Ellison Chair in International Floriculture
Ellison Chair in International FloricultureTeaching, Research, Extension and Service

Buy Your Raffle Ticket Now to Support American in Bloom

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As many of you are aware, America in Bloom (AIB) promotes nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, trees, and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements.

One of the ways that AIB raises funds (besides sponsorships) is to hold an annual raffle. Wouldn’t it feel good to put $5,000; $1,000, or even $500 in your pocket? If you purchase an AIB raffle ticket you just might be one of the lucky cash prize winners! The 2010 raffle generated over $30,000 in funding for America in Bloom.

The raffle will be held on Monday, July 11, 2011 during the OFA Short Course. You do not need to be present to win. It’s also easy to participate. Simply buy your raffle tickets online using the secure form.

Now you may be asking…Why should I buy a raffle ticket? Let me answer that by summarizing what AIB participating cities say about the program:

AIB is a quality of life improvement program
…a great concept that can help develop both beautification and economic improvement
… a grassroots program that believes that connecting people and plants is important to everyone’s quality of life
… the propagation of the love of plants and their interaction with our communities
…enhancing cities to make them better places to live
…a program that promotes community health by using horticulture
…a program that builds pride of place for communities and enhances awareness of different facets of the community

AIB is a community improvement program
…an opportunity to make a community more appealing through community involvement
…a challenging experience, but worth the effort to see a cocoon become a butterfly
…a nation wide program that brings a community together to beautify inside and out
…a unique and informative creative concept to highlight your community and improve overall involvement of the neighborhoods …a wonderful shot in our community’s arm; through it we are reborn
…a community effort to beautify and improve your town by getting the residents involved
…an opportunity for communities to identify and build their image
…amazing as it provide the process to get cities and towns moving and working together to improve their communities

AIB is a civic pride and community involvement program
…an organization to promote pride in cities
…a beautification program for each community that nurtures volunteerism
…a way to pull together volunteers to impact the community
…about bringing people together to make our city better
…a community building and enhancement program
…a community beautification organization that promotes civic pride
…a community effort to showcase pride in the community through plants, flowers, trees
…community beautification …a contagious awakening of community pride
…a method for involving the total community in planting pride in our communities
…a community improvement and beautification contest

AIB is an educational and community engagement program
…a very educational program that makes our communities more aware of how beautiful we can make our communities by working together
…a teaching experience to educate rather than criticize
…an incredibly motivating organization that serves as a catalyst for building community pride and participation
…an organization that promotes community pride, passion and education

A source of inspiration
…inspiring and encouraging
…a facilitator of community involvement and inspiration for change and improvement

AIB is a catalyst
…a great resource and motivator to improve our city’s public image as well as sales revenue for downtown businesses
…motivating and inspiring
…rewarding
…a municipal and volunteer self improvement program that brings the community together
…a vehicle to coordinate community improvement
…the contest is a catalyst for action on a continuing basis

AIB is a friendly competition
…disguised as a friendly competition, but serves our community as a unifier for the various non profits, corporations, private citizens for a common goal
…a contest that can be used to generate enthusiasm and education for community wide improvement projects

AIB is a valuable tool
…comprehensive inexpensive survey of a city
…a powerful community building tool
…a program that gives us an annual list of potential problems to address from the judges’ visit

Not convinced yet?  Then I invite you to visit the America in Bloom website to learn more! Or better yet, look for me or any other board member at the OFA Shortcourse and we’d be happy to talk more about how AIB is an important tool for ensuring the relevancy of floriculture in the future!

The future of learning

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Every so often I come across something that stops me dead in my tracks; something so fascinating that I simply have to stop what I am working on [regardless of how important it is] and take an excursion that, in the end, proves to be paradigm-changing. This happened today.

A friend of mine referred me to a site that has a good video explanation of enterprise value and EBITDA. It wasn’t necessarily the content (though it was exceptional). It was the manner in which the information was being presented. I witnessed firsthand the future of learning.

