June Articles of Interest

San Diego County farmers fight
for share of federal COVID-19 relief money

Farmers who grow San Diego County’s most valuable crops may miss out on federal cash for coronavirus-related losses because some of their agriculture products — primarily flowers, nursery plants and exotic fruits — are not included in the relief program.

Read more here.
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The coastal banksia has its roots in ancient Gondwana

If you fondly remember May Gibbs's Gumnut Baby stories about the adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, you may also remember the villainous Big Bad Banksia Men (perhaps you're still having nightmares about them).

But banksias are nothing to be afraid of. They're a marvelous group of Australian native trees and shrubs, with an ancient heritage and a vital role in Australian plant ecology, colonial history and bushfire regeneration.

Read more here.
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American-grown blooms for American Flowers Week

You’re invited to join the Social Media experience and share images of #redwhiteblueflowers for #americanflowersweek (June 28-July 4). Of course, we hope everyone features local and seasonal flowers — from your own garden, or sourced from a flower farm in your area.

We love what Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore and The Floral Source has launched as part of her AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK promotion and we want to share it here to inspire your own floral plans!

Read more here.

Flower News: October’s Stories of Interest from Around the World

21 Compote Centerpieces
That'll Upgrade Your Reception Tables

When it's time to choose your wedding centerpieces, you want to consider what type of reception table dynamic you're looking for. If you're attempting to create a high-drama, big-impact floral arrangement, you'll likely go with sky-high, vertical arrangement. These types of displays might make your guests' jaws drop, but they do have one downside—they definitely limit conversation once all attendees have taken their seats. If you want to encourage across-the-table, mid-dinner mingling, smaller-scale centerpieces are a better option. Luckily, going small doesn't have to mean sacrificing that wow factor.

Read more here.
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Certified American Grown farms shine
at Fresh Summit booth

Certified American Grown staff members were joined by six certified farms in a large booth at Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Anaheim, California, last week. Within the 20×50 booth space, each farm had dedicated space to put their American Grown Flowers and Greens front and center. A sign over the booth ensured that no one on the show floor could miss them, a huge Certified American Grown logo heart created with Certified American Grown Flowers attracted lots of attention.

Read more here.
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The wonderland that is
Kirstenbosch Garden, South Africa, in Spring

If you find yourself in Cape Town, South Africa in Spring, as I did, then you simply must visit the amazing Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, a mere 13 kilometres from downtown Cape Town. Acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch offers visitors not only the chance to view one of the most biodiverse environments on the planet, but also to enjoy the warm, friendly and relaxed African charm, entertainment and cuisine at the wonderful Moyo Kirstenbosch restaurant nestled inside the gardens.

Read more here.
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American Flower Farmers Participate in Trade Mission
to South Korea, Vietnam

During the trip, the delegation hosted an industry seminar in Seoul to introduce U.S. cut flower and foliage varieties, and to provide handling, shipping and display techniques to preserve shelf life and maximize profitability. Five U.S. cut flower and foliage farmers spoke and presented to the group of approximately 16 South Korean import companies and Pruitt gave a keynote address. The delegation then traveled to Vietnam, an emerging market for American Grown Flowers and Greens, where they met with cut flower and foliage import companies and toured the domestic growing region. They also met with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) to discuss market opportunities and challenges.

Read more here.

The Secret Life of the Boutonniere

I’ll just come right out and say it: boutonnieres have been getting around DC lately. Those small ‘bouquets’ we thought were only designed to add a splash of color and texture to a wedding party’s lapels have actually been leading double lives. This week they were spotted on the Hill throughout the halls of Congress and the Senate? And, even in the offices of the USDA? The truth is, boutonnieres have become a lot more versatile than they may seem at first glance. For the 20 American Flower Farmers visiting our nation’s capital this week, they provided a lot of flower power – they’ve become a special kind of ‘calling card’ and a great conversation piece!

So, when it’s time for the annual CCFC Fly-in, we step back and call in our flower farmer florist Andrea Gagnon from LynnVale Studios (thanks, Andrea!). Crafted with only American Grown flowers, each boutonniere she created was unique and bursting with personality - keep scrolling to see what I mean.