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In This Issue ...
- Renew Your CalFlowers Membership Dues by May 31!
- San Francisco's Union Square in Bloom
- That Flower Feeling Thanks Miley Cyrus
- 2023-2024 Membership Directory Has Been Sent Out
- 2023 Member Appreciation Meeting
- "New" Member Spotlight
- Transportation Updates
- Welcome New CalFlowers Members
2023 Events:
Texas Floral Expo 2023 - "Emersion"
June 23 - 25, 2023
Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center
Slow Flowers Summit
June 26 - 27, 2023
Bellevue Botanical Garden Bellevue, WA
AIFD - "Grow"
Hilton Chicago
July 1 - 5, 2023
Chicago, IL
CalFlowers "Member Appreciation" Meeting
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel
August 18, 2023
San Diego, CA
SAF "Phoenix 2023"
The Westin Kierland
Resort & Spa
September 6 - 9, 2023
Phoenix, AZ
World Floral Expo 2023
Jacob. K. Javits Center
September 7 - 8, 2023
New York, NY
Latest Legislation
Updates:
Click Here to read the latest Legislative updates.
Is a cooperative effort to get more Americans enjoying more flowers, more often. From upscale florists, farmers markets or grocery stores — as long as people are bringing home flowers regularly, that’s good enough for us.
We want everyone to experience the impact of flowers on a daily basis. They’re a beautiful, natural dose of feel-good, so why should they be reserved for special occasions?
Even the most modest bouquet of flowers can have all sorts of positive short and long term effects on how we feel — in other words, it’s that flower feeling.
Click Here and request access to all of the FREE Assets That Flower Feeling has to offer.
FLOWERS.
SELF CARE MADE EASY.
Self care has become a lot of work. You gotta pamper, practice mindfulness, balance life and work, and be awesome at all of them. Flowers on the other hand are self care made easy. They won't replace working out or eating well. But they're a spiritual tune-up. So treat yourself to a little off-the-shelf self care.
CalFlowers Featured
"New Member" Spotlights
To see all of our past Featured "New Member" Spotlight stories Click Here.
If your company would like to be a featured "New Member", please contact Monnaie Pepin for more details.
Past CalFlowers Newsletters
Click Here to view past CalFlowers Newsletters now available on our website.
CalFlowers News
Our goal is to communicate with our members and interested parties on a monthly basis about recent, past, and upcoming events, program updates, and general information about CalFlowers engagement in the industry on behalf of the membership.
If you have an announcement or story you think our members should see, contact Monnaie Pepin, Director of Communications, Events and Administration.
2023 - 2024
Membership Directory Available Online
To purchase additional printed copies of the 2023 - 2024 Membership Directory please Contact Jordan Richardson.
For Members Only Access
Click Here for a quick reference guide on how to log into the members only site.
CalFlowers
Social Media
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Renew Your CalFlowers Membership Dues by May 31!
The 2023/2024 CalFlowers’ membership dues renewal notification was emailed on April 1, 2023. CalFlowers’ member benefits include discounted transportation rates from FedEx, GLS, and select airlines, discounted professional services, your company’s listing in the online and printed Membership directory, an invitation to the biennial Fun 'N Sun convention, networking opportunities within the floral community, and much more.
Please make payment before May 31, 2023, to retain your member benefits and a chance to win That Flower Feeling swag and a $50 gift card. CalFlowers will host one gift card drawing each week leading up to the membership renewal deadline on May 31st. That is 8 chances to win! If you are drawn as the winner, you will be able to select between a virtual Visa, Amazon, or Starbucks gift card.
The membership renewal email has a link and instructions on how to pay your dues invoice online using your credit card.
If paying by check make payment to:
California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers
1588 South Mission Road, Suite 100
Fallbrook, CA 92028
If you do not receive your dues renewal via email or have any questions or concerns, please contact Jordan Richardson at info@cafgs.org or (831) 217-3423.
Note: To ensure that you receive the dues renewal notification emails from CalFlowers, you can whitelist cafgs@memberclicks-mail.net by adding it to your list of Safe Senders. If you are not sure how to do this, please contact your company's technical support team.
San Francisco's Union Square in Bloom
Union Square has a rich history and tradition with flowers. For decades, flowers were handed out to visitors walking through Maiden Lane; several flower stands brighten up the district and Flower Bulb Day decoratively blankets Union Square Park with thousands of Tulips. Our mission with Union Square in Bloom to bring back this colorful tradition with a modern twist every Spring!
The Union Square Alliance has partnered with the San Francisco Flower Mart for the second annual activation of "Union Square in Bloom" with the goal of bringing beauty and a sense of place to the district through vibrant floral displays and interactive programming.
As the heart of San Francisco's special-moments district, Union Square in Bloom invites visitors and residents to revel in the season's vibrant spirit. This spectacular urban garden celebrates community and creativity, elevating the simple act of strolling through the streets into an enchanting sensory experience.
Click Here to read more.
