Spring Meadow Endowment Fund Hits New Target
Spring Meadow Nursery and the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) recently announced that the Spring Meadow – Proven Winners Endowment Fund has topped $800,000.
The funds are raised by Spring Meadow’s customer base of “Plant Geeks” and matched by the company, assuring the continued availability of capital to support scholarships and horticultural research.
Dale and Liz Deppe established the Endowment Fund with HRI in 1999 with the belief that bright, well-trained and qualified people are essential to the green industry and that backing motivated students plays a vital role in protecting and growing the industry. HRI helps students obtain the education necessary to successfully pursue horticultural careers.
A total of 26 scholarships have been awarded to students since 2004. Last November horticultural students Kristin Neill, Madeline Olberg, and Cornell Ph.D. student Brandon Miller, were recipients of the 2017 round of scholarships, bringing the total amount of awards distributed to over $63,000.
The students were chosen from a competitive national applicant pool for their academic achievements, exemplary leadership abilities and commitment to pursuing careers in horticulture.
In addition to scholarships, the Spring Meadow-Proven Winners Endowment Fund has provided nearly $100,000 to support horticultural research that meets industry-approved standards for value, impact and accountability. The fund seeks to support research that has definable outcomes and represents a return on investment for the green industry.