December 2014 | Volume 35, Issue 12
FNGLA’S MONTHLY PUBLICATION: DIGITAL MONTHLY ISSUE LOCATED AT HTTP://GREENLINE.FNGLA.ORG
What’s Trending in 2015? TPIE! January is the ideal time to gather useful information, collect smart ideas and connect with helpful people for greater success in 2015. The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) is the ideal place to do just that as nearly 6,000 professionals from hundreds of leading industry companies will meet January 21-23 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “The focus of TPIE 2015 is to Inspire, Innovate and Create,” said TPIE Chair Theresa Riley with Rockledge Gardens. “We’re excited at the numerous opportunities for TPIE to inspire new thinking, innovate with new products and create new partnerships. TPIE is all about new trends, new products and new relationships.” TPIE indeed leads the way in delivering a comprehensive look at consumer trends, design trends and trending products. Take advantage of these programs and activities offered at TPIE: • TPIE’s Opening Session – Trends & Mindsets – Creating Success Today by Anticipating Tomorrow’s Consumer Trends and Needs presented by Christine Boland, a leading international trend watcher and analyst, gives her take on social, retail and consumer trends and how to apply this information to increase your product sales and business profits. This session takes place on Wednesday, January 21 at 9 a.m. • TPIE Create Theater – Located on the show floor, this activity center offers twice-daily presentations by American Institute of Floral Design (AIFD) designers on Plant Design Trends, Plants with a RePurpose and the Art of Plants. Each TPIE’s Opening session will include hands-on, take-away tips of the trade, as well Session Speaker as inspiring design ideas for upselling plants. Christine Boland. • TPIE Road Show – Education On The Go is the theme for this interactive day of education. Sessions start in the classroom to set the stage, then participants climb aboard buses to visit nursery operations and garden centers to learn first-hand production and retail trends implementation. Tracks are specific for interiorscapers and retailers. The TPIE Road Show is an all-day event on Tuesday, January 20 with separate registration required. Access more details: http://www.fngla. org/TPIE/shortcourse.aspx Continued page 3
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Sandy Stein FNGLA 2014-2015 President
Reflecting this Season: Many Reasons to be Truly Thankful “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” -Melody Beattie My wife, Robin was “encouraging” me to help her around the house the other day. Me being me, the clouds rolled into my mind and I was struggling within myself to do the next right thing and help her out, yet I went ahead and did that next right thing. “Tis the season” once again as the festivities have now begun. Thanksgiving has passed and we are busy enjoying family and friends. During this time of the year I take stock of the amazing life with which I have been blessed, not the least of which is my wife. Robin is rock-steady. She is the more practical of the two of us, the one who always brings the family together and makes our house a home. In the middle of the clouds having rolled in, I forget these critically important things. We have so much for which to be grateful. We always did. In the middle of the economy having gone south, we had all we needed. We always do. I am forced to remind myself of this too often. I get amnesia and forget that a challenge in life is simply an opportunity to grow. The more challenges I’m bestowed, the more I can say yes to life, take them on, and hopefully become more than I was yesterday. Many of Robin’s and my employees have been with us for years. These folks are amazing souls. They will work their tails off one day and get up and do it again the next day. They care about the quality of their work and take pride in what we produce. They have so little, relatively, yet appreciate however much they do have. We need only look at them to see some of the best examples of how we might be and to be appreciative for all we have, including them.
