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18 July | 2022 Feature "Consumers spend almost $27 billion per year on fl oral products, and while the majority of consumers would prefer to buy locally grown fl owers and foliage, only a small percentage of the cut fl owers and foliage that are sold in the United States are grown here," King explains. "We hope to change that by further educating consumers and policymakers on the importance of supporting home-grown industries. Our vision is to have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous 'American Grown' cut fl ower and foliage farming community." As one of the premier wholesale sources for fresh cut fl owers and foliage in North America, Florabundance supplies fl oral designers with variety, value and versatility. Located in Carpinteria, Calif., Florabundance off ers 65 percent to 70 percent domestically grown fl owers. "We have noticed increasing interest and requests for American-grown fl owers and foliage among our customers, which is possible for them to determine because those products are clearly marked 'Certifi ed American Grown' on our website," explains Joost Bongaerts, owner and president of Florabundance. July is "American Grown Flowers and Foliage Month," an annual celebration of the domestic farming community that highlights the bounty grown on U.S. farms and the contributions they make to their employees, their communities, the industry and the country. "American Grown Flowers and Foliage Month" has been recognized through a Congressional resolution marking July as the month for this U.S. celebration, which opens the door for retailers, wholesalers and fl ower farmers to continue to discuss the virtues of homegrown fl owers and foliage—a point that's resonating with consumers for whom origin matters. Certifi ed American Grown has a lot planned to celebrate "American Grown Flowers and Foliage Month" this year. Flower retailers and wholesalers around the country are celebrating with special promotions and activities, and fl ower farms are hosting special events and workshops and selling specially designed celebratory bouquets. "It is a busy month, full of events surrounding American-grown fl owers," explains Anna Kalins, CAG program manager. "Every state in the U.S. will have 'local' fl owers and foliage available. We are doing a big social media push for sharing American-grown fl owers to spread the awareness and beauty of 'locally' grown product." Kalins encourages all fl orists to support Certifi ed American Grown-member fl ower farms—not only this July but also throughout the year—by tagging Certifi ed American Grown fl owers and the farm(s) they source from on social media, to share the beauty and love for American-grown fl owers. Visit AmericanGrownFlowers.org, to learn more.

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