Back on August 20, I told you about a new “Cut Flowers and Cut Greens Promotion, Research, and Information Order” being drafted. Called Floral Board, it’s the first flower industry promotion order to be proposed since the Promoflor and its “Buzz the Bee” campaign was voted out of existence back in 1997. If approved, it would assess domestic cut flower and greens producers, and importers of same, a certain percentage of their gross sales for promotion, research and information under the supervision of the USDA.

Back in August, the drafting committee held eight Town Hall meetings—four for importers and four for domestic growers—to outline their proposal and take comments. It was an “eye-opening experience,” said committee member Oscar Fernandez, director of sales for Equiflor Rio Roses, an importer in Doral, Florida. But he added, “We believe that if we make some of these concessions, we can definitely move forward with it.”

Based on what they heard (and read in the comment areas), the committee gathered two more times to fine-tune their proposal, coming up with three changes they believe “will work for everybody.”

De minimus (the gross sales figure above which a producer or importer is eligible to participate): The committee changed the de minimus from $250,000 to $100,000. That includes more growers and importers in the program.

Board composition: Originally the Board was going to consist of five domestic producers, six importers and one member not associated with either of those groups. Now it will be six producers and six importers. Nothing changes as to how members are nominated. And they'll be appointed by the secretary of the USDA.

Assessment: It was 1% of gross sales for all eligible participants, but there was a concern that a domestic producer’s 1% is different than an importer’s 1%. So now domestic producers will pay 0.5% of gross sales into the program. Importers will still pay 1%.

The order is expected to raise roughly $19 million annually (although that figure could change based on the changes above), which will go towards promoting “flowers” generically.

Said Michelle Castellano Keeler of Mellano & Co., “It’s not going to be promoting a certain type of flower, it’s not going to be talking about county of origin. So it’s not going to be spending millions of dollars asking the public to buy more roses or buy more Valentine’s Day flowers. Just flowers—totally neutral.”

Additionally, of that $19 million, 2% to 3% will be set aside in a separate pot for domestic marketing efforts—such as “buy American” or “buy local,” explained Michelle. A domestic group, such as the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers or Certified American Grown that has a marketing plan ready, can apply for those funds.

The next step? Share information about the promotion order with domestic growers and importers by holding more Town Hall meetings and presenting at industry events. Talk about other successful promotion orders used by other agricultural categories. Provide more information about the benefits of the order. And work to gain broad industry support.

After that comes the submission of the order to the USDA, which will hold a referendum. It must be passed by a simply majority: 50% +1 vote of importers and of domestic producers (each company gets one vote). If it passes, USDA will establish the order and install the Board, and promotions can begin. The trial period for the order will be four years, after which there’ll be a vote every seven years to keep it going or not.

And if it doesn’t pass? Well, we continue as we always have—doing our own promotions.

Got thoughts or questions on the promotion order? Let me know HERE!

You can also reach out directly to Michelle (mcastellano@mellano.com) and Oscar (oscar@equiflor.com) with your questions. For more, go to floralboard.org.

I’m sorry I didn’t report this sad news sooner, but I just heard: Gary Fred Miller, founder of Milgro Nursery, passed away peacefully in his sleep September 3 at home surrounded by his wife, Farrelyn, and his eight children. He was 74. Gary suffered from Alzheimer’s and he quickly declined after a fall that broke his hip.

Gary was born in Salt Lake City in 1947, the fourth oldest of eight children. He played baseball and football for Bountiful High School, and attended college at Utah State, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, where he majored in Business Management. In 1971, while having knee surgery from a football injury, he met a beautiful nurse with long black hair. Within six months he and Farrelyn were married.

In 1975, they moved to California, where Gary landed a job at Venco Nursery in Oxnard. Despite not knowing the difference between a fern and a chrysanthemum, he quickly learned the business and five years later became the owner, renaming it Milgro Nursery. He soon became one of the largest potted plant growers in the country, expanding the business to other locations, including Santa Barbara, Nipomo, Moorpark and Newcastle, Utah. He was well-known, loved and respected within the floral industry, and he passed down this legacy to his children. Today, his brother, Barry, and sons Scott and Brad, and daughters Melissa (Muncy) and Cherilyn (Smith), run the business (youngest son Michael just left Milgro to start his own business). Gary also leaves behind 31 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In addition to the nursery industry, Gary was deeply committed to service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved traveling, flying his own plane, playing golf and visiting Hawaii, which was like a second home.

“Gary was one of those guys that lived a full life many strive for,” said Vaughan Horticulture’s Brent Boardman, the fellow who told me about Gary’s passing.

While working on the piece about Gary, I took a look at the Milgro website and I found a nice VIDEO they produced in April 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. You can tell from the content that they were giving away potted plants that they were unable to sell at that time.

It's a feel-good message that I'm sure exemplifies the business—and indeed life—philosophy of Gary and his entire family.

Jerry Halamuda, co-founder of Color Spot Nursery, sent me this note about his fond memories of Billy Powell, who passed away recently:

Chris,

I knew Billy Powell for many years … more as a competitor, and then as a friend and industry leader. For a man in our industry, he was kind and always equitable in his business dealings. 

When I first saw his product in the Texas market, I was taken aback by the incredible quality … he was a true first in growing and shipping the highest level of quality product in the market (and I had seen all major players in the retail market in North America). He was a true nurseryman in the sense that he built his empire from the ground up.

My partner, Mike [Vukelich] Jr., and I had the pleasure of getting to know him much better in the early 2000s, and eventually, it led to our putting a deal together to purchase his operation in Troup, Texas. The industry has lost a true giant.

The Produce Marketing Association has announced it will be unable to put on Fresh Summit 2021, scheduled for October 28-30 in New Orleans, Louisiana, due to the impacts of both Hurricane Ida and Tropical Storm Nicholas.

