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Floriculture Sustainability – Resources and Education

Floriculture Sustainability – Resources and Education The American Floral Endowment Launches New Collaborative Project The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has announced a new special Floriculture Sustainability Project to provide education and resources to the floral industry. Partnering with like-minded organizations, the Endowment’s new project aims to create usable assets, identify new research needed, and close the gap in making sustainability an accessible initiative for all segments of the industry. The Floriculture Sustainability Project: By identifying and understanding the big picture of what’s already out there, what’s working, and what’s not, the Endowment aims to compile new resources, share success stories, bring together experts in both academia and industry, and provide action plans for businesses large and small. Industry certifications have already provided an incredible amount…

Funding the Future of Floriculture & AFE Reception

We have announced our upcoming Funding the Future of Floriculture Event and AFE Reception in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, September 6th, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm in conjunction with the SAF 2022 Annual Convention.  This two-hour event is scheduled just before the SAF Welcoming Reception and will include the announcement of our new Sustainability Initiative, special recognition of our incredible sponsors and supporters, and an industry networking reception. The event and reception are open to all SAF Convention attendees and local industry members at no cost. AFE Trustees have worked diligently over the past two years to develop new resources for the industry. Our annual funding covers new and innovative research, support for scholarships and internships, young professional development and…

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…

Funding The Future of Floriculture Campaign Update & AFE Reception

Join Us in Funding the Future of Floriculture and In-Person at Our Upcoming Reception! There are only two weeks left to join us in Funding the Future of Floriculture Campaign!What do you see in the future of floral? We envision a growing industry that supports new advances through innovative research, shares and promotes continued education, and fosters the next generation through scholarships and internships. The campaign runs between Monday, May 16th and Thursday, June 30th. Make a donation today and join us this September for our AFE Reception at SAF 2022!After this year’s campaign, we will be celebrating our donors, sponsors, and supporters with an event at SAF’s 2022 Convention. We are so excited to to re-engage with our floral community in person after the last…

Biocontrol of Whiteflies in Poinsettia: What Works and Why Do It

Unfortunately, poinsettia and sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) go together like cats and fleas; if you have one, you’ll have the other. By this time (June) you should already be considering your whitefly management strategy. Here, we make a case for biocontrol as both a viable and economical way to control whitefly based on leading research supported by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and many years of grower experience in Canada. The Problem with Pesticides Management of Bemisia whiteflies with pesticides can be difficult, if not impossible, in some years. This is because whiteflies that originate on cuttings (and those that fly in from field crops, as in the Southern US) have likely been exposed to multiple applications of several…

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…

Funding the Future of Floriculture

2022 Fundraising CampaignHeld Virtually Between Monday, May 16th – Thursday, June 30thIn an effort to continue to increase annual support for important research, education, and other floriculture programs, AFE once again conducted a virtual fundraising campaign. Our new format of virtual campaigns has allowed us to expand our fundraising capacity beyond industry event attendees and further raise awareness for our impactful industry programs.The Endowment celebrates and thanks the many industry supporters, sponsors, and friends who contributed to this year’s annual fundraiser, Funding the Future of Floriculture. Over $146,000 was raised in support of the floral industry through the Endowment. Read more on the 2022 Campaign Results and please take a look at our complete list of sponsors below.Thank You to…

2022-2023 Funded Research Projects

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) strives to aid in the ongoing success of our industry through supporting impactful research which faces current challenges and provides new advances. For over 60 years now, AFE has been the ‘go-to’ source for funding research projects and communicating the results, along with the researchers, to the floral industry. In 2022-2023, AFE will support 15 research projects in total. With 5 new research projects and 10 continuing projects totaling over $500,000 in funding from the Endowment, Gus Poesch Research Fund, and the Thrips & Botrytis Research Fund. These projects range in focus including plant breeding, disease and insect management, post-production, and production technology/protocols. “This research continues AFE’s mission of addressing industry challenges and acting as the catalyst for…

Press Release: AFE’s 2022 Fundraising Campaign

Funding the Future of FloricultureHeld Virtually Between Monday, May 16th – Thursday, June 30thFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAlexandria, Virginia, May 13, 2022 –Envision a future full of flowers! The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is inviting the floral industry to join them in their annual fundraising campaign – Funding the Future of Floriculture. Look ahead with AFE, as they share innovative research with new advances, scholarships and internships for the next generation of leaders, grants to enable the continued education of all industry members, and more.To continue to increase annual support for their floriculture programs, AFE is once again conducting a virtual fundraising campaign. The campaign runs between Monday, May 16th and Thursday, June 30th. Make a donation today! The theme Funding the Future of Floriculture…

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