That Flower Feeling Thanks Miley Cyrus
When Miley Cyrus unintentionally captures your brand purpose in a song, there’s only one thing that can be done: thank her for the selfless act and make her your unofficial ambassador.
The lyrics in Miley’s billboard-topping song Flowers, “I can buy myself flowers” have become an anthem for self-empowerment. Turning what’s typically seen as a romantic gift into a rebellious act of self-care.
It’s a message that’s not far from what the flower brand, ThatFlower Feeling, has been communicating to consumers. As Heather Lewis, Strategy Director at 180 Amsterdam explained: “That Flower Feeling has always believed that flowers are a powerful and simple act of self-care. One with benefits backed by science. So, when we heard Miley singing the same tune, we knew we had to thank her properly.”
But when it came to thanking Miley, That Flower Feeling couldn’t send her a regular floral gift. Because, as per the song’s lyrics, Miley doesn’t need anyone to do that for her. So instead, That Flower Feeling thanked her with the next best thing: a customized vase that perfectly captures her boldly defiant spirit.
Made personal with Miley’s tattoos, the hand vase’s curious shape is designed to either be seen as a raised fist for self-empowerment or a bold sign to her ex, depending on how she feels. With the latter gesture resulting in a pose that has become part of the rebellious singer’s personal brand.
But That Flower Feeling didn’t stop there. The brand has also taken out billboards in the singer’s neighborhood, as well as a mobile billboard in LA, to personally thank her for celebrating flowers as the ultimate act of self-care.
Steve Dionne, Executive Director at That Flower Feeling said: “When one of the world’s most famous pop stars sings about what your business stands for, you must join the conversation. By thanking Miley on a larger-than-life scale, we’re able to stoke the cultural fire and make sure That Flower Feeling appreciates its newest, unofficial ambassador.”
2023-2024 Membership Directory Has Been Sent Out
We are excited to announce that the 2023-2024 Membership Directories were distributed to all CalFlowers’ members on Friday, April 7. The directory is a valuable reference tool that highlights CalFlowers’ services, benefits, and members! We encourage our members to utilize the directory as a resource to connect with fellow members, search for floral availability, identify new collaborators and potential service providers, and learn about the benefits available to you. Our board and staff are grateful for our members and partners and look forward to supporting the floral sector for many years to come.
We would like to send a special shout out to all the companies that have advertised in the 2023-2024 Membership directory. Please review their ads and support their businesses. Let them know that you found them in the CalFlowers Membership Directory!
For more information or if you have questions, please contact: Jordan Richardson - Ph. (831) 217-3423.
2023 Member Appreciation Meeting
New Member Spotlight
 Little Farmhouse Flowers is a specialty cut flower farm in the Adirondack Park of northern New York State offering wholesale cut flowers, bulbs, and knowledge-based resources to other florists and growers. Founded by a former teacher, the business has evolved from serving mostly local retail consumers to a national wholesale customer base through the development of programs, like the Cut Flower Shipping Mini Course, and the farm’s ability to ship flowers to florists in more populated areas.
Their short online Cut Flower Shipping Mini course offers flower farmers insight into the many elements that factor into our shipping processes including sustainability, product selection, packaging, temperature considerations, carriers, discounted shipping rates, postage & labels, automation, terms & conditions, and marketing benefits. It provides helpful language for communicating policies and navigating challenging situations, templates and links for sourcing supplies, and a means to ask questions and suggest improvements to the materials. The content is available online and with unlimited access.
 “The whole course was incredibly helpful for me, as I'm totally new to considering a shipping option for my farm. Each portion was important to consider, and I especially appreciated the resources and links to products mentioned at the end.” -Bess, Southbound Flowers.
To learn more about Little Farmhouse Flowers and their online courses, visit littlefarmhouseflowers.com.
Transportation
With Mother’s Day approaching, we will be sending out our usual holiday shipping schedules / information this week and will update it as needed right up to Mother’s Day.
For our members who plan to ship box counts over and above historical / normal Mother's Day volumes, these projections must be communicated to FedEx to ensure your shipments get processed on time. In this very busy shipping environment that we find ourselves in, please note that failure to communicate higher than normal / historical Mother's Day volumes run the risk of FedEx leaving your shipments behind due to capacity constraints. Of note, since the holiday falls on a Sunday, Saturday delivery fees remain at our normal 50% off.
For our FedEx Shippers, I strongly recommend checking the “Service Alerts” section of the FedEx website each morning for the latest. Here is the link: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html. Here you will find the most current alerts and service disruption alerts updated each day.
A few reminders:
- FedEx has reinstated the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) for CalFlowers members for Priority and Standard Overnight only however, keep in mind, delays due to hazardous or disruptive weather are not eligible for shipping credits. Remember also that the MBG is not automatic. You need to request in on the website www.fedex.com.
- As of late, we have seen a rise in incorrect invoicing due lack of box dims being listed on the waybill. As a best practice, be sure to indicate the box dimensions on your booking/waybill as this will help if there is a dispute regarding the size of your box and ultimately your invoice.
