2022 Paul Thomas Interns of the Year

2022 Paul Thomas Floriculture Production Interns of the Year Holly Barrus, University of Idaho & William Billmeyer, Kirkwood Community College For three to six months of the year, the interns awarded AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship disperse throughout the country to gear up, take on new roles, and put their classroom knowledge to work through hands-on industry experiences. Every internship cycle proves that one key to a better future for the industry is investing in our young professionals through these experiences.Students who successfully finish the internship, complete with their written reports and video blogs, automatically qualify for the Paul Thomas Floriculture Production Intern of the Year Award. This year, two interns shone exceptionally bright – Holly Barrus of the…

Accepting Research Proposals Through August 1

Calling all Researchers! We are now accepting new research proposals for the 2023-2024 funding cycle. The application deadline is August 1, 2022. Apply Today Funding innovative research is a critical pillar of our mission to be the trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement. New research proposals should support forward-thinking exploration of cost and labor savings, pest and disease management, reduced waste, and other solutions to promote healthier, longer-lasting flowers and plants. A detailed list of our research priorities is below. In 2022, our Research Application was condensed and updated to include industry references that support the research project. Get helpful tips on how to submit a strong proposal from AFE’s Research Coordinator, Dr. Terril Nell, in the video below. We…

Practicing What We Preach – Our New Intern, Gracie Alvarez

At AFE, we’re a big advocate for practicing what we preach. “Funding the Future of Floriculture” means many things to us, including investing in our industry’s young professionals through scholarships, internships, and professional development opportunities. AFE has had tremendous success with past interns, having brought our last onto the team full-time. Through thoughtful consideration and understanding of the importance of hands-on experience for young professionals, we’ve hired Gracie Alvarez of the University of Missouri as our new intern – a passionate and prepared member of the floral industry.Get to know Gracie in her personal note to the industry below, as she shares her path, passions, and enthusiasm for her new role. I’ve only been involved with the floral industry since the…

Returning to In-Person Events Webinar: Networking Tips and Tricks for Young Professionals

Thursday, April 14th at 4 PM ESTRegister Today!Learn how to make the most of trade shows, conferences, and more as a budding young professional in the floral industry. Nervous about returning to events after the lull during COVID-19? Optimize your next in-person event with pointers from this networking webinar whether as a first-timer or a regular attendee. This session will discuss networking tips and tricks from making a strong introduction and putting your best foot forward to follow-up post-event. Learn how to create and maintain lasting connections to aid in both your personal and professional development moving forward.Marketing and communications experts, Laura Shinall and Melanie Spilbeler, Managing Partners of FreshPath Marketing, will join us to lead a fully interactive networking…

Memorial Tribute Established in Memory of Don Hook

In 1976, Hook bought the company from his father. After taking over the business he also took on several other volunteer leadership roles. In the late 80s, he served as a member of AFE’s Board of Trustees. Don served the Endowment in many capacities: Secretary, Vice Chairman of Fundraising and Chairman. He also chaired the 1983 Phone-a-thon participating as one of our most successful fundraisers. He was also a former president of the Society of American Florists (SAF) and the Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association (WFFSA). “Don’s example and encouragement were an inspiration to me and many other young people to enrich our lives by participation in floral industry associations,” noted Red Kennicott of Kennicott Brothers Company.Additionally, Don was…

Answering Some of Your Questions on Insecticide Rotation

Article Author: Juang Horng “JC” Chong, Clemson University Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesAs a researcher and educator, I receive questions that touch on the minutia of how to build a successful insecticide rotation program as I preach and write about the importance of developing a rotation program. In this article, I’d like to take the opportunity to explore some of these direct questions.I’m going to proceed with the assumption that everyone who reads this article has some basic knowledge of how to rotate pesticides. If you’ve never heard of the terms “pesticide rotation” or “pesticide stewardship,” or if you are a novice to the practice of rotating pesticides, I invite you to read one of my older AFE’s Growing…

Thrips & Botrytis Webinars and Key Takeaways

New Thrips & Botrytis research and resources to keep your flowers and plants happy and healthy! AFE is pleased to share webinar recordings and one-page key takeaways highlighting new research findings from our specially-funded Thrips and Botrytis Research Fund.Initially presented exclusively to our Thrips and Botrytis Fund supporters, these recorded webinars and key takeaways are now released to the industry in both English and Spanish. Take advantage of these FREE resources to help with your pest and disease management!Throughout these webinars and through the one-page summaries, you will learn the best practices for managing and controlling thrips and botrytis, understand why decisions are made, and how to make the best management decisions for your greenhouse. Our featured topics also include…

Discount Available: 2022 Greenhouse Training Online

AFE is a proud sponsor of the following 4-week award-winning certificate courses from UF/IFAS Extension.Train yourself or your current employees with the University of Florida IFAS Extension’s online program. All Greenhouse Training Online courses are taught in both English and Spanish. Click here to view the program flyer in both languages.The first course of the year, Greenhouse 101, starts on May 30, 2022.Each course is completely online and includes pre-recorded videos, an interactive discussion board with Ph.D. professors, supporting educational material, and quizzes. The course material is available any time of the day, and two new modules are activated each week during the course for the four weeks of each course, for a total of 8 learning modules. Experienced university…

AFE’s Strategic Plan Outlines Priorities for Funding the Future of Floriculture

As the industry continues to adapt to the changing world and new ways of conducting business, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) took the opportunity to also take a deeper look at how they can better support industry members and businesses through their floriculture programs and funding. Through an eight-month Strategic Planning effort, new priorities, goals, and initiatives were identified to provide for continued growth in the industry.As part of the Strategic Plan, the Board also approved a revised vision, mission, and logo update to better identify and promote AFE’s core initiatives. The new logo touts the overall goal of Funding for the Future of Floriculture.After months of consultation and evaluating input from the broader floral community through interviews, a public…

Sustainability – Driving the Future of the Floral Industry

The term “sustainability” is used broadly to describe actions aimed at preserving resources: social, human, economic, and environmental. By acting “sustainably,” we can meet our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Particularly in the floral industry, the focus has been on environmental sustainability– initiatives and actions aimed at conserving natural resources by using materials responsibly. Here are some of the measures you can implement now to make your business more sustainable.Recycle and ReuseDisposing of shipping materials (cardboard, paper, and plastic) properly is one of the critical elements of environmental sustainability. Flowers arrive at wholesale and retail florists in cardboard boxes with flowers or flower bunches wrapped in paper, plastic, and plastic pots. Recycling these…

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