Newly Bloomed in 2022: Highlights from the Year

As the year comes to a close, all of us at AFE have been reflecting on everything that we’ve accomplished this year–and what a year it’s been!1) Starting at the top, we have been able to fund 15 ground-breaking research projects that are working to move the industry forward and help solve some of the challenges our industry members face on a daily basis. These research projects focus on areas such as improving flower quality and longevity, pest and disease management, new technologies, and more. Read more about our research efforts this year here.  2) As always, we are focused on educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of industry leaders. We granted scholarships to 25 students this year, totaling $74,400…

Press Release: Applications Now Open for Graduate Scholarships!

Calling All Floral Industry Faculty, Students, and Department Chairs! The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is excited to announce applications are now open for the Altman Family Scholarship and the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship.  These merit-based, prestigious scholarships are for graduate students who have the skills and passion to become leading floricultural scientists and educators. Applicants must be in the process of successfully completing either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in horticulture or a related field (e.g., agricultural engineering, entomology, agricultural marketing and economics, plant pathology, etc.) and must have the intention of pursuing an MS or Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis. Learn more at Endowment.org/floriculture-msphd-scholarship. Applications are due by Wednesday, February 1, 2023! Apply Now! The Altman Family Scholarship was established by Ken and Deena Altman — owners of…

12 Days of Giving Back Through AFE

This holiday season, the Season of Giving, we are thrilled to bring you 12 Days of Giving Back Through AFE! With the holiday season and the close of 2022 on the horizon, everyone at AFE is reflecting on the tremendous year we have had and encouraging donations to support continued success in 2023. AFE is passionately devoted to the Future of Floriculture. As the industry’s trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement, we strive to strengthen all aspects of our industry and inspire the next generation. With programs designed to educate, empower, and train the next generation of floral industry leaders, every day we encourage students to pursue floral careers. Through the results of research funded by AFE, we continuously provide…

AFE’s Giving Tuesday 2022

#GivingTuesday Supports Beautiful Flowers in 2023! Pay it Forward for Floral!  #GIVINGTUESDAY is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and communities around the world. Millions of people come together to support and champion the causes they are passionate about and truly believe in. The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is incredibly passionate about the floral industry!  With over 30 annual scholarships, three internship programs, funding important research, grants, and programs to support the next generation, we work tirelessly every day investing in the future of floral. Join AFE and support the industry we all love so much.  Show your leadership and passion for floral and help us reach our goal of 23 donations on…

Keep Calm and Grow On: Research to Prevent Plant Stress and Stressors Before they Happen

Stress-free plants = less stress for growers and retailers. Two AFE-funded research projects from scientists at the University of Georgia are currently underway that investigate new ways to detect and reduce plant stress from abiotic pressures and diseases before they happen. These two projects, providing valuable insights to growers, are funded through AFE research funding. This funding is only possible with generous contributions from our supporters. If you would like to help us as we continue to tackle tough industry challenges facing floral and nursery growers, consider making a contribution as the end of the year approaches at endowment.org/donate. Let’s strengthen the future of the industry together. Here’s what the researchers have to say after this past year of funding:…

How Your Support of AFE Can Make a Difference in the Floral Industry

Past Successes, Present Priorities, and Future Goals For over 60 years, AFE has been the leading source of funding for floral industry advances through scientific research, scholarships, internship programs, and educational grant funding for continued education for all industry members. This has been made possible through the continued support from the floral community that we serve. The future will continue to bring new challenges, and with your support, AFE can continue to expand resources and programs. As the year comes to a close, we’d like to thank our supporters for their generous contributions and share some of the impacts that your dollars have had:Advances Through Scientific Research Funding – Through working with leading floriculture researchers from universities across the U.S., AFE supports…

The Tuesday Valentine is Back in 2023! How Do I Love Thee?

Are you ready to count the ways toward a successful Valentine holiday in 2023? It’s time for a break! Will everything finally work in harmony in 2023 after the past few years of weekend holidays, supply chain disruptions, short labor, and tight inventory? With the Valentine’s holiday holding court as the first- or second-largest sales week of the year and generating 30 percent to 40 percent of the year’s total holiday dollars, it’s safe to say that a successful Valentine’s Day in 2023 will be a crucial component of organic growth across the entire industry. So how do we “count the ways” toward a successful Valentine’s Day this year? Following are five of the most important components in achieving a super-profitable Valentine’s week. 1.…

Exploring Sustainability in the Floral Industry

Sustainability. This has been the hot new word not only in the floriculture industry but also in everyday life. “Sustainable Living,” “Sustainable Products,” and “Sustainably Sourced” are common terms that are used in marketing and promotional materials. Yet, what does sustainability mean? How can we, as an industry, become more sustainable? Through a special project led and funded by American Floral Endowment, Dr. Brian Jackson and I (Dr. Melinda Knuth) have set out to discover, compile, and provide best practices for sustainability in floriculture. Our first goal is to collect, analyze, and synthesize all the relevant information related to sustainability that is relevant to floriculture or floriculture-adjacent industries. Once all this information is synthesized and distilled down, it will be…

Career Opportunities: Calling all Job Seekers!

AFE Career Center’s Resume Bank Provides Connections Between Candidates and Companies After the pandemic, the rules for finding a new job changed. Gone are the days of physically handing or mailing in your resume and waiting for a call about the position. Now, nearly all job search communications happen electronically. When you’re hunting for a new job, the biggest challenge is always knowing where to start, and that’s where the AFE Career Center is here to help. Find new opportunities today! We encourage all individuals interested in a career in the floral industry to upload their resumes to the AFE Career Center. With the Spring hiring season right around the corner, job seekers will benefit from being first in line…

Supporting Education for All Levels of the Industry, One Grant at a Time

Nineteen organizations will receive Educational Grants in 2022-23 from the Endowment, totaling $76,590 given in support of important industry programs. We welcome the opportunity to support these great organizations and their programs as they grow the industry we love. With this funding, these organizations will be able to host conferences, teach students and educators about the floral industry, offer programs such as greenhouse training and florist certification classes, promote floral sustainability practices, and more. “We are proud to support vital programs like these that strengthen the industry,” AFE Treasurer/Secretary and Education Committee Chair Greg Royer said. “We continue to work hard to uplift programs that provide learning opportunities for industry members and bring awareness to the younger generations about the…

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