More Americans enjoying more flowers more often...

Volume VII, Issue 5

May 2021

In This Issue ...

  1. CalFlowers Supports Memorial Day Flowers Foundation
  2. Slow Flowers Summit 2021
  3. WF&FSA 2021 Floral Distribution Conference
  4. Texas Floral Expo 2021
  5. 2021/2022 Dues Renewal Invoices Are Due June 1
  6. UnitedAg Membership/Better Together
  7. Featured New Member
  8. Transportation
  9. New Members

Upcoming Events:

June 2021
WF&FSA 2021 Floral Distribution Conference
June 7 - 9
The Doral, Miami, Florida

June 2021
2021 Texas Floral Expo
June 25 - 27
West Galleria in Houston, TX

Slow Flower Summit 2021
June 28 - 30
Filoli Historic House & Garden
Woodside, CA

September 2021
World Floral Expo 2021
September 22 - 24
Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center

New York, NY


2022 SAVE THE DATE

Fun 'N Sun
"All About Flowers"
Aug. 29 - Sept. 1, 2022
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, CA


Latest Legislation
Updates:

Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.


 CalFlowers
Social Media

Visit the CalFlowers Facebook page 

Check in for news, upcoming events, photos, and topical items.  


Find us on Instagram:
IG: @Calflowers_association 

May
F
lowers of The Month:

The sweet flowers of May
embody the hopes and dreams of those who give them. 

The May birth flowers are lily-of-the-valley and hawthorn. 

LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY

The fragrant lily-of-the-valley signifies sweetness, humility, and a return to happiness.

If you want to show your loved one that your life is complete with them, give them a few lilies of the valley.

HAWTHORN

The other May flower is the hawthorn plant, which represents hope and supreme happiness.

Hawthorn signifies that you want only the best for the recipient.


CalFlowers
Featured
"New Member" Spotlights

To see all of our past Featured "New Member" Spotlight stories Click Here.


Past CalFlowers Newsletters & COVID-19 Updates

Click Here to view past CalFlowers Newsletters and COVID-19 Updates, now available on our website.


CalFlowers News

Our goal is to communicate with our members and interested parties on a monthly basis about recent, past, and upcoming events, program updates, and general information about CalFlowers engagement in the industry on behalf of the membership.

If you have an announcement or story you think our members should see, contact Monnaie Pepin, Director of Member Relations and Events.


2021 - 2022
Membership Directory Available Online


For Members Only Access

Click Here for a quick reference guide on how to log into the members only site.

CalFlowers Supports Memorial Day Flowers Foundation

As Memorial Day 2021 draws near, CalFlowers would like to bring focus to this important event that provides our industry with the opportunity to honor our fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and other National Cemeteries.

This year, California flower farms will be represented by CalFlowers at Section 60 at Arlington, the section dedicated to soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Numerous California farms such as Holland America Flowers, Hilltop Flowers, Ocean Breeze International, Mellano & Co, and Kitayama Brothers have committed to donating flowers for this important event.  Local volunteers and family visitors will place a flower at each of the 15,000 gravesites.  We invite all California flower farms to donate up to 2,000 stems of any flower variety so that every hero is honored. 

This will be the fourth year that Holland America is providing a bouquet for T.A.P.S (The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) children.  Every Memorial Day, T.A.P.S. holds a series of conferences and events that bring their community to Washington, D.C. to honor a lost parent/spouse.

We invite all CalFlowers members across all business segments to consider participating.  This is an opportunity to connect with your local community to honor those who served.  Wholesale and retail florists can contact the Foundation to receive a banner and handout artwork to distribute to customers.

For wholesale florists, CalFlowers suggests you make any extra flowers available to your retailers for them to hand out at a local cemetery.  Retailers can download the banner and handout artwork at this link:  https://www.memorialdayflowers.org/dls/RetailKit/Retail-Kit-Artwork.zip

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Steve Dionne or The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation directly by email at [email protected].


Slow Flowers Summit 2021

The fourth Slow Flowers Summit, a two-day gathering often called the "Ted Talk for Flower Lovers," will take place June 28-29, 2021 at Filoli Historic House & Garden in Woodside, California, outside San Francisco. A third day of optional programming on June 30th includes farm tours, including visits to Farmgirl Flowers and KB Farms in Watsonville.

