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Suntory Flowers Partners with AFE to Establish a New Scholarship

Inspiring Innovation for UndergraduatesAdditional funding opportunities are now available for junior and senior undergraduates through the Suntory Flowers “Dream Big!” Scholarship. This scholarship is established by Suntory Flowers to inspire innovation and encourage students to explore the many possibilities available to them within the floral industry. This scholarship joins 27 other scholarships available through the American Floral Endowment (AFE).Suntory Flowers is establishing this scholarship as a part of their 20th Anniversary celebration. While Suntory celebrates their many achievements in innovation through flower breeding and genetics, they continue to spread the joy of gardening. Their dedicated network of unrooted cuttings producers and young plant operations around the globe, ensure that every grower and retailer has easy and reliable access to clean…

Supporting Future Generations of Floriculture: The Dewar Family Scholarship Fund

A new scholarship fund has been established through the American Floral Endowment (AFE) to support future generations of students interested in pursuing a career in floriculture. This scholarship joins 26 other scholarships available through the Endowment.The newly established Dewar Family Scholarship Fund will be awarded to an undergraduate student (or students) in their junior or senior year, studying environmental horticulture with an emphasis and focus on a career in floriculture. The fund is established by the Dewar Family of Dewar Nurseries.Dewar Nurseries was established in 1963 by founder Alex Dewar, with the vision of providing premier plants and exemplary customer service. The Dewar Family appreciates the value of a quality education and is excited to encourage young professionals to enter…

AFE’s Tips for Vibrant Valentine’s Day Flowers

Millions of people celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers, and AFE has some expert industry tips to keep blooms looking radiant for as long as possible.“Displaying roses appropriately on Valentine’s Day means less product loss and more happy consumers who hopefully become repeat customers,” said Terril Nell, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Florida and AFE’s Research Coordinator, who along with Ria T. Leonard has coauthored more than a dozen AFE research reports outlining best practices for the retail display of fresh-cut roses and other flowers.Tips for Retail FloristsFlorists should display flowers in coolers, not at room temperature.Customers want quality flowers that last a week or more. In order to achieve that, flowers must be handled properly. Sanitation of storage…

Exploring Academic Careers for Young Professionals

An In-Depth Examination by YPC Member, Michael Wijesinghe Academic Survey Results Academic roles in horticulture and floriculture are vital to the future of our industry. They ensure that the next generation has opportunities to learn about and enter our industry. The American Floral Endowment’s Young Professionals Council surveyed 22 academic professionals who work in floriculture and horticulture —a great response from AFE’s faculty network. With various backgrounds, experiences, and years in their positions, these survey respondents provided both guidance and reasonable expectations for young adults considering or preparing for a career in academia within our industry. The good news is that the results show several institutions plan to hire within their floriculture/horticulture departments in the next 1-3 years – more…

Press Release: Giving Back at Year End

Support Floral Industry Programs Through AFEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAlexandria, Virginia, December 13, 2021 –The American Floral Endowment (AFE) is asking the floral community to consider a year-end gift to the industry this holiday season. By making a donation to AFE, you are supporting the continued success of our industry through programs and resources aimed at solving challenges and promoting opportunities in floriculture.What Does Your Contribution Support?For 60 years, and only through industry support, AFE has provided vital research, programs, and resources to advance the floral industry. Much of the way flowers are grown and processed today are direct results of AFE-funded research. Cold chain management, care and handling, shipping practices, and pest & disease protocols are key to the success of our…

Support the Future of Floral Before Year End

Support the Future of Floral by Making a Donation and Sharing Our Year-End Ads!Consider a year-end gift to the floral industry this holiday season. By making a donation to AFE, you are supporting the continued success of our industry through programs and resources aimed at solving challenges and promoting opportunities in floriculture.For 60 years, and only through industry support, AFE has provided vital research, programs, and resources to advance the floral industry. Much of the way flowers are grown and processed today are direct results of AFE-funded research. Cold chain management, care and handling, shipping practices, and pest & disease protocols are key to the success of our industry. Industry contributions support:Research to produce healthier, longer-lasting flowers and plants to boost…

Upcoming Webinar Releasing Consumer Houseplant Study Results

The Floral Marketing Fund (FMF) will host a webinar on December 9th at 1 PM Eastern to present results from a consumer preferences study about houseplants conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s researchers, Dr. Melinda Knuth, NC State University, Dr. Hayk Khachatryan, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, UF/IFAS, and Dr. Charlie Hall, Texas A&M University, will reveal the data, address trends in houseplant purchasing, and discuss how the industry can capitalize on them. Register for the webinar at: https://bit.ly/Consumer20.To better understand the rising popularity of houseplants over the last decade, this study addresses the gaps in information that speak to the main drivers of consumer usage. Most recently, due in part to COVID-19, sales have seen further growth because…

Special 60th Anniversary Edition of the AFE Bulletin

Past, Present,and Future As AFE’s 60th year comes to a close, we hope you’ll enjoy our 60th Anniversary Special Edition Bulletin highlighting AFE’s programs, accomplishments, and impact on the industry. Special thanks to our 60th Anniversary Campaign sponsors who are recognized throughout the issue.Take a walk down memory lane with us in this special publication, where we will not only share our history and successes but also recognize the many organizations and individuals who have supported AFE’s growth. This extended issue shows the past, present, and future of AFE including our research, scholarships, internships, and grants.

Career Insights for Young Professionals

Survey Results and Webinar RecordingThis fall, the Endowment created two informal surveys for professionals in the industry and academia about their experiences and advice to help young professionals interested in pursuing a career in floriculture/horticulture. The surveys include insights on the job market, career development, application advice, background on how professionals attained their current roles, and more. The surveys were released to AFE’s community of faculty, donors, and industry members.With the help of our Young Professionals Council (YPC) through member Michael Wijesinghe, AFE analyzed the data and compiled the results into two executive summaries, one for the Industry Survey and one for the Academic Survey. We are pleased to release these resources for young professionals interested in careers in our…

AFE’s Research Achievements

The challenges facing the flower industry have changed throughout the last 60 years, and with these changes, AFE has redirected research efforts adapting to the needs of the community that we serve. As opportunities developed from these challenges, AFE supported research to enhance product quality, share best practices, and improve profits leading to a more successful floral industry. Many projects have been funded at universities and colleges across the U.S. through the years. Results from these projects have led to new production practices, postharvest & shipping procedures, reduced losses from pests & diseases, and improved longer lasting flowers. AFE funded research has transformed the floral industry as we know it today and resulted in improved quality of flowers reaching consumers.Let’s take…

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