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My dad is 87 years old. He manages all his investments himself, needs very little assistance with his daily activities, though both cognitively and physically, as one would imagine, he is not the same guy he was 20 years ago. I speak to him every day and he lives only minutes from our home so we see him more than once a week. I have been blessed to have an awesome dad and must thank God he has remained as vital as he is for as long as he has. This association has an awesome staff that looks out for our industry’s best interests all the time. As President, I have a bit more contact with them now, particularly our CEO, Ben Bolusky. Truth be told, I volunteered through my Chapter to serve on our state’s Board of Directors because of a wonderful experience I had working with Ben on a California certification project years earlier. I so appreciated Ben’s expertise and even-handed approach to what was, and remains, a very challenging area for our nursery growers, I felt Ben had a lot to teach me, and he has. His integrity and consistency in demonstrating outstanding values has been a great example for me in my life. I want to be more like Ben Bolusky. I appreciate him, and all our association staff. I could go on and on. Writing like this places me into my appreciative inner-space. I hope all of us take the time to reflect on our many blessings and I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and a great 2015. Sandy Stein The Jungle Nursery (Miami) sstein@junglenursery.com
FNGLA HAPPENINGS Continued from page 1
• TPIE Cool Products – Facilitated by The Garden Center Group, this session showcases TPIE’s top 15 cool plants and products voted by buyers at the show. Exhibitors share more information about the winning items on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Create Theater. This session is a quick and lively way to see what’s trending at TPIE. • TPIE Exhibitor Showcase of Products at the Innovation Lounge is the place to see the new plants and products being introduced into the industry, as well as those which exhibitors think are special enough to put in the spotlight. Located on the show floor, the Innovation Lounge is open during show hours with comfortable seating to relax and power outlets to recharge. • The TPIE Interiorscape Awards Showcase is the place to see what’s trending with interiorscape projects. Taking place on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 11:30 a.m. at the Create Theater, the session showcases the top interiorscape award winners from various industry award programs including PLANET, PIA and I-Plants Magazine. In addition to the many ways TPIE keeps you on track with important trends, additional activities such as the TPIE Happy Hour give you time to connect and share with other industry professionals in an informal, yet informed, setting. Register no later than January 5 for the discounted price of $15 for a trade show badge and the discounted price of $120 for the TPIE Road Show. Even at the regular rate of $30, the TPIE trade show badge is a great value as it includes three days of admission to the premium tropical plant and foliage show in the world; complimentary admission to the TPIE Opening Session; a free seat at any session at the Create Theater; admission to the TPIE Happy Hour including a complimentary drink ticket; access to the Innovation Lounge; and, introductions to thousands of smart and creative industry professionals. The TPIE Road Show gets you all the above, plus invaluable access to retail and interiorscape expertise in classroom sessions, on the buses, and while touring nursery operations and garden centers. Bus transportation and lunch is included, all for only $150 after the Jan. 5 pre-registration deadline. Register online at http://www.prereg.net/2015/tpie. Take advantage of TPIE’s hotel reservation service through EventSphere, TPIE’s official housing company. Stay at TPIE’s host hotels for the best pricing and extras provided only to TPIE attendees. Shuttle buses run from each of TPIE’s host hotels to the Broward County Convention Center on show days. Book your room online at http://www.fngla.org/TPIE/ accommodations.aspx. For more details on TPIE, visit www.tpie.org. TPIE is produced by FNGLA with proceeds from the event returned back to serve the industry. We look forward to seeing you at the show!
FNGLA’s Floriculture Field Days: May 13 & 14 Plan to attend the next FNGLA’s Floriculture Field Days: May 13 & 14 in Orlando! Florida’s spring season is an ideal time to evaluate plants for garden performance and test their resilience. Breeders will bring their newest varieties to Central Florida to test their durability against the heat and humidity. The program will feature new varieties at all three locations: Walt Disney World’s nursery; Harry P. Leu Gardens; and, University of Florida’s Orange County Extension Service. Looking to increase your knowledge of designing with color and textures? FNGLA’s Floriculture Field Days is a great place to learn the latest design techniques and maintenance as well as an ideal venue to interact with the leaders of the Floriculture, Landscape and Garden Center segments of the industry. A day and a half program will offer both classroom and trial time. Looking for sponsorship opportunities? Position your business as a leader to this key audience. Great sponsorships are available: http://www.fngla.org/events/floriculture-field-day/Sponsorship.aspx. Choose to have an exhibit table to display your business products or capture higher visibility as an exclusive event sponsor of one of the conference happenings which includes the opportunity to briefly address the group at the event. For details on participating, log on to https://www.fngla.org/events/ floriculture-field-day/. For details on sponsoring, contact Linda Reindl, lreindl@fngla.org. Your participation will help increase awareness and strengthen the professionalism of the industry.
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FNGLA HAPPENINGS 2015’s Legislative Agenda: What to Watch! alternative water supply development… to encouraging installation or retrofitting of smart irrigation control systems, as well as expanding access to the voluntary statewide irrigation license.
By Jim Spratt, Magnolia Strategies, LLC The dust has mostly settled from a very close, hard fought 2014 election cycle. Regardless of your political party affiliation, the results clearly show in statewide races Florida is not a red or blue state -- it’s purple! Nevertheless, as we move through the holiday season and into the beginning of 2015, Florida state elected officials will be rolling up their sleeves to prepare for the upcoming annual legislative session. While the new Florida House and Senate leaders have not yet announced their committee appointments, FNGLA is already engaging elected officials on several key industry issues, as well as issues which will clearly be the big ticket items during 2015.
Water
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R- Merritt Island) has made it clear comprehensive water policy is the most important issue on his horizon. In recent weeks, Governor Rick Scott and Senate President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando) have both acknowledged water policy are very important statewide issues. Obviously, the “devil is in the details” as last year the Senate contemplated a very aggressive and expensive Springs Protection Bill, while the House failed to debate any similar legislation. So, we expect Springs legislation will be back on the 2015 docket and FNGLA’s challenge will be to ensure any legislation supports existing water quality/ quantity programs already in place, such as the agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) program.