"The Slow Flowers Summit will be a live and in-person conference," says Slow Flowers Society founder and Summit producer Debra Prinzing. "We're taking the conference outside to the beautiful grounds at Filoli to allow for fresh California air and physical distancing. And, we are working with our catering partner to ensure food and drinks are served in a safe way for each attendee."

This year's keynote presenter is author and floral artist
Susan McLeary, who will design and speak on "The Creative Journey: Finding Your Artistic Voice, Truth and Expression." The Summit's capstone speaker, public radio host and author Jennifer Jewell, will present "Earth in Her Hands: The Power of Women Working in the World of Plants." Other floral and horticulture luminaries include: Abra Lee, Conquer the Soil,  speaking on "History of the Black American Florist," Bay Area floral artists Max Gill, Max Gill Design, and Pilar Zuniga, Gorgeous and Green, and author and artist Lorene Edwards Forkner on "Seeing Color in the Garden." Rounding out the program is a farmer-florist panel moderated by UC Santa Cruz educator Kellee Matsushita on "Sustainable Farming x Floral Design."

"One highlight this year are the magnificent grounds and cutting gardens at Filoli, reflecting the heritage of this historic California venue," Prinzing continues. "Our attendees will be inspired by the wild and cultivated landscapes and many of our presenters will design with flowers and foliage clipped from the Filoli gardens. What's more local and seasonal than that?"

Filoli has invited the Slow Flowers Summit to produce a "floral takeover" of many of the structures and spaces on its grounds. Susan McLeary will lead attendees with a large-scale design demonstration to kick off the takeover, featuring installations highlighting California-grown botanicals and foam-free mechanics.

CalFlowers is a Supporting Sponsor of the Slow Flowers Summit 2021. CalFlowers members interested in participating in the Summit Floral Program may contact [email protected].


WF&FSA 2021 Floral Distribution Conference

The Wholesale Florist & Florist Supply Association (WF&FSA) will hold its 2021 Floral Distribution Conference (FDC) in Miami, Florida from June 7-9, 2021. This year’s theme is “Stronger Together, Better Than Ever,” in celebration of reconnecting after the past challenging year. It has been more than 18 months since the WF&FSA community was last together for an annual event.

This three-day conference will be a celebration of WF&FSA members and the floral industry overall with plenty of opportunities for attendees to network and discuss this past year, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with suppliers and wholesalers. The ongoing logistical challenges and product shortages will also be a key topic of conversation, including during General Sessions.

“The events of 2020 have changed the way we host FDC,” said Molly Alton Mullins, Executive Vice President of WF&FSA. “This year, there will be plenty of opportunities for members to network and connect with suppliers, wholesalers, growers, importers, shippers – the entire wholesale floral supply chain. We look forward to bringing members together to celebrate WF&FSA and our love of this amazing industry.”

During the conference, WF&FSA will also host a VIP Reception, a “Together Again” Party, keynote sessions on building leadership skills, as well as presentations from key members of WF&FSA’s leadership. Click Here for more information and to register. 


Texas Floral Expo 2021

Transformation is defined as a thorough or dramatic change.  Texas State Florists’ Association looks forward, with great anticipation, to bringing the socially distanced TEXAS Floral Expo to expand education and provide networking opportunities to all who are interested! You do not have to be a member of TSFA to attend!

The three day Expo will be held June 25-27, 2021 at the Westin Galleria in Houston, Texas. If you are a fan of Southwest Airlines, you can easily catch a flight into Houston Hobby Airport! All carriers fly into both Houston Hobby Airport and Houston IAH. Both airports are about thirty minutes from the location of the Expo depending on your time of arrival!

The Westin Galleria is centered in Houston’s shopping mecca with the best of  restaurants in walking distance and much to do a simple car ride away! Of course, that’s if you have time to experience some of what Houston has to offer in that TSFA has quite the educational programming planned!

With a seated dinner, two luncheons, a seated breakfast and an early morning social gathering with Texas treats, you may consider the Texas Floral Expo the best value of the season!

Register before June 21 at $395 to experience all we have to offer!

The Westin Galleria is the Texas Floral Expos host hotel where all programming will be presented. Just wait until you see this rate!! To make your hotel room reservation please call (713) 960-8100 to book directly and request the Texas State Florists’ Association rate of $129.00.

Click Here to register and learn more.


