Certified American Grown, the cut flower and foliage industry association focused on advocacy and strategic promotion, has once again supported the building of community, fostered relationships, and created beauty through farm generosity and designer talent to decorate the 105th Annual First Lady’s Luncheon, hosted by The Congressional Club.
This year’s luncheon brought together spouses, families, and members of Congress, the Administration, and guests together in a gala luncheon that honored First Lady Jill Biden. As has been customary in this proudly bi-partisan event, the luncheon serves as a community-building event while also raising funds for causes supported by the First Lady. This year, those causes included Feeding America and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Photo credit: @bethcaldwellphoto
Chaired by Patti Garamendi, spouse of Congressman John Garamendi (California), the theme of “Touch the Earth” was selected to highlight the bounty of products grown and raised throughout the country and her home state of California, in addition to the need for all to consider protecting the beauty of the earth.
Certified American Grown member farms provided over 14,000 stems of flowers and foliage to help decorate and beautify the event. A team of talented floral designers from across the country worked for days in advance of the luncheon to create beautiful arrangements, floral arches, and showpieces for photo opportunities and to create an environment befitting of such a prestigious event. Among the generous farms who donated their bounty were Florida’s Albin Hagstrom & Son and FernTrust, Virginia’s Bee’s Wing Farm, Harmony Harvest, Lynnvale Studios, Washington/Florida/California’s Continental Floral Greens, California’s Dramm & Echter, Glad-A-Way Gardens, Mellano & Company, Menagerie Farm & Flower, MOBIS, Myriad Flowers, Ocean Breeze Farms, Pyramid Flowers, Resendiz Brothers, Sun Valley Flowers, and Camflor. Additional partner support came from Syndicate Sales, Oasis Floral, DVFlora, and Brix & Columns Vineyards in Virginia.
Photo credit: @marionmeakemphotography
The event was chronicled and is now highlighted by a special guest blog posted to Certified American Grown’s website and written by FlowerPowerDaily.com’s editor, Jill Brooke. The blog can be accessed at the following link: The First Lady's Luncheon - A Gathering of Possibility, Purpose and Beauty - American Grown Flowers and Foliage.
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