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FNGLA will also be in the trenches working on a fluid list of water issues ranging from regulatory streamlining and
Business/ Regulatory Issues 1) Sales Taxes- You may recall during last session, FNGLA and the other leading agricultural groups pressed elected officials to expand sales-tax exemptions enjoyed by agricultural producers. While these issues died on the vine late in the 2014 session, FNGLA once again will push to get these exemptions across the finish line. Of specific interest to FNGLA members will be exempting irrigation systems from sales-taxes, as well as replacement parts for your irrigation system and other farm equipment. Certainly, new exemptions equate directly to our members’ bottom line and help Florida’s growers level the playing field on input costs with out of state competitors. 2) Landscape Lighting- FNGLA has heard from several of our landscape members regarding landscape lighting installation. Under current state law, the installation of landscape lights requires an electrical license, yet the reality is homeowners can currently walk into a store, buy and then install landscape lighting on their own. While FNGLA recognizes political turf wars will influence the success of this issue, we are committed to establishing a common sense solution which protects life and property, while allowing our members to lawfully expand their business services. 3) Workers’ Compensation - Over the summer, several Florida court cases began to chip away at existing Workers’ Compensation laws and the regulatory structure which governs state implementation. As a result, it’s expected there will be bills proposed to correct these narrow issues. However, during every legislative session, mischief is around every corner. So, FNGLA will continue to work with our business association partners -- the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida -- to ensure any passing legislation does not break the backs of Florida nursery and landscape businesses.
Budget
Thankfully, Florida’s economy continues to outperform national numbers. As a result, policy makers will be able to make most funding decisions without first taking the axe to the budget process.
FNGLA HAPPENINGS The one caveat to mention ties back to the 2014 election and voter approval of Amendment 1 -- “Land and Water Legacy.” FNGLA members will recall this state constitutional amendment mandates 33% of Florida’s documentary stamp revenues be set aside specifically to fund the provisions of the Amendment. Early projections show 33% of the doc stamps could be as high as $650 million in 2015. It is important to point out this is not 650 million new dollars. So, the question before legislators is how to balance the existing environmental programs, land acquisition and other programs funded through doc stamp revenues with the spirit and intent of the Amendment. Certainly, there will be more developments on this issue as session creeps closer. Aside from the Amendment 1 challenges, FNGLA will have a full budget plate as we work with UF/IFAS to ensure its budget is funded at a level which allows the University to continue the great and needed research, teaching and extension services which FNGLA members appreciate and have come to expect. Secondly, FNGLA has already engaged Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Adam Putnam on his budget priorities. Specifically, budget proposals for the Division of Plant Industries (DPI), marketing (the Fresh from Florida program) and Office of Agricultural Water Policy (Nursery Best Management Practices “BMPs” and associated cost-share programs). In fact, FNGLA recently discussed with the leadership of the Division of Plant Industry about elevating the classification of many of DPI’s inspectors which may encourage more stability within the Division, while also offering competitive pay for the Department employees upon whom we all depend to conduct our business.
Bienvenido a Miami Tropical!: Welcome to Tropical Miami! Save the date to attend FNGLA’s 63rd Annual Meeting and Convention: June 12 & 13, 2015 in tropical Miami! Taking place at the Westin Colonnade in Coral Gables, this popular meeting is open to all FNGLA members, families and friends. The FNGLA Convention not only hosts FNGLA’s Annual Business Meeting, it’s the place to recognize the Association’s outstanding volunteers, report on the past year’s accomplishments and shift into a new year of FNGLA leadership. It’s the meeting where lifelong business connections and friendships are made and traditions celebrated. The convention’s opening event on Friday evening, June 12, will be a “Cuban Nights” reception in the spectacular 60-foot domed, neoclassical marble-tiled rotunda at the Westin. Saturday morning’s program starts with a continental breakfast, followed by FNGLA’s Annual Business meeting. The President’s Gala will bring the convention to a grand close on Saturday evening as the FNGLA Big Shoes are passed from current President Sandy Stein to President-elect Billy Butterfield. The convention schedule will provide open time on Friday and Saturday to visit some of Florida’s most notable gardens conveniently located in and near Coral Gables, browse among the shops and restaurants along Miracle Mile or just hang out with colleagues by the pool. Mark your calendar now to attend this fun FNGLA peopleto-people event in 2015. More details and registration information will be available in the New Year.
Clearly, 2015 is poised to be a very busy year for FNGLA political advocacy and government affairs actions. This list will certainly expand as new issues arise and as legislative focuses change between now and March. Stay tuned to future installments of Ben’s Bullets, Greenline and your inbox for FNGLA member Grassroots Alerts and Legislative Updates!
Jim Spratt is President of Magnolia Strategies, LLC, a Tallahassee-based lobbying firm with a focus on small business and agriculture issues. Jim is a former FNGLA staff member and has been serving Florida’s nursery and landscape industry since 2004. Jim can be reached at jim@magnoliastrategiesllc.com.
