Origin Matters – American Grown has Incredible Meaning

Now more than ever we as a community of flower and foliage lovers recognize that our friends and neighbors, our local businesses and homegrown products matter. That is to say, Origin Matters.  We want to ensure the freshest and best quality. We want to support our local businesses for long-term success. We want to have pride in American Grown and American Made. In sourcing your cut flowers and foliage, whether for celebrations, gifts or to beautify our homes and lives, there is no time like the present that we should all be seeking out and purchasing American Grown flowers. This idea should start in our homes and businesses and as Americans we should expect that to go all the way to the top of our government – to the White House and Congress.

American grown flower and foliage arrangement in the Florida Congressional office.

The farmers of Certified American grown believe this to be true which is why they work hard daily on farms in every corner of our great country to tend fields and greenhouses, employ members of their communities, support others in their neighborhoods – all to provide us with a bounty of beauty all year long to enjoy. That hard work deserves to be recognized and supported and that support also deserves to come from those elected to lead our country. Recently, farmers took to visiting elected representatives and officials in Washington, DC to ask for that continued support!

Highlights from the 2022 DC Fly In

It is important to understand a bit of background here. Until the early 1990’s most of the cut flowers and foliage sold here in the U.S. were grown here. It was not until the federal government began to implement trade agreements, provide subsidies and support to foreign governments to plant flower fields instead of trading in illicit activities, such as drug manufacturing and trade. The problem is that these decisions created a scenario where imported flowers and foliage were now able to be sold into the U.S. at lower prices than our own homegrown farms could produce and sell at. The result, many of our own American flower and foliage farms went out of business and now the importers comprise the vast majority of what is sold here.

We have the chance to change that. There is an upswell in interest in where your flowers and foliage come from and new farms are being developed, right here at home, while many of our remaining farms are continuing to work hard to grow gorgeous flowers and foliage for us. During the recent visits in Washington DC, our farmers continue to ask for the passage of the American Grown Act (AGA), the bi-partisan legislation that would require procurement and display of American Grown flowers and foliage at the White House, Department of Defense and State Department. You might be saying, “Wait! What? Our own federal government is not supporting our own farmers by sourcing and displaying American Grown products?” No, they are not in all cases, and we feel that a shame.

No matter politics or party, we feel it important that when we see photos of the Oval Office, the flowers on the table should be American Grown. When wreaths are placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring our fallen women and men, they should be honored by American Grown. When foreign dignitaries are entertained on our own soil, they should be greeted and welcomed with American Grown. The list goes on and on, but unfortunately, short of the President enacting an Executive Order, it truly does require an act of Congress to make this happen. So, that is what Certified American Grown is doing, pursuing the American Grown Act!

Since we know you are an American Grown fan and you support our homegrown farms, we ask that you please join us in taking up action and join our farmers in asking for the passage of the AGA. You can simply sign on your support by visiting American grown flowers website, but if you would like to get more involved, we would greatly appreciate it if you would contact your Congressional representative and your Senators and ask them to stand with our farms and ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor in support of the American Grown Act!  Our farmers, their families, employees, and our entire American Grown flower and foliage community appreciate it, because origin truly does matter!