May 3, 2017
NGB, AAS Team Up for Summer Summit By Tim Hodson

If you are looking for a great opportunity to network with other growers and industry professionals and tour some amazing trial gardens, growing facilities and retail outlets, then mark the first week of September on your calendar.

That is when All-America Selections (AAS) and National Garden Bureau (NGB) will host a joint Summer Summit in Rochester, New York.

The Summer Summit is the organizations’ annual gathering for growers, judges, breeders, brokers, retailers and anyone who would like to attend to learn more about AAS, meet the NGB members and see several of the many AAS trials locations.

This year the organizations also will be partnering with the Home Garden Seed Association (HGSA) to host a back-to-back event in Canandaigua, New York.

Registration is now open for the combined meetings that will take place Sept. 5-8. Attendance is open to anyone in the horticulture industry.

A welcome reception will take place on the evening of Sept. 5, at the Holiday Inn Rochester Downtown. The following three days will include tours to various stops in the Finger Lakes area.

A daily schedule overview is listed below:

Sept. 6: Tour stops include the Wegman’s Super Store, Harris Seeds’ trials and offices, Greentopia, Green Vision’s cut flower farm and the ecodistrict renaturalization around the falls. The annual AAS Awards Banquet will take place in the evening.

Sept. 7: The group will travel to Canandaigua (and change hotels) to meet up with HGSA for tours of Wegman’s Organic Farm, Bejo’s vegetable trials and Sakata Seeds’ trials.

Sept. 8: Further exploration in the Finger Lakes area includes tours of Seneca Vegetable Research, Cornell University, HGSA’s trials and the New York Wine and Culinary Center.

A detailed itinerary will be available closer to the meeting date.

There are four different attendee registration options, click here to learn more about the different packages.

— Tim

 

Lowe’s Expands Military Discount Program

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. announced it is expanding its military discount program by offering 10 percent off personal purchases every day to current and honorably discharged members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The new program uses a MyLowes card for quick identification, is available both in U.S. stores and on Lowes.com, and offers easy online enrollment. The discount is effective immediately. Current and former military personnel can enroll in the program by visiting Lowes.com/military and completing short personal profile.

Meijer Opens New Supercenters in Indiana and Wisconsin

Michigan-based Meijer continues to grow in the Midwest with the opening of three new supercenters in Wisconsin and Indiana. The retailer plans to open seven new supercenters this year as part of an investment of more than $375 million and 22 different remodel projects throughout its six-state footprint. The new stores are located in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and McCordsville and Franklin, Indiana.  As part of its ongoing community support, Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profit to charitable organizations annually. Each store also works with local food pantries and banks to help fight hunger at the local level.

Wal-Mart’s Project Gigaton Creates Sustainability Toolkit for Suppliers

Last month during Wal-Mart’s annual Milestone Summit, the company launched a sustainability platform inviting suppliers to join the company in committing to reduce emissions from their operations and supply chains. Dubbed Project Gigaton, this initiative will provide an emissions reduction toolkit to a broad network of suppliers seeking to eliminate 1 gigaton of emissions, focusing on areas such as manufacturing, materials and use of products by 2030. That number is the equivalent to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off of U.S. roads and highways for a year.


Tim Hodson




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