Senator champions reinstatement of USDA’s Annual Floriculture Report

In February, a delegation of American flower and foliage farmers traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the reinstatement of the USDA’s Annual Floriculture Report.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein took time to meet with American flower farmers to hear their concerns about the Floriculture Report during the 2018 DC Fly-In. Photo by Nony Park of Ken Pak Photography

Now, the Senate Ag Appropriations Sub-Committee’s mark-up was published and includes language requested by Sen. Dianne Feinstein directing $500,000 to USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) budget to reinstate the Annual Floriculture Report.

A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Feinstein has been a longtime champion of American flower and foliage farming families, sponsoring the resolution declaring July American Grown Flowers Month in 2017. The reinstatement of this important report on domestic production of cut flowers and greens was a top priority for the Senator this year.

“This is a great example of how the collective efforts of our farmers can really make a difference,” explained Certified American Grown Administrator Kasey Cronquist. “This kind of continued investment in accounting for our domestic industry must remain a priority in Washington, D.C.”

Sen. Feinstein with flower farmers from California. Photo by Nony Park of Ken Pak Photography

The Annual Floriculture Report serves America’s flower farmers and the floral industry in numerous ways, highlighting the value and varieties of flowers U.S. farmers grow. It also helps to count the number of farmers growing them.

One of the largest contingencies to date attended the 2018 DC Fly-In to lobby for the issues concerning America’s flower and greens farmers, including the reinstatement of USDA’s Annual Floriculture Report. Photo by Nony Park of Ken Pak Photography

Certified American Grown has been working closely with AmericanHort and a coalition of floral industry organizations, including the Society of American Florists, to raise the profile on this issue, both in the House and Senate.

The inclusion of the request for continued funding is good news for our farms and our industry as the Senate Ag Appropriations process continues to move forward. Certified American Grown will continue to monitor the Senate process and advocate for the reinstatement of the report in the House.

For more information:
AmericanGrownFlowers.org
916.441.1701
info@americangrownflowers.org
www.americangrownflowers.org