The Senate was racing to complete action before the Memorial Day recess on a bill that includes a critical amendment designed to give growers access to the workforce they need to keep crops in the pipeline.

Floral industry members and other parties interested in a spot on the committee that will help develop the first national standard for sustainable agriculture have been given another extension for submitting their applications to the Leonardo Academy.

As fires continue to burn in South Florida, some florists are finding it difficult to deliver orders due to congested traffic conditions and road closures.

In a significant victory for the floriculture industry, the House and the Senate passed the conference report on House Resolution 2419, commonly known as the "Farm Bill." 

If results from a new survey are any indication, many Americans will spend their federal tax rebates on necessities, not discretionary items.

Two SAF members didn't shy away from recent opportunities to represent the floral industry by building critical relationships with a local lawmaker and newspaper.

Millions of air travelers will hear about scientifically proven benefits of flowers this summer, thanks to a Sky Radio campaign featuring an interview with Stan Pohmer Jr., executive director of the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO).

An in-store promotion April 25 at Kremp Florist in Philadelphia drew a crowd of more than 450 people, generated a customer e-mail list of almost 300 and helped the shop clear out inventory — all with "basically no cost" to the business. How did they do it? Webkinz.

A Texas wholesaler and a retail florist joined forces to put a new spin on an educational program designed to get kids interested in flowers.

Rising gas and grocery costs are dominating headlines, but soaring health premiums remain a top concern of employers, according to Workforce Week.

Knock. Knock. There's a TV reporter and a camera crew at your door. Will you know how to make the most of the opportunity and present your company in the best possible light? Learn the tricks of the trade at the Media Interview Boot Camp, Saturday Sept. 20 during SAF Palm Beach 2008. 

• "Keys to Communication" by SAF's PFCI featuring Sharon McGukin, AAF, AIFD, PFCI: July 7, 2-3 p.m. in Chicago, in conjunction with the AIFD National Symposium.
• SAF Palm Beach 2008: Sept. 17-20, 2008, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla.

Teleflora's coronation of "America's Favorite Mom" was the most viewed story from last week's E-Brief.

Help your brides-to-be make their wedding planning less stressful. SAF's
Wedding Flower Calculator makes it easy for your wedding customers to
calculate their flower budget. Just download the calculator from the
Sales and Business Tools page on SAF's Web site,  enter your shop
information and flower prices into the simple Excel spreadsheet, and
load it onto your Web site. Brides enter the quantities they need and the
worksheet calculates approximately how much they can expect to spend.
They can even compare three different budget levels (Economy, Most
Popular, and Premium). Requires Microsoft Excel.

Proper definitions and landmark celebrations were the focus of new posts on the discussion boards.

When it comes to which observance generates the most sales in April/May, last week's e-poll says that National Teacher's Day/Week is on top.

Percent of Americans Buying Fresh Flowers or Plants for Mother's Day

Source: Synovate's eNation online survey, commissioned by SAF, of 1,000 adults age 18 or older in the contiguous U.S., conducted May 12-14, 2008.

Despite the current economic situation, the proportion of American adults purchasing fresh flowers or plants for Mother's Day held steady compared to 2007. A solid 36.7 percent of adult consumers purchased floral gifts for the holiday, less than one half of one percent below the finding in 2007 (37.1 percent). Forty-three percent of adult males and 31 percent of adult females made floral purchases for Mother' Day.