FNGLA’S 2015 Annual Convention will take place at the Westin Colonade in Coral Gables near the well-known shops and restaurants area known as the Miracle Mile.
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FNGLA HAPPENINGS TPIE is Just 7 Weeks Away: Maximize Your Exhibitor Investment TPIE is the only national trade event focusing on the business of unique and profitable tropicals and foliage plants. TPIE is over 200,000 square feet of living and vibrant plants creating a virtual indoor garden of showstopping displays. With almost 400 exhibiting companies in nearly 800 booth spaces, TPIE offers wholesale buyers the widest array of resources for foliage and tropical plants in the country. Connect with vendors in person and touch and feel their plants and products. For those who are participating as a show exhibitor, please plan ahead to make the most of your experience! TPIE: Inspire, Innovate, Create. Start the year on task by preparing for TPIE to ensure success at the show. Go to http://MyBooth.org and log in to your exhibitor account to maximize show benefits and minimize costs for your business. • EXTENDED DEADLINE! Monday, December 8: Deadline for show directory listings, cross listings, & Display Ad Placements in the show’s printed directory. • Friday, December 19: Last day to register with SUSTA for its Canadian buyer trade mission buyer appointments. Contact Whitney Lett, Whitney.Lett@ FreshFromFlorida.com or call 850-617-7333 for details. • Monday, December 22: Custom carpet and booth rental order deadline, Brede. • Tuesday, January 6: Last Day to register booth and VIP registrants to ensure their badges are mailed to them (continental US only). You can continue to register staff and guests: they can retrieve their badges onsite. • Wednesday, January 7: Last Day to order electrical services offered by Edlen at incentive pricing; last day to order most items offered by Brede at incentive pricing and the advanced freight deadline; and, last day for the Brede’s warehouse to receive pre-show shipments. • Thursday, January 15: Last day to submit digital inclusions: open house listings and Exhibitors’ Showcase items (new plant/product listings). • Friday, January 16: First day on-site shipments at the convention center can be received. If you are not yet exhibiting, there is only a small handful of spaces left. Contact Sabrina Haines at shaines@fngla.org before it’s too late! See you at the show, January 21 - 23 at the Broward County Convention Center. Exhibitors can get in front of more people at TPIE by taking advantage of special sponsorship and promotional opportunities! Now’s the time to reserve exhibitor-only sponsorship opportunities! Contact FNGLA’s Billy Deal at bdeal@fngla.org to learn more about which sponsorship pairs best with your business and its objectives. For show details, log on to: http://www.fngla. org/tpie.
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FNGLA HAPPENINGS Your FNGLA Membership is Hard at Work for YOU FNGLA’s Fresh From Florida Partnership FNGLA’s Florida-based growers, retail garden centers & landscape members are enrolled in the Fresh From Florida campaign promoting Florida’s plants throughout the Southeast and giving you access to Fresh From Florida’s member benefits. This program has an array of options for business promotion including point-of-purchase items and other promotional materials including: • Use of widely recognized Fresh from Florida logo on products, packaging, advertising and promotional materials including catalogs • Point-of-purchase materials to display with Florida-grown products • Customized business signage with Fresh from Florida logo • Participation in the logo incentive program. Qualified members may be reimbursed up to $1,500 in printing costs when using the Fresh from Florida logo on retail packaging, plant sleeves, and automobile signage/wraps • Company listing and website link on the Fresh from Florida website • Discounted advertising in industry publications • Trade leads and exporting assistance • Subscription to the Fresh from Florida magazine Join other FNGLA members who are taking advantage of this great member benefit and log on to the FDACS portal to learn more about which specific items can benefit your business: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/ Marketing-and-Development/Agriculture-Industry/Join-Fresh-From-Florida/ Welcome-FNGLA-Members. The Fresh from Florida campaign is one of many businesses providing benefits to FNGLA members. Learn more about the other benefits too: http://www.fngla. org/membership/benefits.
Tampa Bay Landscaping’s use of the Fresh from Florida logo in their vehicle wrap design qualified for a rebate as part of the logo incentive program.
Plant-Something.org: Promoting Florida’s Plants to a Nation of Consumers Plant-Something.org is a national promotional campaign promoting the key benefits of plants via a promotional website. The site includes promotional videos, information on the value and benefits of plants and landscapes and an east-to-find map pushing consumers to more localized information. With over $500,000 invested in the program already and with FNGLA’s ‘M&M’ (that’s Membership and Marketing) Committee’s initiative, FNGLA has become a Plant-something.org partner. As this promotion continues to catch fire nationally, FNGLA will steer consumer interest pushed from www.plantsomething.org via our consumer website, www.FloridaGardening.org. The Plant-Something.org website is currently undergoing renovations. Look for Florida to be included with the redesign and an influx of consumers as we participate with the national campaign! For more details on FNGLA’s consumer interactions, contact FNGLA’s Jennifer Nelis at jnelis@fngla.org.
