Take advantage of the Top Picks program, marketing initiatives and educational resources to leverage Proven Winners' newest plants and programs to boost floral businesses. Proven Winners is ready to be your partner in growing sales with new plants and programs for the 2026 season. By focusing on plants that solve both greenhouse growing and consumer gardening challenges, Proven Winners’ 2026 lineup of new varieties is optimized for grower and retailer success. Each year, Proven Winners pairs world-class genetics with multimillion-dollar consumer marketing campaigns to deliver customers looking

Philip Henry, who served as president of the Henry Avocado Corp. in Escondido, CA, since the early 2000s, died June 30 of natural causes. Mr. Henry was born in Long Beach, CA, on June 23, 1945 and grew up in the area, graduating from Cal State University at Long Beach in 1968. While his first cousins, Gil and Warren Henry, had an avocado growing, packaging and shipping operation in Escondido, that was not a career Phil Henry was expecting to enter. However, in the late 1970s, Mr. Henry expanded his own opportunities by studying for and receiving a real estate license. Soon he was specializing

Kurt Zuhlke has seen the future of waste management in the produce industry and he very much likes what he sees. Now, the long-time president and CEO of Bangor, PA-based Zuhlke & Associates just has to continue to educate and convince the produce industry, from farmers to wholesalers and retailers, as well as consumers, to get on board. Always an advocate for the use of PET-recycled materials, Zuhlke is upping the ante a bit, getting on his soapbox to explain to the industry — and consumers — the many benefits of recycled materials and other technologies that will clean up the planet, create a

BM2 Freight Services Inc. has hired Tim Hickey as business development manager, focused on expanding the company’s services in the fresh produce sector. Hickey brings more than a decade of experience in the produce industry, most recently serving as vice president of North American sales at a produce-focused media company. Prior to that, he spent 10 years with Blue Book Services, where he worked closely with produce businesses across North America.

No matter a bride’s chosen style or color theme, there is always a rose that fits the vision perfectly. From classic white varieties to soft pastel garden roses or clusters of miniature spray roses, the range of options is endless. Beyond their beauty, roses are remarkably robust when properly treated, making them ideal for bouquets and boutonnieres that need to last all day without water. For a stress-free wedding season, introduce brides to the unmatched beauty and versatility of roses. Care and Handling Vase Care The outer petals of roses, known as guard petals, often look different from

The Smith family has been farming in America since 1859. Despite all that boots-on-the-ground experience, what might have worked in the business before, even for a whole generation, doesn’t necessarily endure. “The propensity for generational business to press play then repeat is real,” said Tara Smith, CEO of Smith’s Farm Sales. “We want our anchor in history to be stabilizing but not keep us from exploring new things.” The East Coast-based grower-shipper identifies humility, gratitude and grit as key values that must be enduring. Smith said the company is always working to stay hungry to