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THE AMERICAN FLORAL ENDOWMENT
By Sten Crissey
Industry leaders, who established the American Floral Endowment (AFE), recognized that if our industry was to prosper, we would have to focus financial resources on research for the benefit of the industry; education for the enlightenment of industry members; and, academic scholarships to aid those who aspire to work in the industry. These founders established AFE in 1961 as a 501(c)3 corporation, and resolved to use only the earnings from investing the principal accumulated from industry donations to endow university research for studies in floriculture.
As to its effectiveness, in research the Endowment has invested approximately $8,500,000 and now disseminates nearly $100,000 for floricultural research per year…an impressive amount until you realize that this year alone AFE received funding requests for four-and-a-half times that amount!
The needs of our industry are immense. Hopefully, a better understanding of what the Endowment is doing to address these needs will lead to increased support of the Endowments efforts. Here are the research priorities that the AFE addresses:
- Post-harvest management systems for floriculture crops
- Management systems for floriculture insects
- Management systems for diseases of floriculture crops
- Management protocols for floriculture crops
But the Endowment’s efforts are not limited to research alone. AFE also conducts an ongoing Consumer Tracking Survey that reveals buying patterns of the general public. In education, the AFE distributes scholarship funds that offer students opportunities to travel abroad to further their studies, or receive on the job training in grower, wholesaler and retail operations here at home.
Indispensable as the Endowment is to the well being of our industry, it has maintained a relatively low profile among grass roots members. I think that is unfortunate. Dollars invested in the American Floral Endowment are a wise investment in the future of the floriculture industry. Here is what Egon Molbak says about the Endowment:
“The American Floral Endowment, AFE, is truly our industry’s best
vehicle for self-education. Critical research can only happen if we all work together to properly fund the Endowment so it can do its job.”
~ Egon Molbak, Molbak’s Garden Center, Woodinville, WA
Quote of
the Month
“To leave the world
a little better: whether by a healthy child, a
garden patch, or a redeemed social condition: to
know even one life has breathed easier because
you have lived. This is the meaning of success.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
September's Floragram brought to you by
United Flower
Growers.
Change
Your Altitude: Salt Lake 2004
When you come to
Salt Lake, you’re not hours away from the
Rockies, you’re in the Rockies! It’s the only
place in the nation that combines all the action
and ambiance of the city with high adventure and
breathtaking scenery of the mountains. It takes
less time than a lunch break to discover the
best ski resorts, mountain biking, and hiking
the Rockies have to offer. But that’s not all
Salt Lake has to offer.
Downtown has over 102 restaurants, 65 bars,
museums, the symphony, and playing during June
the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera,
and a wealth of shopping possibilities, all
within walking distance of Little America Hotel
and Towers, our 2004 host hotel.
Your Convention Committee is committed to
providing you with the best Northwest Convention
ever. With a focus that is centered in
education, speakers have been secured, themes,
menu’s, and schedules are set. Watch your mail
in September for exciting introductory
information on our 2004 Convention. You will
want to mark your calendars for June 24th
through June 27th. Come early, stay late, Salt
Lake has something for everyone, including 10
National Parks and Monuments in Utah!
For more
information contact Gary Sutherland AIFD NFA 1st
Vice President,
208-356-3624, or Tracy Barlow AIFD, Convention
Chairman, 801-593-6200
New
Floragram Format a Hit!
We sent out 390
faxes, e-mails, and printed copies of the new
Floragram last month and received dozens of
“tell us how you like it” entries to win an NFA
Sweatshirt. ALL responses were positive about
the new format of the newsletter.
Congratulations to Jacques of Xenios Dutch
Growers Limited in Burnaby B.C.! Your sweatshirt
is on its way. If you prefer to receive your
monthly Floragram via e-mail,
just let us know!
Survey
Of The Month
What is the ONE thing that you don’t have
much of and need most in your business?
E-mail or fax us your answers and we’ll share
them (anonymously) with our Membership next
month!
Tidbits
The
Washington Toxics Coalition has released the
report, Growing
Trends: Successful Strategies for Reducing
Pesticides in Public Places, profiling cities,
counties and other agencies who have managed
their grounds by switching from hazardous
pesticides to safer practices. If you are
interested check out
www.watoxics.org.
In
September, Diane Lagerstedt and Sten Crissey
will be hosting an interactive “holiday
preparedness” program online for SAF’s
InfoXchange. Check out the SAF website for more
details. |
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(must have Adobe
Acrobat to display)
Specialty Cut Flowers, Second Edition by Allan Armitage is now available in book stores.
George & Annalee Boulton send a letter of thanks
for the gift of appreciation that was
given to them at the “Staying on Track”
Convention in June.
And finally, something to ponder . . .
“Everyday I beat my own previous record for
number of consecutive days I’ve stayed alive.”
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