Ever wished you could take a self-paced course or simply learn more about topics such as banking and money, the credit crisis, currency, current economics, finance, the Paulson bailout, valuation and investing, venture capital and capital markets? Now you can. Or, if you just wanted to brush up on your statistics, chemistry, algebra, biology, etc.? Now you can.

As an educator, my paradigm has been rocked. I now declare myself officially challenged to think even further outside the box. Stand back, this could be dangerous!

Want to see what I’m talking about…go to http://www.khanacademy.org and explore. Watch the TED Conference video (BTW, you should subscribe to the weekly TED conference presentations). Choose one of the 2,100 educational videos in the library and see for yourself. See the future of learning for yourself.

Hat tip to Rick Brown for the link (thanks buddy).

Seeley Conference registration due June 3rd! Hurry!

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This year’s Seeley conference will focus on ways the multi-faceted floriculture industry can increase consumer recognition (MindShare). We invite you to register now for the conference.  Early registration is due June 3rd, after that the registration fee increases. Please Note! Hilton Garden Inn has extended the guaranteed hotel rate until June 3rd, after that date the rate and availability no longer guaranteed.  On-line registration and full conference information is available at:  http://www.hort.cornell.edu/seeleyconference/

The Seeley Board is pleased to announce that Mary Brett Whitfield, Senior Vice President at Kantar Retail and director of Shopper Insights, will be the lead speaker at this year’s Seeley conference.  Mary will speak on: “The Mind of the Consumer:  Consumer Attitudes and Effect on Retail Trends and Buying Behavior”.  Following Mary’s presentation Bob Williams of Smithers Oasis Co. will address how the floral industry can respond to changing trends and behaviors in terms of “Retail Florists, Internet Channels and Strategic Business Planning.”  Then Stan Pohmer of the Pohmer Consulting Group will discuss implications for “Mass Market and Supermarket Channels.”

Mary Brett Whitfield, Senior VP, leads shopper insights research and content development for Kantar Retail. Mary Brett has extensive experience helping retailers and suppliers leverage shopper insights and other primary research data for performance improvement. She has worked at retail companies in market research, strategic planning, and sales development roles and has a strong background in industry and company analysis, competitive positioning work, apparel retailing, and online retailing.  Check out Mary in action at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhOmfB3uR8I&feature=player_embedded

Program set for 2011 Seeley Conference

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Floriculture’s Biggest Challenge: Creating MindShare Opportunities

In today’s post-recession marketplace, the “reborn consumer” is asking tougher questions. She is making more critical decisions as to what is really important and what she really needs.

Marketers can no longer assume the consumer will return to buy what she has bought before. Indeed, total consumption levels have already returned to pre-recession expenditure levels, but not every subsector of the economy has rebounded, as the consumer is spending differently, buying more in some categories and less in others.

Join us at the 26th annual Seeley Conference and we’ll explore these questions through thoughtful relevant presentations by industry leaders and lively group discussion.

  • Why are people blind to the plants and flowers that surround them in everyday life?
  • Can the industry overcome plant blindness and increase mindshare in the consumer by understanding and communicating that our products are necessities in people’s lives and not mere luxuries?
  • How has consumer mindset changed during the Great Recession? Will spending ever go back to the way it was before?
  • Can we focus our value proposition on the unique ways in which plants enhance the quality of life by economic contributions, environmental eco-systems services, and health/well-being benefits of flowers in interior and exterior landscapes?
  • How do others do it? Case studies of firms using social media to articulate THE “more than pretty” value proposition
  • What is the role of advocacy groups, promotion programs, or city-wide beautification programs?
  • What happens when an entire city takes on a green attitude?
  • Does engaging your neighbors improve your bottom line? Case studies of major greenhouses and nurseries who are opening up their facilities for public inspection and good-will generation
  • Creating the Urban and Destination Connection: Case studies in building involvement with plants and flowers
  • Do we need to rethink our offerings one product at a time, or does everything we do need a major makeover to connect with the consumer?
  • How to put it all together and build consumer mindshare for your products and business?