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FNGLA NEWS Horticulture Career Fair at TPIE Show
Keeping the National Foliage Foundation A Strong Organization
Introduce your company to tomorrow’s leaders at TPIE’s Horticulture Career Fair Friday, January 23, 2015. Nearly 300 high school horticulture students from around Florida take part in this annual event.
A Carpenter’s toolbox is filled with tools to build solid foundations. An industry’s toolbox is filled with members who have years of experience and expertise. A writer’s toolbox is filled with words that inspire and good news to share. When these elements all come together, there is strength. I would like to share a little story with you and provide you with the powerful ending.
This year, table space will be available for any company wishing like to meet these students. The two- hour event begins at 9:30 a.m. with a career presentation to the students beginning at 10 a.m. Following the program, students are invited to learn about Florida’s nursery and landscape industry by visiting the TPIE show floor. For more information on taking part in FNGLA’s Horticulture Career Fair at TPIE, contact FNGLA’s Amy DiBella, adibella@fngla.org, or call 407-295-7994.
In 1987, a group of individuals, who believed in the future of Florida’s foliage industry, laid the framework for the National Foliage Foundation (NFF). These individuals worked hard to build their businesses but also understood that without providing a way to continuously fund research and education, the industry would never be as strong as it could be. It was designed so your dollar would continue working long into the future and new generations would reap the benefits. Whether it was a production issue, distribution problem or developing controls for industry’s pest threats, NFF has been there and funded almost $500,000 in research grants. Current projects are addressing The Impact of Living Green Walls on Student Attitudes, Moods, and Academic Performance; Comparisons of Growth and Water Use of Irrigation Systems During Production of Budded Citrus in Phyto-Sanitary Greenhouses; and “Producing Colored-Leaved Ficus Plants via Biotechnological Means”. For more information about research projects, visit the research section of NFF’s website. NFF has also contributed over $350,000 in scholarships to students pursuing their careers in horticulture or related fields. Students like Austin Bryant, Heart of Florida Greenhouses, or Jennifer Parrish, Farm Credit of Central Florida, who were past recipients of NFF’s scholarships can now be seen serving in industry leadership roles. The powerful ending to this story is you! You are the one who can help students like Jennifer and Austin realize their dream and become part of the industry’s future. You are the one who can fund research that will provide new opportunities. Whether your gift is big or small...it is truly you who will make the difference! For more information about giving to the National Foliage Foundation, visit www.nationalfoliagefoundation.org or email Linda Reindl lreindl@fngla.org.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
PREREGISTER ONLINE AND SAVE!
February 13 & 14, 2014 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds
Don’t leave your business to chance What’s new in the field.
Refresh your relationships.
Plant the seeds for growing your business.
FNGLA
®
FLORIDA NURSERY, GROWERS AND LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
Leading Florida’s Green Industry
Northeast Chapter FNGLA | 904.292.1117 | nefngla.org
INDUSTRY NEWS Florida Grades & Standards for Nursery Plants Manual Available for Industry Review The Florida Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants was first released for use by industry in 1959. Since then, the manual has gone through four revisions with the 4th Edition released in 1998. With industry support, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry called the first Florida Grades and Standards Ad Hoc Working Group meeting on October 10, 2013. Subcommittees were formed for Trees, Palms, Shrubs and Wetland Plants with the goal to update, streamline and convert the Florida Grades and Standards Manual into an electronic online format. In total, the committees and working group met over 20 times during the last year. All goals of the working group are completed and the draft of the 5th Edition of the Florida Grades and Standards for Nursery Plants is now ready for comment and review. The review will be open for comments until January 1, 2015. It is anticipated a final document will be completed around May 2015 and the new Grades and Standards will go into effect in July 2015. To access the document, http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry and scroll down to Hot Topics, Florida Grades and Standards – Review Copy. If you are unfamiliar with the Grades and Standards document and its purpose, contact the Division of Plant Industry for more information, (352) 395-4700 or at dpihelpline@freshfromflorida.com.
FNGLA Investing in Today’s Youth for a Strong Tomorrow “Future Farmers of America” was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. The Florida FFA Association is a premier youth, leadership organization with a recordbreaking 2014 membership of over 17,000 middle and high school student members – as part of over 300 local FFA chapters across the state. To meet the needs of the organization, a new headquarters was constructed located on the Farm Bureau campus in Gainesville. FNGLA’s Frontrunners Chapter contributed the total landscape -- irrigation, site work, mulch, sod, plants and trees. 40 FFA students, teachers and FNGLA members participated to install the landscape on Saturday, November 22. In addition to the FNGLA Frontrunners Chapter’s generous in-kind contribution, FNGLA made a financial contribution to the “Building Our Legacy” campaign for the new Florida FFA Headquarters.
