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American Floral Endowment Holds 2007 Annual Meeting in Bogota, Colombia
Edwardsville, Illinois, March 19, 2007 – The American Floral Endowment’s Board of Directors recently held its 2007 Annual Meeting in and around Bogota, Colombia, January 25-27. Visiting just before the Valentine’s Day holiday, the group experienced first-hand how growing facilities in this region prepare for this major floral production period.
One key component of the Board’s trip was to learn about the progress some local growers are making toward more environmentally sensitive growing methods. At Flores de Tenjo the group saw how the facility used composting methods to reduce chemical applications, thereby lowering the environmental impact and employee contact with these chemicals. While touring Flores El Tandil the Board also learned how the operation was controlling up to 95% of the pest problems by employing biological and natural pest control methods.
During the tour, University of Florida horticulture professor Dr. Terril Nell spoke to the group about his research concerning the resilience of flowers under varying temperatures. According to Nell, some flowers, such as gerbera, can be handled and stored at temperatures higher than previously thought without detrimental affects to the flowers’ performance. Dr. Nell’s research was funded by the Endowment.
The tour was also an opportunity for AFE Board Members to learn about growers’ social service programs. For example, two Bogota-area growers, Flores de Tenjo and Flores El Tandil, offer childcare and educational programs that have benefited more than 17,000 children. Other social issues addressed by grower programs help employee families resolve conflicts constructively and amicably. Two operations in the Medellin region Flores Esmeralda and Tahami Cultiflores give employees’ children access to education and computers, and also offer programs that provide important assistance with the cost of housing for their employees.
One Colombian program supports a private, non-profit foundation whose purpose is to start businesses that hire unemployed Colombian workers. Funds for this foundation come from workers who contribute up to 5% of their wages that the employers then match.
The AFE Board experienced more than just business while in Bogota. The Endowment sponsored a dinner at The Gun Club, the city’s prestigious social club, to honor Asocolflores, the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters and the Board’s gracious hosts. With three SAF Hall of Fame inductees in attendance, Asocolflores Chairman of the Board Ernesto Vélez generously welcomed AFE to Colombia and to the growing floriculture business. The event was covered by the local Colombian press.
Words of Thanks
In addition to being so generous and welcoming to the group, AFE would like to thank Asocolflores for their support of the Endowment. Asocolflores’ contributions have been instrumental in the success of AFE-funded research projects and the Colombian organization’s ongoing support is critical to AFE’s continued efforts to fund research. The Endowment and its supporters recognize that the industry’s research challenges are many and varied, and that floral research benefits the entire industry regardless of country or region. By working together, research can advance the entire industry.
About AFE
AFE, founded in 1961, is the leading non-profit funding source for floricultural research and educational programs in the United States. The Endowment is supported by more than 1,000 companies and individuals throughout the industry. For more information, please visit www.endowment.org.
Eye Candy
“Eye Candy” is a garden created to appeal to the different senses. It combines color, texture, fragrance and sound to make it a fun and unexpected garden. The layout of the garden is based on several different color theories including analogous color harmony, complementary color harmony, and split complement color harmony. To create a fun and funky garden, unusual floral material and a large sculpture made of fresh and dried floral material will be installed as the focal point in the garden.
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