It’s a week of wins for floriculture growers on Capitol Hill. In addition to maintaining access to assistance on conservation programs, funding for floriculture research is holding strong and growers received more financial aid from the USDA.
Despite a 4% cut to the USDA budget, funding for floral research has not been affected. The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill in late June that maintains current funding for the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI). SAF is a leading advocate for FNRI, and the organization’s advocacy has helped grow FNRI funding from $500,000 to $6.4 million.
And last week, U.S. growers of flowers and foliage who applied and were approved for the USDA’s Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops aid began receiving their second round of payments — now up to $900,000 per recipient, thanks to a January amendment that raised the original $125,000 cap. The funding helps offset rising costs of labor, energy and packaging. The payments mark the second time the USDA has provided direct financial assistance to the floriculture industry — an inclusion secured through advocacy efforts by SAF.
Want to get more involved with SAF’s advocacy and build relationships with your representatives? Alaska Perfect Peony owner Rita Jo Shoultz, who recently played a pivotal role in preserving access to USDA conservation programs, and Society of American Florists Senior Lobbyist Joe Bischoff, Ph. D., offered this advice:
Get to know them. Shoultz has spent decades cultivating a positive relationship with the Murkowski family; Frank Murkowski, Lisa’s father, served Alaska in the Senate from 1981 to 2002 and as governor from 2002 to 2006. “They really do want to hear from their constituents,” Shoultz says. “It may take a while to get their attention but be consistent and insistent.” Send messages, visit their offices, and talk with them at area events. Find your representatives here.
Host them. Invite your representatives to visit your business, no matter where you are on the supply chain, says Bischoff. Giving them an inside look at how your business supports your community and state, as well as the domestic and global floriculture industry, will encourage them to consider the people impacted by proposed policies.
Send them flowers. Deliver a periodic arrangement to your representatives’ office just because. Having your product, as well as your name, in front of them serves as a reminder that they represent you and your business. Shoultz always sends peonies when Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, hosts an annual luncheon for his fellow senators, putting her flowers in front of lawmakers from across the country.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
