Floral Plant Giveaway Aims to Boost Horticulture Enrollment

Volunteers prepare boxes with plants and labels.AFE and Altman Plants supplied plants to the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University for a Floral Plant Give-Away Project (FPGAP) intending to recruit new horticulture students.During the fall semester of 2012, lecturers Lee Ivy and Lis Meyer, Assistant Professor Julieta Sherk and Professor and Department Head John Dole, Ph.D., began the FPGAP to increase student interest in plants and raise awareness of horticulture as a viable career option.They distributed 715 plants of multiple varieties to undecided undergraduate students and support members of the school’s First Year College Program, as well as to students enrolled in introductory horticulture classes.“Students in the First Year College Program by definition are undecided about a…

AFE Awards More Than $30,000 to 2013 Scholarship Winners

Seventeen scholarship winners have been awarded competitive scholarships from AFE totaling more than $30,000. “Scholarships are so important to assist those who want to further their education in our industry,” AFE Scholarship Chairperson PJ Ellison of Ellison’s Greenhouses said. “Not only do they help the students, they also show those who want to be in our industry how much AFE cares.” AFE awards scholarships annually, and applications are due by May 1 of each year. This year, AFE had a record number of highly qualified scholarship applicants. American Florists’ Exchange Scholarship – $2,000 Recipient: Katrina Moldenhauer Moldenhauer, a junior at California Polytechnic State University studying agribusiness, hopes to work in the floriculture industry in sales or management. “My family owns…

Grow with AFE Resources!

AFE has a wealth of resources available to help students and established industry professionals alike. Did you know that AFE offers more than 150 online research reports for free to the industry? These research reports focus on important industry issues, like:Detecting and managing pests and diseases.Refining watering and nutrition practices.Notably improving plant and flower quality.Providing total management systems for air and soil borne floriculture crop diseases.You can use this website to find other tools too, like an extensive and continuously updated Impatiens downy mildew resource list.Additionally, AFE’s intern scholarship programs give the industry the opportunity to host pre-screened, competent students with a passion for production. While receiving knowledgeable students, you’ll be giving back by providing the hands-on experience necessary to…

AFE Announces Three New Scholarships for Floriculture Students

AFE is announcing three new scholarships that will begin in 2013: The American Florists’ Exchange Scholarship, The Julio and Sarah Armellini Scholarship and the Richard T. Meister Scholarship!With more than 20 different scholarships now available through AFE, floriculture and horticulture students are sure to find a scholarship that fits their area of study. Scholarships range from $500-$5,000 and are awarded annually. Applications must be submitted online and are due, along with supporting materials, no later than May 1 each year.“AFE is extremely excited to have the opportunity to help more students become future floriculture leaders with these three new scholarships,” Dwight Larimer, the chair of AFE’s Education Committee, said. “These generous scholarships will be influential in helping aspiring industry members…

Watch the Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Video!

AFE recently traveled to Denver, Colo., to visit current and past Vic & Margaret Ball Interns at Tagawa Greenhouses and Welby Gardens Wholesale. We have compiled a short video from the trip, which features testimonials from the interns describing their experiences with the AFE program. AFE was delighted to hear about their positive experiences, as evidenced in this intern video.Watch the Ball intern video today:Additional AFE videos are also available.

Seventeen Students Receive 2012 AFE Scholarships

Sarah LeachNorth Carolina State UniversityHarold Bettinger Memorial Scholarship& Fran Johnson ScholarshipSeventeen horticulture students have been awarded 2012 AFE scholarships, totaling more than $26,000.“It is always rewarding to see how many amazing young people there are who love the floriculture industry, and we are very pleased to be able to help them continue along this career path,” said AFE’s Scholarship Chairperson PJ Ellison, of Ellison’s Greenhouses in Brenham, Texas.AFE scholarships are administered annually, and applications are due by May 1st each year.Ball Horticultural Company ScholarshipRecipient: Heidi Wollaeger, Michigan State UniversityWollaeger, a second-year Master’s student at Michigan State University, hopes to work in the floriculture industry as a grower or manager at a large greenhouse operation where she can test new products,…

KSU Wins Poster Competition for AFE-Funded Research

Congratulations to the Kansas State University (KSU)  team whose poster featuring AFE-funded research took first place in the student poster competition at the North Central Branch Entomology – Entomological Society of America meeting!Download KSU’s full size winning poster (PDF) online today.

AFE’s Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program Nears 20-Year Mark

225 Intern Scholarships Awarded Over Past Two DecadesVic and Margaret BallThe AFE Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2012.This internship experience fills a crucial need as the floriculture industry seeks to build its capacity and increase workforce development. Since its creation in 1992, the Vic and Margaret Ball Program has facilitated paid internships and provided scholarship funds to more 225 students entering the floriculture/horticulture industry. As industries and businesses nationwide face the challenge of recruiting and retaining qualified employees, opportunities such as the Ball Internship Program play a vital role in highlighting floriculture as a career.“Internships provide the hands-on experience students need to pursue a career in commercial production,” said AFE Education Chairman…

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