Three Young Adults Planting Crops

CASE FOR SUPPORT

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Plants power our lives—from the food we eat to the air we breathe, the beauty around us to the innovations ahead. Yet too many people overlook the essential role plants—and plant professionals—play in our world.

Seed Your Future is changing that.

We’re on a mission to promote horticulture and inspire the next generation to pursue careers working with plants. By cultivating awareness, curiosity, and opportunity, we’re planting seeds that will grow into a stronger, more sustainable future—for people, communities, and the planet.

Join us as we elevate the power of plants and the promise of plant-powered careers.

 

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THE NEED

Industries need more qualified applicants to fill the wealth of career opportunities in horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, and other plant professions. Original research performed by SYF and our partners found the following:

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The industry’s needs are expanding

48% of employers are planning to increase hiring needs over the next two years.

The labor pool is not growing

Of the 59,400 annual job openings in food, agriculture, and natural resources, universities supply only 61% of the required students, leaving a 31% gap in qualified horticulture industry applicants.

The workforce is aging

25% are over the age of 40.

WHY? 

Most Americans don’t understand or appreciate the industry, the diversity of careers available, and even the term “horticulture.” Parents often discourage their children from pursuing careers in horticulture because they have a stereotype of available jobs and doubt their child’s future ability to earn a living in the field. On average, schools stop teaching about plants in the third grade. Yet data shows students make career decisions in middle school.

The good news is that once adults learn about the industry and the diversity of careers, their views become highly positive. From there, they can share the breadth of opportunities available in the horticulture industry with students and seed the next generation of horticulturists.

OUR UNIQUE APPROACH

Theory of Change: We are cultivating relationships with educators and with horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, and other plant industry professionals to build a green-collar workforce. We engage youth and people at all stages of life to create a positive perception of these industries and develop a strong pipeline of future talent.

We focus our work on four areas; awareness, education, workforce development, and strong partnerships, all aimed at securing a thriving green industry future.

 

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AWARENESS

Creating a positive perception of horticulture and increasing awareness of careers working with plants.

Our Parent and Educator Resources like DIY Plant Videos provide hands-on activities that are fun and exciting.

BLOOM! is an interactive website and one-stop shop where students can “find their plant power”, teachers can find lesson plans and resources and anyone can learn about plant careers.

Our Career Exploration Tool allows students and their families to explore hundreds of horticulture career pathways. Then students can use our Where to Study and Scholarship Locator tools to make their dreams a reality.

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EDUCATION

Engaging and exciting youth about horticulture and careers working with plants

SYF’s Immersive Professional Development for Educators Seed to STEM empowers high school science teachers nationwide to ignite students’ interest in horticultural careers. Over one week, educators participate in hands-on experiences in ornamental horticulture, floral, food, fiber, and natural resource production industries to showcase the breadth of career opportunities available for their students. From there, they can translate their knowledge into the classroom.

Our Plant Mash-Up Contest engages students from middle school to higher education to envision, draw, and describe their own hybrid plant to solve a challenge in their community. Teachers pick a winner based on our rubric and we celebrate and uplift those students on our social media.

Workforce LogoWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Increasing the size of the plant-focused workforce and developing a strong pipeline of future talent

Green Career Week is a national movement where industry professionals connect with local schools in their backyard to showcase the various career paths available at their businesses.

Plant Power Quiz helps people learn what career best fits their interests and personality.

Our myth-busting Horticultural Salary Survey shows the breadth of salaries and career opportunities across several sectors ranging from floriculture, public gardens, garden centers, and landscapes to fruits and vegetables.

On SYF’s website, students can locate internships to study horticulture, gardening, floriculture, landscape design, urban gardening, and many more options in the world of plants.

Our Job Board features a wealth of career opportunities and job openings in horticulture, floriculture, agriculture, and other plant professions.

Partnerships LogoPARTNERSHIPS

Cultivating and strengthening partnerships to drive the mission

From FFA to STEM Teacher conferences, SYF engages future green industry employees at key career events.

SYF boasts 15 board members and 25 advisory members representing education, industry, and workforce development including:

  • Horticultural businesses (such as Ball Horticultural Company, Syngenta Flowers, Proven Winners, Bailey Nurseries, and American Plant Products and Services),
  • Public gardens (including Longwood Gardens, The Morton Arboretum and The Chicago Botanic Garden),
  • Colleges and universities (including 2- and 4 –year institutions), and
  • Other horticulture organizations (such as the Garden Clubs of America, The American Floral Endowment, and the American for Zoological Horticulture).
Donate Now Call to ActionYoung man planting crops

 

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More than 18,000 middle school students have created a fictional hybrid plant that solves a problem in their community through our Plant Mash-Up Contest.

Green Career Week engaged 1 million people through social media, and with over 200 businesses.

Engaged with more than 11,000 students since our inaugural 2022 Green Career Week

Reached 700,000 middle-school teachers with BLOOM! lesson plans and activities

Created an interactive “Where to Study” map for students

70,000+ subscribers receive emails and content from SYF

Over 400,000 website page views annually

The Seed to STEM educator professional development has the potential of reaching 90,000 students through the 30 high school science teacher participants.

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WHY SEED YOUR FUTURE?

Seed Your Future is uniquely equipped to close the workforce gap in horticulture.

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Deep Industry ExpertiseOur specialization in horticulture gives us unique insight into its challenges and opportunities.

Seed Your Future focuses exclusively on the horticultural industry, giving us a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities within it. This specialization enables us to direct our efforts with precision and to create solutions that directly address the workforce gap rather than broad, one-size-fits-all strategies.

Comprehensive ApproachFrom awareness campaigns to partnerships and research, we address the workforce gap on multiple fronts.

We use a multifaceted strategy to strengthen the horticulture workforce: raising awareness, launching educational initiatives, conducting vital research, and forming strategic partnerships. This holistic approach allows us to connect students, educators, and employers while ensuring that no piece of the pipeline is overlooked.

Data-Driven Strategies Ongoing research and measurement keep our solutions relevant and effective.

Through surveys, studies, and industry feedback, we collect data that informs every decision. This ensures that our programs remain aligned with the evolving needs of the horticulture industry and that we can pivot quickly when challenges or opportunities shift.

Education at the CoreWe inspire the next generation while dispelling misconceptions about horticulture.

Education and awareness aren’t just part of our mission—they are the heart of it. By working with schools, teachers, and families, we show students the exciting career paths in horticulture. At the same time, we help correct outdated perceptions so that young people, parents, and career changers see horticulture as a thriving, impactful field.

Decade of Dedication With 10+ years of commitment, we’ve built a diverse network of industry leaders, educators, and supporters.

Our track record stretches over a decade, proving our long-term commitment to workforce development. Along the way, we’ve engaged corporations, individuals, foundations, and professionals—building a coalition that supports sustainable and lasting change in the industry.

Sustainable Future We believe horticulture careers are vital to a vibrant and sustainable world.

At the core of Seed Your Future’s mission is a belief that horticulture careers are not just jobs—they’re essential to the health of our planet and communities. By elevating these careers, we help ensure a greener, more resilient, and more sustainable future.