2021/2022 Dues Renewal Invoices Are Due June 1

Your 2021/2022 membership dues renewal notification was emailed on April 30.  Make payment before June 1 to retain your member benefits, which include discounted transportation rates from FedEx, GLS, and OnTrac, your company listing in our online membership directory, an invitation to the biennial Fun 'N Sun convention, networking opportunities within the floral community, and much more.  Look for your membership renewal email with a convenient link and instructions for how to pay your dues invoice using your credit card. 

Dues Payment Address Change:
If Paying By Check Make Payment to:
California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers
10727 Paramount Boulevard, Suite 8
Downey, CA 90241

If you did not receive your dues renewal email on  April 1 or have any questions or concerns, please contact:

Lani Conklin at (831) 479-4912 ext. 2 or via email at [email protected].

(Note: To ensure that you receive the dues renewal notification emails from CalFlowers, you can whitelist [email protected] by adding it to your list of Safe Senders.  If you are not sure how to do this, please contact your company's technical support team.)


UnitedAg Membership / Better Together

UnitedAg is dedicated to providing innovative benefits and solutions that meet its members’ employee benefits needs, promote their interests with lawmakers, and help them comply with legislation and regulation. 

UnitedAg membership strengthens your role and voice in the agriculture community and helps protect your business or organization’s future. Whether through our outstanding employee benefits, education, advocacy, scholarship or other programs, our valuable networking opportunities, or our other member-focused offerings, we help our members achieve the best possible results. 

For our more than 1,000 members, it’s about being better, together.

Click Here to learn more.


Featured New Member

Dan and Denise Carey are retired teachers, who after 30 years in the classroom, decided to start a second career as peony farmers. They cleared 2 acres of forestland in 2017 and planted their roots in 2018. They opted for a small farm (3,000 plants), so they could manage it themselves with very little outside help. Building their farm from the ground up was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding projects they have undertaken.

Funny River Peonies, is located in the tiny community of Funny River, Alaska, just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. Because of their northern location, their plants receive an average of 19 hours of daylight per day during the summer. This allows Alaska peonies to grow bigger and brighter than peonies in many other locations. Their farm boasts fourteen varieties of peonies in a wide range of colors. They are available from mid-July to mid-August, after most peonies in the lower 48 states are finished blooming.

Click Here to learn more about Funny River Peonies.


Pictured above:  Dan and Denise Carey


Transportation

Now with Mother’s Day past, we want to thank our members for doing an exceptional job working with FedEx on Mother’s Day volume projections.  FedEx reports operations went smoothly without any major disruptions. However, our overnight carriers are still experiencing record volumes and it’s a good idea to look carefully at the service level you choose when evaluating delivery time options.  Many have found that choosing a service that delivers earlier, helps to keep your customers expectations in line with the current environment.

As you may have noticed, we signed our latest contract with FedEx for 2021 and beyond.  Our Express blended discount has now improved to 72.7%. You will see significant price reductions on Express.  But that’s not all, we have improved all discounts on all contract services including FedEx Ground.  These rates and complete FedEx program information are now available on our  CalFlowers Members' Only website.  Members using their log-ins can access this information anytime.  Rates on FedEx, GLS, OnTrac, and airlines can all be found, as well as other handy information.  For questions or comments on any of our programs, please contact Chris Johnson for assistance at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].

As is normally the case in May, weather can still be an issue.  We recommend checking with FedEx for any Service Alerts that can affect shipping:  https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html.  These Service Alerts are issued daily and can be helpful in managing your expectations during inclement weather

For those members wanting to reference the latest Surcharges and Fees for 2021, we have posted this information on our website or members can CLICK HERE.  You will find a handy summary of what to expect for the year.  Remember, CalFlowers members have many significant discounts off of these surcharges which add excellent value to our program.  For a list our surcharge discounts, please refer to the FedEx Program Summary on our website

To all our new members who are just starting with FedEx shipping, they have a nice “Customer Training” service that is available upon request.  This service offers shippers direct one-on-one assistance from FedEx covering many of the questions new shippers may have.  If you are interested in signing up, please contact Chris Johnson [email protected].  FedEx also has some excellent information for new shippers on their website.  Visit: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/get-started.html for a good summary of what FedEx offers.

