Goal

We celebrate and thank the many industry supporters, sponsors, and friends who contributed to this year’s annual fundraiser, R.I.S.E. to Support. Over $135,000 was raised in support of the floral industry through the Endowment’s 2023 Campaign. The success of the campaign shows how committed and united our industry is to ongoing progress, supporting future generations, education, and research.From May 15th through June 30th, 2023, AFE’s Board of Trustees and Staff connected with the floral industry through a virtual fundraising campaign to increase annual support for the Endowment’s vital industry programs, which were noted in this year’s theme of R.I.S.E.: Research, Internships, Scholarships, and Education for all sectors. The joint fundraising goal was set at $100,000. Over the month and a half,…

AFE at AIFD: A Whirlwind Floral Experience

AFE Communications Coordinator Gracie Alvarez had the chance to travel to Chicago for the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Symposium over the Fourth of July weekend! While there, she visited the “Bringing FFA to AIFD” group, viewed main stage showcases from world-renowned designers, and participated in the PFDE test.  Renee’ Potter, Arizona Retail Florist Travel Grant Recipient Renee’ Potter, our 2023 Arizona Retail Florist Travel Grant Recipient, used her grant funding to attend this year’s Symposium. Renee’ Potter is the owner of Fred’s Flowers in Tempe, AZ. Renee’ was able to stay for the full Symposium and had this to say about her experience: “The AIFD Symposium was great as always! I was inspired by the mainstage design programs. There…

Ensuring Tomorrow’s Leaders Have Access to Floral Education Today

The Phillip Family left a profound impact on floral design through the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant, and today, their legacy is carried forward through the work of inspired floral design students at six institutions across the country.This grant directly supports floral design programs, ensuring a robust learning environment and making floral design programs more attractive to students. Bringing more students into floral design helps to both educate them on the wide range of career possibilities in our industry, and to cultivate a pool of skilled workers who can fill positions in retail flower shops or start their own businesses after graduation. AFE educational grants like these strive to educate, uplift and provide resources for the next generation…

New Salary Data Showcases the Promise of Horticulture Careers

Seed Your Future (SYF), in collaboration with theAmerican Floral Endowment (AFE) and North Carolina State University, is excited to announce the results of its comprehensive horticultural salary survey. The survey, conducted in Fall 2022, aimed to provide valuable insights into the salaries and benefits offered across various positions within the horticultural industry. AFE is releasing an additional, condensed version of the report focusing on positions within the floriculture industry. “We are thrilled to possess data that allows us to compare the salaries and benefits in floriculture with those in broader sectors of agriculture. Our objective is to share this information in order to attract a wider range of individuals to our industry, encompassing various roles from cultivation to accounting.” — Debi Chedester,…

Memorial Tribute Established in Memory of Gene Willis

Gene was actively engaged in the floral industry, serving as the president of International Floral Distributors in 2013 and on the board of directors from 2012 to 2014. He promoted floral hard goods as an integral part of the floral industry for 46 years. He believed hard goods were every bit as important to the success of cut flowers.Gene was born in the rugged northeastern Arizona town of McNary, AZ., to Merrill Roundy and Dora Tilton Willis.  He descended from a long line of northern Arizona pioneers, and the spirit of the Old West—honesty, hard work, resilience, and helping others – lived in his veins his whole life.In 1967 Gene received a master’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University, passed the…

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