FNGLA Frontrunners Chapter volunteers, FFA students and teachers worked together to install the new FFA Headquarters landscape. FNGLA’s Frontrunners Chapter donated every bit of plant material needed for the building’s completion.
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INDUSTRY NEWS Cost-Share Funding Opportunity: St. Johns Water Management The St. Johns River Water Management District will accept applications from January 5 to March 13, 2015, for cost-share funding for water conservation and construction projects that will contribute to any of the following: • Water conservation • Alternative water supply development • Water quality/nutrient-loading reduction • Water resource development The District anticipates making cost-share funding available in its fiscal year 2015-2016 budget that begins Oct. 1, 2015, subject to Governing Board approval. Application instructions, guidelines, form, evaluation process and a contract template will be available on the District’s website after Dec. 15, 2014. Complete applications must be emailed between Jan. 5, 2015, and 5 p.m. on March 13, 2015, to funding@sjrwmd.com. The District will host public workshops to describe the application process, program requirements and answer questions. • Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, at 10 a.m., District Headquarters, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka • Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, at 10 a.m., Maitland Service Center, 601 South Lake Destiny Road, Suite 200, Maitland • Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, 10 a.m., Jacksonville Service Center, 7775 Baymeadows Way, Suite 102, Jacksonville • Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at 10 a.m., Palm Bay Service Center, 525 Community College Parkway, S.E., Palm Bay. Find more information at floridaswater.com/funding.
Medical Cannabis Rule Declared Invalid Recently, the Florida Department of Health’s proposed rule on the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 was declared invalid by a judge in the State of Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings. The proposed rule was legally challenged on several grounds. Thrown out was the agency’s intent to use a lottery to award the eligible nursery in each of five regions the license to produce, process and dispense the lowTHC strain of cannabis for patients with epilepsy, severe spasms and some cancers. Enacted into law back in June, the law requires the Health Department to have rules up and running by January 1, 2015. Stay tuned for details.
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INDUSTRY NEWS 2014 Poinsettia Trials and Sale at UF: 129 Varieties to See The 2014 University of Florida, Department of Environmental Education Poinsettia Show Sale and Show will be held Thursday, December 11, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday, December 12, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 129 varieties from Beekenkamp, Dummen, Selecta/Ball, and Syngenta are included with an emphasis given to the newer and more important varieties, with many being shown for the first time. These poinsettias are to be unveiled to breeders and growers and then sold by the students to fund their international horticultural trip to France in the spring. For details on the public sale or the industry field day, visit: http://hort.ufl.edu/ poinsettia_sale.shtml. FNGLA’s Ben Bolusky and Dr. Sandy Wilson, Interim Chair of the UF/IFAS Department of Environmental Horticulture in the UF/IFAS campus greenhouses full of poinsettias grown and trialed by the UF/IFAS Horticulture Club students.
Florida Water StarSM Travels to Palm Coast The City of Palm Coast has joined with FNGLA and the St. Johns River Water Management District to host Florida Water Star Accredited Professional training on February 3, 2015. The day-long program, sponsored by Hunter, includes a half day on irrigation and a half day on landscape. Continuing education credits can be earned for FNGLA, Irrigation Association, Registered Landscape Architects and Volusia County’s irrigation license. This comprehensive water conservation program focuses on Florida-friendlyTM landscape alternatives and irrigation requirements that can have a major impact on water usage. SJRWMD has contracted with FNGLA to administer the FWS Accredited Professional exams in irrigation and landscape. To date, 178 irrigation and landscape professionals have earned the Accredited Professional designation. Complete information about the Florida Water StarSM program can be found at www. floridawaterstar.com or contact Deirdre Irwin at the St. Johns River Water Management District. Register for the February 3 program with FNGLA’s Merry Mott, mmott@fngla.org.
FFA Students compete in industry events Each year, nearly 350 students demonstrate their horticultural skills at the Florida FFA Career Development Events (CDEs) in Floriculture and Nursery/Landscape. The 2015 events takes place Saturday, March 7 at the University of Florida Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. FFA CDEs present students with real-life situations that can be found in the workplace, including plant, pest & tool identification, equipment maintenance, landscape management, customer assistance, floral design and Best Management Practices. Both problem-solving skills and horticultural knowledge is tested by FNGLA volunteers from across the state. The winning high school teams represent Florida at the national competition each year at the FFA Convention. In 2014, Leesburg High School earned a Silver Emblem at Nationals for Floriculture and Oak Leaf High School earned a Bronze Emblem in Nursery and Landscape. For more information on volunteering for this exceptional program, contact Merry Mott at FNGLA or call 800-375-3642.