Cathy Burns, PMA CEO, details the difficult decision in a video message. She explained, in part:

“The reality is, Fresh Summit is much more than three days in October, requiring on-the-ground resources weeks before the event. We are simply not confident that the infrastructure necessary for the event the size and the scale of Fresh Summit will be in place. The city and its citizens, along with federal and state agencies, need the time and the space to regroup, rebuild and restore.”

Kathy added, “We hope you will consider joining us in making contributions to the Red Cross and World Central Kitchen.”

If you’re an exhibitor or attendee who has questions about booths or hotel reservations and such, there’s an FAQs PAGE on their website.

Drat! First it's the pandemic, now it's natural disasters. I was planning on attending. Well, I’m marking my calendar for next year’s show, October 27-29 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

So says the Garden Media Group, compilers of the above publication.

“The 2022 report shows the shift that has occurred in the green industry and beyond,” they say. “It goes past ‘The Great Reset’ of 2021 and guides us through the customer mindset to better fit green products and services into this post-pandemic lifestyle. People are discovering more personal freedom—whether finding time to renovate spaces or transforming how they meet, learn, and stay connected.”

GMG has outlined eight trends for you to help push business strategy and create a shift in home and work design. Highlights from the report include:

- Who the "Creator Class" is and how to position your brand amongst them
- New ways to attract the "Backyard Aficionado," the name of the 18.3 million new gardeners they obtained
- What products are “flying” off the shelves!
- The color of the year is BACK! Always fun, sometimes copied by Pantone … any guesses?

Download your free copy HERE.

Fishin' around for a new business? Aquaponics is the art and science of raising fish and plants at the same time, with the fish poo providing food for the plants—great fun for all, especially the fish (until they get harvested for dinner, that is).

If you’ve been curious about aquaponics, why not check out the two-day online workshop on the topic offered by the University of Arizona’s CEAC (controlled-environment agriculture center)? You’ll learn everything necessary to set up your own aquaponics system, including:

- System Design & Planning
- Tanks and Pumps
- Filtration
- Fish and Fish Care
- Growing Plants in Aquaponics
- Water Quality and Nutrients
- System Management
- Integrated Pest Management
- Troubleshooting, Tips and Tricks

The workshop is scheduled for October 19 and 20, from noon to 5:00 p.m. EDT (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. MST). There's a cost ($250), but hey, a two-day college education that comes with a certificate of completion and potentially sets you up for a new business? Priceless!

For more details, click HERE. Questions? email arizona.ceac@gmail.com.

No, not the California Highway Patrol (for that, you can watch reruns of "CHiPs"). No, I’m talking combined heat and power, which is using a natural gas generator to make electricity for your business, then capture the exhaust gases to provide heat, cooling, humidity control and CO2. Some big operations in Europe and Canada, plus more and more in the U.S., are making use of CHP technology.

To learn more, tune in to the free webinar by the Department of Energy on Tuesday, October 12, from 2:00 to 3:30 EDT. Aptly titled “Combined Heat and Power (CHP) in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA),” this webinar will show you how CHP systems can cost-effectively use both natural gas and renewable energy resources to provide electricity, heating, cooling, dehumidification and CO2 capture. Greenhouses and vertical farms are an ideal application for CHP, as they demand substantial heat and power. Five expert speakers, including Kurt Parbst, formerly with Ludvig Svennson and now president of Parbst Horti Facility, will provide the details.

To register, click HERE.

It’s a shame we can’t be live this year, but the ‘rona keeps rearing its ugly, Delta-shaped head, forcing the 2021 Canadian Greenhouse Conference to take place online. Still, the organizers say “the popularity of the 2020 virtual conference gave [us] the confidence to go even bigger this year and the conference is committed to delivering another first-class event for Canadian growers.”

Said Program Coordinator Glenna Cairnie in the press release, “The 2021 CGC will continue its 40-year tradition of supporting growers and is embracing the potential offered by the virtual format.”

Well, what else can you do but embrace what we have to deal with and make the most of it!

The education program anchors the show with 18 live sessions (live meaning real-time, not recorded), 45-plus speakers, and on-demand content addressing the sector’s current challenges, trends and issues.

Conference elements such as the New Variety Showcase, Research Poster Session, New Product Display and Exhibitor Directory will provide growers with easy access to valuable information and connections. Syngenta Flowers is the presenting sponsor of the 2021 show.

For all the details and the schedule, check out www.CanadianGreenhouseConference.com.

My friend Jill Brooke of FlowerPowerDaily.com has taken a nice swipe back at comedian James Corden (of "The Late Late Show" and Carpool Karaoke fame), who apparently dissed our products on the Late Late Show by saying “Flowers are a waste of money.” He was reacting to news reports about flower shortages due to a sudden demand for them for postponed weddings now taking place.

Read Jill’s nice retort HERE.

Well said, Jill!

Do you ever find yourself searching for the perfect short, pithy quote about flowers to use in your marketing pieces? I do—such as for the signature in my email (my current one is “Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder”—by 13th-century Persian poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, better known as just Rūmī).

Anyway, writer Teresa Watkins has done us a favor by collecting and cataloging a wide range of gardening and botanical quotes, poems, stories, trivia and anectotes in her new book “A Gardener’s Compendium Volume 3: Gardening with The Senses: Gardening in a Twitter World in 140 Characters or More.”

Written for gardening enthusiasts by a garden enthusiast and botanical bibliophile, this book is much more than a collection of quotes. The accurate attributions and researched hashtags paired with every selected passage make the entire series a time-saving marketing resource for creating social media posts and other communications materials. It’s the perfect addition to the promotional tool kit for all types of horticulture professionals, from garden writers and bloggers to garden designers, speakers and teachers.

Check it out HERE.