June 27 – 29, 2011  Ithaca, N.Y.

Seeley Conference on Facebook

Featured speakers include:

  • Ian Baldwin, garden retail consultant
  • Tim Farrell, floral designer
  • Susan McCoy, president, The Garden Media Group
  • Katy Moss Warner, president emeritus, American Horticultural Society
  • Lisa Paschke, vice president for marketing and sales, Bachman’s, Inc.
  • Adam Schwerner, director of the Dept. of Natural Resources for the Chicago Park District
  • Beth Zwinak, manager of Tagawa Gardens, Centennial, Colo.
  • Full profiles and additional speakers

Register online. Pay online with credit card.

New economic impact data for the green industry available

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Total economic contributions for the United States Green Industry in 2007, including regional economic multiplier effects, were estimated at $175.26 Billion in output (revenue), employment of 1.95 Million full-time and part-time jobs, labor earnings of $53.16 Billion, and $107.16 Billion in value added. Total value added impacts represented 0.76 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2007.

The present study updates previous research that evaluated economic impacts of the Green Industry in the United States for 2002 (Hall, Hodges and Haydu, 2005, 2006). National estimates of economic impacts were derived from a variety of information sources, including national and state-level industry statistics from the 2007 U.S. Economic Census (Census Bureau, 2010), other federal government reports, and primary surveys by horticultural economics researchers. Economic impacts for each state were computed using multipliers from the RIMSII Input-output analysis system (USDOC/BEA, 2007), to estimate the indirect effects of industry purchases and induced effects of employee household spending arising from new final demand.

CLICK HERE for the full report.

Upcoming webinar: Economic Recovery Brings Immigration Debate Back to the Forefront

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During the last recession, the green industry got a bit of a reprieve in that the country’s attention was focused on the economic downturn. But now that things are improving, dialogue regarding various immigration policies is resurfacing, particularly among the enforcement only camp.

Need proof? The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently conducting I-9 immigration audits at many greenhouse, nursery, landscape businesses across the country. Even if you are in compliance, the results can be devastating as you are forced to terminate experienced and valued workers. Poor compliance practices can mean thousands of dollars in fines, or worse. While the impacts of an audit cannot be completely avoided, smart preparation can save you time and money.

But compliance is but one facet of the immigration reform issue. Craig Regelbrugge, ANLA vice president for government relations, who co-chairs the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform (ACIR), will give a brief update on the federal legislative picture and prospects for meaningful immigration reform.

This webinar is brought to you through a grant received by Dr. Charlie Hall (Ellison Chair in International Floriculture) and Dr. Marco Palma (Extension Horticultural Marketing Economist) at Texas A&M University.

Title:      Economic Recovery Brings Immigration Debate Back to the Forefront

Date:     Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Time:     10:00 AM – 11:00 AM  Central Daylight Time

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/688016936



Training available for new greenhouse workers

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Are you hiring labor this spring that needs training on greenhouse production basics? Then this one-hour online training course may be the perfect compliment to your training program this spring.

The video-based training is entitled Introductory Employee Training Program for Greenhouse Crop Production, and is offered by the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University. It provides introductory-level information about the greenhouse industry plus learning models on greenhouse crop production from beginning to end, controlling insects and diseases, and shipping and handling procedures.

One of the unique features of this training is that it is offered in English and Spanish. With the increased number of Hispanic workers in the green industry, this training module provides a valuable service to the industry by providing employees who are new to the industry with an overview of what greenhouse production of floral crops is all about.

Video quizzes are used throughout the course sections, and the instruction is available in both languages with transcripts available for downloading.

The course costs $55 and is available through eXtension, an online collaboration among the Cooperative Extension System. Growers can enroll at any time and will receive an “enrollment key” to the site which is valid for 90 days in order to facilitate training multiple employees during that time frame.

Registration for the course may be completed by going to http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu and clicking on “Online Courses” or by clicking here for the direct link.  After successfully registering for the training, the user will be automatically directed to the eXtension website where the course is administered (under the “Greenhouse” section). Simply enter the enrollment key and the training begins automatically.

