Now more than ever we as a community of flower and foliage lovers recognize that our friends and neighbors, our local businesses and homegrown products matter. That is to say, Origin Matters.  We want to ensure the freshest and best quality. We want to support our local businesses for long-term success. We want to have pride in American Grown and American Made. In sourcing your cut flowers and foliage, whether for celebrations, gifts or to beautify our homes and lives, there is no time like the present that we should all be seeking out and purchasing American Grown flowers.

Though Mexico-based truckers ended their three-day blockade of two Texas ports of entry on Wednesday, April 13, that was not the initial problem and it has not solved the long delays.

“The blockade ended last night,” said Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, relaying a slight bit of good news. “But DPS (the Texas Department of Public Safety) is still conducting safety tests on 100 percent of the trucks and there are still millions of dollars of produce stuck on the Mexican side of the border.”

This was my first experience with SAF CAD. I was not sure what I was in store for. What was awaiting me was an experience I will remember for a long time. SAF (Society of American Florists) is a national US trade association that represents the floral industry in the US. All are members, from retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to growers, educators, and students. SAF CAD aims to provide marketing, government advocacy, industry information, and best practices for members of the US floral industry.

A fire that started last night at a Taylor Farms facility in Salinas, CA, is currently contained, according to multiple reports. 

Western staple items such as Iceberg, Romaine, broccoli, cauliflower and celery are seeing price decreases due to new California production, according to Mark Campbell, founder and CEO of ProduceIQ.

Pace International, a leading provider of sustainable postharvest solutions and technologies for the fresh produce industry, hired Veria Alvarado as a postharvest physiology manager for the Pace International Global Research organization.