News from California State Floral Association

With major agriculture, conservation, credit, and environmental groups all arrayed against a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill, and with the Senate pounding on the House to get its act together to pass a full five-year reinvention of federal farm programs, House leadership this week killed off the extension bill, quietly permitting its agriculture leadership to work it out with the Senate. To that end, House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R, OK) and his ranking member Rep. Collin Peterson (D, MN) met late this week with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D, MI), chair of the Senate ag panel, her ranking member Sen. Pat Roberts (R, KS) and other Senators to try and find a way forward to full Farm Bill enactment this year. Stabenow, who told one reporter the meeting was "great" but wouldn't give details, said publicly she wants a full-five year Farm Bill or failing that, a more comprehensive disaster bill than the bill passed by the House this week.

House and Senate Agriculture Committee staff have been holding informal discussions for the last few weeks to identify areas of agreement between the Senate passed Farm Bill and the House Agriculture Committee approved version. Both Stabenow and Lucas have acknowledged these meetings will continue through August, apparently in hopes compromises can be found on the two big differences in the chambers' respective bills: Commodity title income support and cuts to federal food assistance programs. No major decisions can be agreed to without the four committee principals in the room, Lucas stressed. The pressure is on Lucas and Peterson since there are only eight congressional work days in September before the scheduled recess for electioneering.

Floral Design & Decor Volunteer Opportunity

An opportunity to work with designer, Rene van Rems, AIFD, as he prepares d�cor and floral design for the upcoming non-profit fundraiser for San Diego Botanic Gardens "Gala in the Gardens."

The Gala will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2012 at San Diego Botanic Gardens located at 230 Quail Gardens Drive in Encinitas, CA.

The dates for working together at San Diego Botanic Gardens are Thursday 9/6 (8am-noon AND/OR 1pm-5pm), Friday 9/7 (8am-5pm), Saturday 9/8 (8am-3pm). This is a pro-bono opportunity for all participants. No experience required.

Please bring a floral knife and pruner if available, dress in layers, bring plenty of water & snacks and wear comfortable shoes.

If you would like to learn about design in a hands-on way, please contact Cathy in our office at 760 804 5800 or via email at rene@renevanrems.com to confirm your attendance.

FTD Announces 18th Annual FTD� Good Neighbor Day�

Downers Grove, Ill. (August 2, 2012)-FTDis excited to announce the 18th Annual FTD� Good Neighbor Day� event will take place on Wednesday, September 5, 2012. The premise of FTD Good Neighbor Day is simple: florists give every customer a free bouquet of a dozen flowers and ask them to keep one for themselves and give the 11 others away to 11 different individuals. The goal of this one-day event is for FTD Florists to spread goodwill throughout their community and help brighten their local residents' day with flowers.

FTD Good Neighbor Day is a great way florists can host a low-cost, high-impact event that will drive new customers into their shops year-round. The key to a successful event is marketing, and FTD has developed a proven marketing kit that provides simple step-by-step instructions and tips to 'get the word out' about your event for participating florists.

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NORCAL / CAFG&S Receives the Award of Merit - Industry at 2012 AIFD

NORCAL/California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers, located in Soquel, Calif., has been recognized by the American Institute of Floral Designers' (AIFD) National Board of Directors with the Award of Merit - Industry. The announcement was made on July 14 during the Institute's 2012 Awards Ceremony held in conjunction with its 2012 National Symposium "Caliente" in Miami, Fla.

NORCAL/ California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers is a non-profit trade association established to represent the professional needs and interests of the floral industry in California. They offer a variety of services to strengthen the floral and agricultural industries by increasing the flow of products from California to destinations throughout the world. They were recognized for their long held commitment and dedication to AIFD Symposium.

Each year, AIFD hosts its National Symposium in a different host city. The Symposium is an opportunity for internationally acclaimed designers to gather together to share ideas, educational tips, network and advance the industry of floral design. The 2013 National Symposium "Passion" will be held in Las Vegas, Nev., June 28 - July 2.

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About the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) www.aifd.org

Established in 1965, the American Institute of Floral Designers is, today, the floral industry's leading non-profit organization dedicated to establishing, maintaining and recognizing the highest standard of professional floral design. AIFD and its worldwide accredited members are at the forefront of the industry in presenting educational design programs and in designing flowers for such renowned events as the Tournament of Roses Parade, Academy Awards and Presidential Inaugurations. Find more information at NORCAL/California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers Recognized for Contributions to Floral Industry BALTIMORE (August 2012).

Arizona Florist Wins SAF's Summer VaseOff! Challenge

Visitor traffic to aboutflowersblog.com, SAF's consumer blog, more than tripled during a recent two-week period, as beach-loving consumers, bloggers and florists cast their votes for their favorite arrangement custom designed for the quintessential summer girl, the latest segment in SAF's VaseOff! Challenge.

With summer in full swing and consumers thinking about their vacations, SAF wanted to capture consumers' attention with a timely topic that highlighted the breadth of florists' talents and their panache for matching flowers to recipients' personalities.

Four SAF member florists were challenged to "design an arrangement sure to delight a friend who loves the beach and can't get enough of the sun, surf and sand."

While each design attracted many votes, "Tranquil Motion," by Tony Medlock, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, AzMF, got the most.

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