Dümmen Orange Invests in the Future of Horticulture

Global plant breeder joins industry leaders in the United States in supporting Seed Your Future

Columbus, OH, November 7, 2017.  Dümmen Orange, leading flower breeder and producer, pledged $450,000 over the next three years to Seed Your Future, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote horticulture in the United States and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants.

“We are happy to be doing our part to invest in the future of US horticulture, a very important market for our organization and home to our North American headquarters,” says CEO Biense Visser. 

“A career in horticulture is still a secret to many, but once discovered inspires passions that lead to opportunities that flourish into a distinctive profession.  Seed Your Future is the vehicle to share this secret, enabling us to organize and to share the vast career possibilities available in horticulture with the next generation. Not only because a career in horticulture is a secret worth sharing, but because the future of our industry depends on it,” adds National Director Kate Santos.

“We are thrilled to have Dümmen Orange’s generous support for the Seed Your Future Movement,” said Susan E. Yoder, Executive Director.  “As a leading flower breeder and producer, they know the critical importance of horticulture to the future of our planet.  And, as a significant industry employer, they know how essential it is to have more people interested in pursuing careers across the art, science, technology and business of plants. Their generosity will enable us to make significant progress toward our goal to increase the skilled workforce and develop a strong pipeline of future talent in horticulture.”

Seed Your Future is a national initiative with multi-tiered strategies focused on reaching students at the age when they are most likely to form their initial career decisions (grades 7-8) and capitalize on this time in their lives with communications and support that will resonate with them and trigger them to choose plants. This is the only initiative of its kind in our industry with such laser focus on the next generation’s career planning support for horticulture.

SEED YOUR FUTURE
Seed Your Future is an initiative to promote horticulture awareness across the United States.  Supported by more than 150 partner organizations, including founding partners Longwood Gardens and the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Seed Your Future strives to grow the horticulture field by advancing career education programs for students in middle school through college. For more information, visit them at SeedYourFuture.org

More information:
Kate Santos – National Director, Dümmen Orange
k.santos@dummenorange.com / +1 614-826-3313