California Field Notes

January 2018 2018 Tour Kicks Off In California 5 Breathtaking Stops Announced for the 2018 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour The fourth season of the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour is underway, and you'll want you to grab all of your flower-loving friends and head to the flower farm for an award-winning experience you’ll never forget. The have an exciting lineup of farms...Read more > You Ask Them… Why Should You Go To Washington, D.C. This Year? You probably have questions. You might wonder why going to Washington, D.C. is important. You might wonder if it is time well spent. You might want to talk to someone who has gone before. And you should! Read More > June Van Wingerden Elected Chair of the California Cut Flower Commission Co-Owner of Ocean Breeze Farms Has Long History of Service, Advocacy  June Van Wingerden has been a constant force in the ag community, advocating for California cut flowers and water and labor issues for decades. The California State Senate recognized her dedication when they named her California’s Woman of the Year in 2005. Now, she’s bringing her heart for service, and cut flowers, to her new role as chair of the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC).  Read More > Through Fire & Mud: How Carpinteria’s Flower Farmers Kept Growing Despite all of the evacuation orders and road closures, Carpinteria’s flower farmers have been able to manage through these historic events while continuing to grow and deliver their flowers. This was due to a tremendous effort by first responders and firefighters who fought valiantly to protect people and property from the Thomas Fire, only to return to the valley again to help clear debris and rescue people from their homes. This time, our farmers worked alongside first responders, clearing logs, rocks and branches with their tractors and heavy equipment. California’s farms are ready to deliver gorgeous blooms for Valentine’s Day and will have plenty of flowers to help meet the market’s demand. Cal Poly’s Certified CA Grown Float Wins Past Presidents Trophy at 2018 Rose Parade® The Certified California Grown 2018 Rose Parade® entry from Cal Poly Universities has earned the Past President’s Trophy, an award that recognizes outstanding innovation in the use of floral and non-floral materials. The float, designed, constructed and decorated by students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, included nearly 97 percent of cut flower and greens from California. The float earned... Read More > The Bouqs: Famers Star Alongside Flowers on Online Retailer’s Site  Customers who visit The Bouqs Companywebsite might be surprised to see some smiling faces posted alongside the flowers and custom bouquets sold on the site. Just who are they? They’re the American flower farmers who grow a variety of blooms sold at the popular site. And in addition to getting a glimpse of the farmers and their locations, customers can also click to see a one- to two-minute documentary video about the farmer and their flower operation and read a brief bio of each farmer.   Read More > California Grown Flowers Star on Rose Parade Vehicles  It’s not just floats that glide down Colorado Boulevard during the annual Rose Parade. There’s also an incredible group of vintage and contemporary cars – and for the last 5 years, all were adorned in California Grown flowers.  The floral designs for the VIP parade vehicles are the handiwork of Keith White, AIFD, lead designer for FTD, and breathtaking doesn’t begin to describe them.    Read More > Get Gorgeous Help With Remaining On Trend Check out the 2018-19 American Floral Trends Forecast  Wrapped inside the pages of the January 2018 issue of Florist’s Review is the 2018-19 American Floral Trends Forecast.  And it’s glorious!  Read More > Certified American Grown to Sponsor 'Floral Wars' Certified American Grown Flowers is the proud sponsor of “Floral Wars,” a friendly new competition among the Northwest’s most talented professional florists to be held Feb. 7-11 at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle. The battles will take place daily from 3-4 p.m. on the North Hall Stage in the Washington State Convention Center. Each showdown pits two top floral artists against each other  Read more > Epiphany Plus Gut Check Has Renowned Florist Pondering Going All American Grown Kelly Shore’s Doing Her Homework A week spent in Alaska with flower farmers was the tipping point for Kelly Shore, owner and lead designer at Petals by the Shore in Maryland.  Shore was in Alaska to design the tablescapes for an American Grown Field to Vase Dinner being held at Scenic Peonies last summer. She went there with a job to do, but when she left Alaska 10 days later, her gut told her that her next job would be to consider an awesome possibility: Sourcing 100 percent of the flowers and foliage she uses in her designs from American flower farms.   Read more > CALIFORNIA CUT FLOWER COMMISSION | PO BOX 90225  SANTA BARBARA, CA 93190-0225 | WWW.CCFC.ORG

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor