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…

2022 Paul Ecke, Jr. & Altman Family Scholarship Recipients

Shaping the Future of the Industry The graduate work of this year’s Paul Ecke, Jr. and Altman Family Scholarship recipients is already reshaping the floriculture and horticulture industry with improvements for growers and environmental benefits. Congratulations to the 2022 Recipients! These five outstanding scholars – each with resumes listing numerous accomplishments in fieldwork, academic presentations, and published research – have contributed to the growing scientific understanding of the industry. Equally important, they have used their nascent platforms to share knowledge with growers, ensuring that positive change is swiftly implemented. All have a dedicated love for plants and flowers that was instilled in them from an early age. All have a deep curiosity for the science that can be harnessed to…

Become a Press Partner! Shareable 2022 Campaign Ads

Support The Future of Floriculture – Share Our Campaign Ads! While a sponsorship or donation goes a long way in the support of the future of floriculture, you can also contribute by downloading, sharing, and publishing our 2022 Campaign ads from May 16th to June 30th. Select your preferred ad or ads below and save to share with your network to help promote the campaign as we aim to secure funding for a better future for the entire industry! Please be sure to tag AFE on social and link all ads to endowment.org/funding-the-future. @americanfloralendowment             American Floral Endowment  @FloralEndowment                           @american_floral_endowment Want to become one of AFE’s…

Networking Tips and Tricks for Young Professionals

Learn how to make the most of trade shows, conferences, and more as a budding young professional in the floral industry. The following tips and tricks are presented by marketing and communications experts, Laura Shinall and Melanie Spilbeler, Managing Partners of FreshPath Marketing. These insights were originally presented through a webinar sponsored by the American Floral Endowment’s Young Professionals Council. You can view the recording here: Plan Before You Go! Determine what your primary goal is before you attend the in-person eventExamples:Promote either your company’s or your own personal brand? Think about what you want people to know about your company or you.Get education.Network and develop career contacts.Inform prospective or existing customers about products, services, or research.Set a measurable goal around…

Get Involved with AFE

Make an Impact

Ways to Give

Volunteer With Us

Opportunities