For qualifying members wanting to contact their local FedEx representative, feel free to contact me and I will put you in touch with the right person.  It’s always a good idea to establish a relationship with your local FedEx field representatives who can help out when you need them or have questions.  

For members needing FedEx Tech Support, this phone number takes your right into the department (877) 339-2774.  They can help with many tech related issues including guidance regarding on-line shipping platforms.

We would also like to remind members to stay current with their FedEx Express shipping invoices. FedEx payment terms are 15 days.  All members shipping on FedEx Express are expected to stay within the FedEx payment terms.  To obtain your invoice details and payment options, please contact FedEx Customer Service.

For members who wish to move PALLETIZED freight on FedEx, CalFlowers can help direct you to customized solutions and pricing.  FedEx Freight is an excellent option when your shipments call for pallets. Interested members should contact Chris Johnson at [email protected] for more information.


 

GLS reported a very strong Mother’s Day shipping period and thanks members who took the time to convey shipping volumes which made the difference in on-time service.

The CalFlowers GLS program is one of our fastest growing, most value-priced offerings, with discounts over 70% off standard rates.  GLS offers later pick-ups and earlier deliveries while providing express door-to-door services covering CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, NM, UT and ID.  Members who want to ship on GLS must sign up in advance. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes.  Please contact Chris Johnson for more details at (760) 533-5580 or [email protected].   

Please use the Delivery Rates & Times Calculator to view delivery dates and estimated.

The Money-Back-Guarantee is still currently suspended at GLS.  We hope this will be re-instated soon. We are monitoring the situation closely and will post updates as appropriate.


 

For members looking for the 2021 OnTrac program and rates, they are now available at www.cafgs.org.  Our program this year features many reductions in various surcharges that offer great value to customers.  Be sure to check out what’s new with OnTrac.

We know that OnTrac got their start in California and services every ZIP code within California, but did you know OnTrac also services seven other Western States?  OnTrac has 2-day service into WA, OR, ID, NV, UT, AZ, and CO.  And to help understand the service parameters, OnTrac has a very nice “Time and Transit Map” under Zip Tools on their website.  This handy map loaded from YOUR zip code helps you understand OnTrac’s overnight commitment areas.  To download your map, please visit: https://www.ontrac.com/servicesareas.asp.

Changes to Our Service Guarantee
The Money-Back Service Guarantee on OnTrac is still suspended.


Airlines:

In Airline news, we have secured new, member exclusive shipping rates on Delta Cargo that are truly exceptional.  These new discounts are valid out of SAN, LAX, SJC and SFO to destinations across the U.S.  This new member exclusive pricing program is extremely competitive and is available now.  For program details, members can go to our website www.cafgs.org.   Don’t miss this opportunity to ship and save on Delta Cargo. 

 

If you have been taking advantage of our new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, you know this offering really delivers when it comes to value.  Our program offers excellent pricing to many areas of the country from California, while adding a few new destinations such as Seattle, Portland and Anchorage. Check out all the program details on our website.

NOTE: Transportation Rate information and documents are viewable/downloadable as PDFs on the CalFlowers Members Only site. Please note that these documents are considered sensitive material and are available to the primary contacts for Ag Buddy, Associate Floral, Associate Grower, and Floral members.

For those members looking for airline service to Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton out of LAX and SFO, consider Air Canada Cargo.  Our discounted pricing offers good value and frequent service.  For more information on these new rates from Air Canada, visit our website or contact me anytime at [email protected].

 As a reminder, JetBlue offers CalFlowers members exceptional express prices out of LAX / SFO to Boston, New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Rico and now NEWARK (EWR). 

These new rates are some of the best that we’ve see in some time.  For more information, please contact Chris Johnson at [email protected] or Mark Friedenthal at JetBlue Cargo (310) 490-2659.



New Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers member from April 16 through May 18, 2021:

 Associate Floral
House of Flora Flower Market, LLC
West Hartford, CT

The Flower Shoppe
Pratt, KS

 

Associate Grower
Carter and Holmes Orchids
Newberry, SC

Teufel Holly Farms, Inc.
Portland, OR

Trinity Farms LLC
Fairbanks, AK

Whistle Stop Peonies
Kirksville, MO

Floral
Delano Nursery Inc.
Daly City, CA

 


www.cafgs.org 

Ph. 831-479-4912 | Fax 831-479-4914