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CERTIFICATIONS SeaWorld Kicks Off FNGLA’s 2015 Landscape Certification SeaWorld Horticulture has set the dates for FNGLA’s Certified Landscape Technician (FCLT) and Landscape Maintenance Technician (FCLMT) exams for 2015. Saturday, February 7, 2015 FCLMT-Maintenance Exam Saturday, February 21, 2015 FCLT-Installation Exam The deadline to apply is 30 days prior to the exam. An exam walk-through takes place the day before each exam. This Orlando test site continues to be a favorite of landscape professionals across the state, attracting exam applicants and Certified Judges from as far away as the Panhandle, Miami-Dade and The Bahamas. Both FCLT and FCLMT grew by more than 20% in 2014 alone. Plan to earn a landscape technician certification to increase your knowledge and professionalism – and that of your staff. For more information, contact FNGLA’s Merry Mott at mmott@fngla.org.
FCHP Testing in Full Swing for Horticulture Students Each year, more than 300 high school juniors and seniors sit for FNGLA’s Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) exam – and many schools have already begun testing this fall. 2014-15 marks the 6th year high school students throughout Florida have taken the FCHP exam, with Florida’s high school horticulture students test increasing success. Nearly for FCHP each year, and in 2014 reached a 70% 30 high school horticulture passing rate. programs participate in FCHP testing each year, introducing their students to the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in Florida’s nursery and landscape industry. FCHP continues to be the recognized certification for high school horticulture students throughout Florida. For more information on career development, contact Merry Mott at FNGLA at 800-375-3642.
Certifications are available for both landscape installation and landscape maintenance through FNGLA.
FNGLA’s Certification to be Showcased at TPIE After a successful display at The Landscape Show, FNGLA’s certifications will again be highlighted at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition January 21-23, 2015 in Ft. Lauderdale. Plan to visit this special Certification Showcase while at TPIE. Not only can you learn more about how to bring additional education and professionalism to your company, you can actually practice several of the exams – including Plant Identification, and Job Evaluation. The display will be open during the hours of TPIE and staffed by FNGLA’s Certified Professionals, Certified Judges and members of FNGLA’s Certification Committee.
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MEMBER NEWS Lambert Wins Florida Farm Bureau Achievement in Agriculture Award Buckhorn Nursery’s Corey Lambert was recently named Florida Farm Bureau’s Achievement in Agriculture winner, an honor earning him a plaque and a brand-new 2015 Chevy Silverado truck! FNGLA Member Lambert Nursery was started by Corey’s grandfather Ronald Lambert Sr. as a citrus nursery. Through the years, the operation expanded and diversified. Corey works as an assistant grower, although his business cards tout the title “Dirt Farmer.” He will represent Florida in the national competition at the American Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in San Diego, January 11-14.
Florida Farm Bureau’s Achievement in Agriculture Award for 2014 winner was Corey Lambert, Lambert’s Nursery, Zolfo Springs.
High School’s Community Service is Visibility to Community FFA/ FNGLA Advisor Vincent Newman saw an opportunity to get his school club’s name out there by filing an application for Adopt-a-Street right in front of his school, McArthur High School, in Hollywood, Florida. The school’s FFA/FNGLA club cleans the shoulders of North 64th Avenue to Johnson Street, basically providing coverage for the school’s entire eastern boundary.
Students from McArthur High maintain the street at their school in Hollywood, FL.
Congratulations for jumping on a great opportunity for exposure while beautifying the city! McArthur High School is Broward County’s only FFA chartered Public School and its students earn FNGLA’s Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) each year.
Long Time Educator Passes Away Bruce Witt, long time turf educator at Florida Gateway College in Lake City, Florida, died from melanoma cancer on November, 17, 2014. For 27 years, Bruce taught in the Golf Course Operations and Landscape Technology programs at Florida Gateway College (formerly Lake City Community College). Along with the golf and landscape industries, Bruce was very interested in sports turf management. He taught many students who are now very successful golf course superintendents, landscape managers and sports turf managers. He was a dedicated educator who enjoyed teaching and being associated with the turf related industries. He is survived by his wife, Cindy, two married daughters, four grandchildren, his mother, and a married brother. Anyone interested in sending a card can do so to: Mrs. Bruce Witt, 171 SW Angela Terrace, Lake City, FL 32024.