How Gasoline Prices Affect Consumer Purchases

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From today’s WSJ:   A dollar is a dollar. So if rising prices cut into our purchasing power, textbook economics suggests that we’d carefully weigh all our buying decisions to determine where to cut back, and by how much.

Of course that’s not really the way most people budget. Rather, we put different items in different budget baskets – here’s one for movies, here’s one for clothing, here’s one for gassing up the car. So if clothing prices go up, we’ll cut back on clothing purchases first before cutting back on other things.  But even though anecdotal and laboratory evidence suggests this is how we operate, economists have had little success finding evidence of how this works in the real world. Until now.

Economists Justine Hastings at Brown University and Jesse Shapiro at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business got data on purchases of gasoline from a large grocery chain covering January 2006 through March 2009. As gasoline prices rose sharply in late 2007 through the summer of 2008, fewer and fewer people opted to buy higher octane midgrade and premium gasoline for their cars, and bought less expensive regular instead. (When prices fell in late 2008, the trend reversed, in spite of the worsening economic climate.)

But what about other purchases? Because some customers held retailer loyalty cards with the grocery store, Hastings and Shapiro were able to track them, too.

Specifically, they looked at purchases of half-gallon cartons of orange juice. The grocery chain carried five brands – four national ones and its own private label. They found that while rising gasoline prices led more people to buy regular, they didn’t prompt people to buy less expensive orange juice brands in an attempt to make back the money they were losing at the pump. “If anything, the direction of our estimates suggests that higher gasoline prices tend to increase the demand for higher-quality orange juice brands,” they write.

An aside: The economists also point out that “Consumer Reports” and others have disputed the wisdom of buying anything but regular for anything but a sports car. With regular averaging $3.86 a gallon in the U.S., versus $4.00 for midgrade and $4.13 for premium, it’s a bit of a mystery why many people would pay up for the questionable benefits of a higher octane grade. But the latest data from the Energy Information Administration suggests that’s what 13% of us still do.

Leading economic index increases for 24th staight month (1st time in 40 years)

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The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.4 percent in March to 114.1 (2004 = 100), following a 1.0 percent increase in February, and a 0.2 percent increase in January (see graph below).

Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board said: “The U.S. LEI continued to increase in March, pointing to strengthening business conditions in the near term. The March increase was led by the interest rate spread and housing permits components, while consumer expectations dropped. The U.S. CEI, a monthly measure of current economic conditions, also continued to rise, led by gains in industrial production and employment.”

Says Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board: “The U.S. LEI continues to point to sustained economic growth through year end. Global disruptions, including unrest in the Middle East, rising oil prices and the Japan earthquake, may have some repercussions. However, it remains to be seen what the impact of these shocks will be on the United States and the broader global economy.”

2010 Wholesale Value of Floriculture Crops Increased 3 Percent

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The 2010 wholesale value of floriculture crops is up 3 percent from the revised 2009 valuation. The total crop value at wholesale for the 15-State program for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $4.13 billion for 2010, compared with $4.00 billion for 2009. California continues to be the leading State with crops valued at $1.01 billion, up 8 percent from the 2009 value. Florida, the next largest producer is down 1 percent from the prior year to $810 million in wholesale value. These two States account for 44 percent of the 15-State total value. For 2010, the top 5 States are California, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina, which account for $2.75 billion, or 66 percent, of the 15-State total value.

The number of producers for 2010, at 6,126, is down 7 percent in the 15 States compared with the revised 2009 count of 6,561. The number of producers with sales of $100,000 or more dropped 7 percent to 2,706 for 2010 from 2,918 in 2009. In the 15-State program, total covered area for floriculture crop production was 725 million square feet. However, these data are not comparable with the 2009 revised area of 807 million square feet because the 2009 data was collected in conjunction with the Census of Horticultural Specialties and included area used for production of nursery crops as well as floriculture crops.

For the rest of the report, click here.