- I have also seen an increase in incorrect billing mainly due to scanning errors creating incorrect box sizes and/or logging incorrect weights making the invoice typically higher than expected. To inquire, contact the FedEx billing dept. (800-622-1147) and have them open a file/case. They will investigate and be in touch. If you need help, your local FedEx rep can help. See #4 below.
- For those wanting to know who your FedEx representative is, or if you want to be contacted by FedEx, please email me your FedEx account number and I will respond with information on your FedEx contact. It’s always a good practice, if possible, to establish a relationship with your FedEx representative. They can be an asset when needed.
- Remember also that you can have your shipments held at your nearby FedEx Office instead being delivered to your door. Having shipments held at your local FedEx office can help with temperature management since your boxes will be stored in a temperature-controlled office rather riding in a truck all morning. It’s also true that you can drop off your shipments at your local FedEx office. This can be advantage for some parts of the country where having your packages standing by in FedEx office is preferable to being in a truck for hours.
- As we know, keeping an eye on the weather, nationally as well as locally is important, and a great way of doing that is by routinely checking the “Service Alerts” section of the FedEx website each morning for the latest. Here is the link: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/service-alerts.html. Here you will find the most current alerts and service disruption alerts updated each day.
- For those looking for the very latest news from FedEx. This site is recommended, https://newsroom.fedex.com/
As costs rise for our carriers, surcharges have risen as well across the board, especially FUEL. For those members wanting to reference the latest FedEx Surcharges and Fees click HERE. Remember, CalFlowers members have many significant discounts on these surcharges which add excellent value to our program. For a list our surcharge discounts, please refer to the FedEx Program Summary on our website.
For members looking for the latest Program Summary and Rates for 2023, they can be found posted up on our website with all our other shipping program. Please visit www.cafgs.org
To all our new members who are just starting with FedEx shipping, they have a nice “Customer Training” service that is available upon request. This service offers shippers direct one-on-one assistance from FedEx covering many of the questions new shippers may have. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Chris Johnson chris@cafgs.org. FedEx also has some excellent information for new shippers on their website. Visit: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/get-started.html for a good summary of what FedEx offers
For members needing FedEx Tech Support, this phone number takes your right into the department (877) 339-2774. They can help with many tech-related issues including guidance regarding on-line shipping platforms.
We would also like to remind members to stay current with their FedEx Express shipping invoices. FedEx payment terms are 15 days. All members shipping on FedEx Express are expected to stay within the FedEx payment terms. To obtain your invoice details and payment options, please contact FedEx Customer Service.
The CalFlowers GLS program is one of our popular, most value-priced offerings, with discounts well over 70% off standard rates. GLS offers later pick-ups and earlier deliveries while providing express door-to-door services covering CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, NM, UT, and ID. Members who want to ship on GLS must sign up in advance. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes. Please contact Chris Johnson for more details at (760) 533-5580 or chris@cafgs.org.
For shippers shipping volumes significantly over and above your normal, we ask that you inform your driver or terminal of your expectations. Members shipping GLS can also notify me directly with those volume counts and I will pass on the information - chris@cafgs.org
There are a couple of areas that we have been working on to improve our popular GLS Door to Door program and we are pleased to report the following:
- GLS will now honor product claims. Yes, if GLS is at fault (acts of God, not included) and the product arrives damaged, significantly late, or just missing, members now can file a claim. We highly recommend member shippers to indicate the correct Declared Value to be covered.
- GLS will credit (100%) of the shipping costs if your shipment is not delivered on the day promised. Again, bad weather is excluded. Members will need to request this within 48 hours at customerservice@gls-us.com.
- GLS has given our account access to a special premium team of Customer Service agents. This high-level group was designed for fast response and problem solving. Please contact Chris Johnson for access to this important resource.
GLS also has a new revamped website. Check it out at https://www.gls-us.com. Additionally, I recommend trying this handy Delivery Rates & Times Calculator to view delivery dates and estimated time of arrival.
Airlines:
For the latest in Alaska Cargo New, Check out this https://www.alaskaaircargoconnections.com/
For those that missed the news, Mike Narowski is our new Alaska Air Cargo Account Executive. Mike comes with a vast amount of industry experience, and we are happy to have him. Mike can be reached at mike.narowski@alaskaair.com
If you have been taking advantage of our new CalFlowers/Alaska Airlines shipping program, you know this offering really delivers when it comes to value. Our program offers EXCELLENT pricing to many areas of the country from California, while adding a few new destinations such as Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage. Check out all the program details on our website. To sign-up, contact Chris Johnson at chris@cafgs.org.
NOTE: Transportation Rate information and documents are viewable/downloadable as PDFs on the CalFlowers Members Only site. Please note that these documents are considered sensitive material and are available to the primary contacts for Ag Buddy, Associate Floral, Associate Grower, and Floral members.
Welcome New CalFlowers Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new CalFlowers members from March 21 - April 11, 2023:
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