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NEW MEMBERS
Welcome New Members The following are new FNGLA members: from October 22, 2014 - November 21, 2014 ACTION Dezie Tropicals, Inc. Phil Kirby PO Box 1877 Mount Dora, FL 32756 352-735-3234
MANASOTA Al Purmort Insurance Kevin Foust 3340 Bee Ridge Rd Sarasota, FL 34239 941-924-3808
TurfSmart Landscaping Co. Richard Duncan PO Box 202 Apopka, FL 32704 407-886-2162
MIAMI-DADE Color & Sabor Mediterraneo Oscar Lopez 3750 NW 114th Ave #2 Doral, FL 33178 786-210-3272
BROWARD City of Dania Beach Mitch Grant (Supportive) 1201 Stirling Rd Dania Beach, FL 33004 954-924-3745 Horti-Tek Cammie McKenzie 13790 NW 4th St Ste 111 Sunrise, FL 33325 954-541-9922 Walter Hughs (Student) 10111 Woodbury Ct Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 954-696-3493 COASTAL SPRINGS Shannon Brewer (Student) 4105 Ridgefield Ave Holiday, FL 34691 727-485-6397 INTERNATIONAL Sion Young Plants Maarten Huisman Zijtwende 55 2678 LS De Lier, The Netherlands +31612193798
OUTSIDE FLORIDA Arctech James Osborn 14100 Park Meadow Dr Chantilly, VA 20151 703-222-0280 Big Grass Living John A. Hanesworth 637 W Hildebrand Ave San Antonio, TX 78212 210-735-7999 Fidelity Paper Co. Lisa Karr 901 Murray Rd East Hanover, NJ 07936 201-207-8450 Greenworks Tools Gray Abercrombie 319 Oates Rd Ste C Mooresville, NC 28117 704-660-2803
Growing Designs, LLC Bo Morrison 9129 Plaza Bianco Lillian, AL 36549 251-597-7729 Wausau Tile Troy Dahlke PO Box 1520 Wausau, WI 54402 813-907-1756 PINELLAS Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources John Pfeiffer (Supportve) 500 N Walton Ave Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 727-424-4562 Steven Gambino (Student) 5904 Riverview Blvd NW Bradenton, FL 34209 727-301-3204 Cynthia Kerr (Student) 9664 Halyard Dr. Largo, FL 33773 812-327-6828 Louis McClanahan (Student) 5136 11th Ave S Gulfport, FL 33707 727-488-4180 Clayton MacEwen (Student) 13415 Alpine Ave Seminole, FL 33776 727-410-2660
James Paul (Student) 605 15th St N St. Petersburg, FL 33701 813-816-8365 Matt Roche (Student) 6813 71st Ave N Pinellas Park, FL 33781 727-202-7199 Mia Whitehead (Student) 4601 22nd Ave S St. Petersburg, FL 33711 813-999-5066 ROYAL PALM Allied Prefer Charlie Kashner 2970 Cargo St Ft Myers, FL 33916 239-226-0710 Rec’d by: Amanda Hebert, Big Earth Landscape Supply Lombardo Landscaping Matthew Lombardo 16300 S Pebble Ln Fort Myers, FL 33912 239-634-5477 TREASURE COAST WW Sod & Equipment Co. Doug Ward 6201 SE 128th Ave Okeechobee, FL 34974 561-662-1936 Rec’d by: Tom Schlechter,Everglades Farm Equipment Co., Inc.
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Calendar of Events
Contact Us
See and submit events at http://www.fngla.org, under calendar
FNGLA
December 10, 17:
FNGLA Certified Landscape Contractor Training, Ft. Lauderdale Research & Education Center, Davie.
11: Tree Selection and Changing Urban Demands, Stardust Tree Farm, Lutz 12: Certified ISA Arborist Training, Escambia County Extension Office, Cantonment Green Industry Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) Training, Orange County Extension Education Center, Orlando
18:
January
Phone: 407.295.7994 Toll-free: 800.375.3642 Fax: 407.295.1619 E-mail: info@fngla.org Web: www.fngla.org
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Ben Bolusky
GREENLINE EDITOR Jennifer Nelis jnelis@fngla.org
2014-2015 STATE OFFICERS
President Sandy Stein The Jungle Nursery 29100 SW 162 Ave Homestead, FL 33030 (305) 246-5324
President-Elect Billy Butterfield AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services, Inc. PO Box 568762 Orlando, FL 32856-5041 (407) 872-0855
Past President Mike Marshall Marshall Tree Farm 17350 SE 65th St Morriston, FL 32668-4508 (352) 528-3880
Secretary/Treasurer Robert Shoelson Getting Green Plant Services & Betrock Information Systems PO Box 840107 Pembroke Pines, FL 33084 (954) 680-1819
Connect with us:
5-9:
Green & Growin’ Show, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
About FNGLA
14-16:
MANTS, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
21- 23:
Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition, Broward County Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale
This publication is produced by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) as a service to its members. The statements and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Association, its staff, Board of Directors, Greenline or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers or their identification as members does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.
28-30:
2015 Gulf States Horticultural Expo, Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center, Mobile, AL
The mission of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association is to promote and protect the success and professionalism of our members.
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Read the latest FNGLA news inside & visit Greenline online at http://greenline.fngla.org