sow Your Future and the Society of American Florists announced their program to join forces to push increase awareness of horticulture and floriculture and inspire more people to quest after career working with flowers and plants . cite their close mission conjunction and deal desire to consolidate and prioritize resources to beef up the industry and ensure a retentive - term line of light-green - collar professionals , the leadership of both organizations enthusiastically approved the partnership .
The trade association , Society of American Florists ( SAF ) was hire by an act of Congress in 1884 and has a proven lead record of increase support for floriculture by expanding consumer consciousness of the power of bloom to meliorate lives , and by strengthening the trade with backing for grower , wholesalers , distributors , maker and retailers . The Seed Your Future ( SYF ) movement was founded in 2016 and has grown to a concretion of more than 200 cooperator , including horticulture party , gardening organizations , schools , colleges , university , public gardens , youth organization , nonprofit organizations , and individual advocates connect in their missionary work to promote gardening and careers mould with plants .
“ We started the Seed Your Future movement to address a vital matter across the comprehensiveness of the horticulture manufacture , ” said Anna Ball , CEO and chairman of the board of Ball Horticultural Company and co - chair of SYF . “ There have never been so many career opportunities in gardening , yet consciousness of these opportunities was at an all - time low . ” SYF has quickly achieved stunning results including the growing of an award - winning website ( SeedYourFuture.org ) with resources for pedagog , parent and pupil , open up their eyes to the diversity of careers across the artistry , science , technology , breeding and business enterprise of plants . And , in partnership with Scholastic , the global children ’s publishing , pedagogy , and sensitive company , SYF ’s youth - focused BLOOM ! initiative has reached more than 4.5 million students and 700,000 educators with their free oculus - enamor , fact - free-base content include educational and fun videos , lesson plans and student activity , plant - focused games and an synergistic on-line learning faculty .
“ As a start - up motion , Seed Your Future has been put up under the supportive financial office of Longwood Gardens , ” say Susan E. Yoder , executive director of Seed Your Future . “ As we have develop and expanded our reach , we ’ve been exploring a lasting menage for our work . Joining forces and creating a new 501(c)3 entity under the leaders of SAF is the perfect partnership to reach our foresighted - term goals to open up more eyes to the power of plants and flush and the rewards of a gullible - dog collar career . ”
The Society of American Florists is every bit enthusiastic about the view this partnership will have on their work . “ In 2019 , we make career and workforce development as a top priority of our strategic design , ” allege Chris Drummond , AAF , PFCI , chairwoman of SAF and proprietor of Penny ’s by Plaza Flowers in Philadelphia . “ We look around to see what others were already doing in this area , and we were impressed by the momentum of Seed Your Future . or else of creating a new initiative for SAF , the most impactful decision was to join force and operate together to ramp up more interest in career across horticulture and floriculture . ”
Operational and governance transitions will pass off throughout the twelvemonth , with a goal of recent 2021 for the finalization of the partnership . In the meantime , both organizations will ferment full velocity ahead on their 2021 initiatives . For Seed Your Future , that means the creation of young picture and resources for youth , class and educator ; and the prolongation of their # YearOfPlantPower and # NatureNeverCloses military campaign to show how – especially during these times of the spheric wellness challenge – plant and efflorescence have the might to calm , soothe , heal , sustain and inspire . For the Society of American Florists , it is about advocating for the industry ’s interests in Washington , D.C. and receive didactics , education and merchandising resources into the floral community so the industry can provide great flower and works purchasing experiences .
“ I ’m eager to work with the leadership and faculty of Seed Your future tense , ” said Kate Penn , CEO of the Society of American Florists . “ By team up , we can do so much more to insure new endowment is always joining the industry by showcasing both the exponent of plant life and flush , and the rewarding life history chance available in gardening and floriculture . ”
For more information : Society of American Florists ( SAF)safnow.org
sow Your Futurewww.seedyourfuture.org
