Can We Turn the Green-Lining into a Green-Collar World?

05.09.2021

People who work with plants are generally an optimistic bunch. We embrace the power of plants. We know how they can calm, soothe, heal, nourish and inspire. We know they make a positive difference to our physical and mental health. We also know they can help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges including the changing climate and feeding a growing population. And because of this, we identified a plant-based “green-lining” in the global pandemic.

While no pandemic has a “silver-lining,” we saw a “green-lining” emerge and wrote about it on our BLOG. The growing interest in houseplants, home vegetable and flower gardens, and improving backyards, patios and balconies were all an unexpected boost for the plant industry. Demand for flowers, trees, plants, seeds, and other garden supplies frequently exceeded the available supply. Often delays in getting product to consumers were due to supply-chain issues; but more often, it was because of the lack of a workforce to get the products to market. That said, Seed Your Future ended 2020 with palpable excitement about the future.

Our mission to grow awareness of the power of plants and the rewards of careers working with plants seemed to be poised right where we wanted it to be. After all, with the growing interest in plants, if we do our job well, we can turn that into more interest in careers working with plants - right? We were riding high with enthusiasm and declared 2021 the Year of Plant Power.

With our awareness campaigns and projects with partners such as Scholastic launched in full force, and our movement’s volunteers full of optimism and drive, I found myself caught unprepared when a phone call challenged my thinking.

In talking with a seasoned horticulture professional, he expressed pessimism that the “green-lining” would have any long-term impact on appreciation for plants and interest in careers working with plants. He surprised me, and I admit my first reaction was one of exasperation (who wants to listen to Cassandra when you are Pollyanna?). I refrained from jumping through the phone to tell him how wrong he was. Instead, I asked questions about his perspective. He noted other times in history when he thought renewed interest in plants (e.g., Victory Gardens of the 1940’s) did not translate into long-term plant-passion and plant-career interest.

I heard him. I understood his points. And I questioned, will this “green-lining” indeed be different?

By a coincidence of timing, that same week we were judging the Scholastic BLOOM! Plant Mash-up contest submissions from students across the country. Almost 5,000 middle-schoolers identified challenges in their own community, then imagined a plant-based solution founded on the qualities of two plants they “mashed-up.” What an incredible inspiration! The students were so thoughtful and creative. Our judges had a challenging time selecting the winners. Check out the winning submissions here. It renewed my optimism. These students get it. They are our future. But will that be enough?

Alone, it won’t be enough. But together, we can be more than enough. We can change the trajectory. We can eliminate plant apathy. We can inspire more young people to pursue the “green-collar” careers that will make a difference to our world. How do we do it? Our job is to show others the way. Review the tips we shared in 2020 – they still ring true today.

If each of us can inspire even one person to pursue a green-collar career, we can ensure a strong pipeline of future talent — talent that will take the reigns and provide the technology, science, art, education and business acumen to ensure the future of our people and our planet. Together we can turn this green-lining into a world with a bounty of green-collar professionals. Join us in seeding the future by seeding their future!

Have a plant power idea to share, or a comment about this BLOG post? Share your thoughts here.

- Susan E. Yoder, IOM is the executive director of Seed Your Future.

Paul B. Redman is an award-winning leader of public gardens, known for his dedication to the beauty and sustainability of gardens, and to the training of future generations of horticulture professionals. A hallmark of Paul’s leadership is building a culture of planning to propel a shared vision forward.

Over the last 12 years, Paul has implemented institutional and strategic reforms that have positioned the Gardens as a premier horticultural, cultural, and educational institution of the 21st Century, while respecting the values of its founder, Pierre S. du Pont. The result has been nothing short of astounding with overall attendance doubling to almost 1.6 million visitors per year; an incredible climb in Membership support from 17,000 to 66,000 households; and earned income that has almost tripled. Most recently and notably, Paul led one of largest projects in Longwood’s history: the $90-plus million revitalization of the Main Fountain Garden, which reopened in May 2017.

A consummate professional, Paul freely shares his time and expertise, serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Garden Conservancy; Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair for Seed Your Future, a national initiative to promote awareness and careers in horticulture; and previously serving as Board President and Treasurer of the American Public Gardens Association. His honors include: 2018 National Garden Clubs Award of Excellence; 2017 Distinguished Alumnus from the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University; 2016 American Public Gardens Association Award of Merit; the International Garden Tourism Network’s 2015 Person of the Year; 2015 American Horticultural Society’s Professional Award; 2014 Wyck Strickland Award; 2014 American Society of Horticultural Science’s Dr. William A. “Tex” Frazier Lecturer; 2012 CEO of the Year by the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Business & Industry; 2008 Distinguished Horticulture Alumnus from Oklahoma State University; and where his professional career first began, Franklin Park Conservatory, receiving the Ann Islay Wolfe Award for extraordinary contributions to the organization.

Paul has been working and studying in the field of public horticulture for more than 25 years. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Science Degree in Horticulture from Oklahoma State University.

John M. Dole is Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs at North Carolina State University and past Chairman of the Board of the American Society for Horticultural Science. John began a lifelong interest in horticulture by working at a local farm market, growing cut flowers in his garden for sale, and picking strawberries, raspberries, apples, and pears for local commercial operations.

He received a B.S. degree from Michigan State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, both in the area of Horticulture. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Dole moved to the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University in 2000, becoming Director of Graduate Programs in 2004 and Department Head in 2011.

He has a long history of significant research, teaching, extension, and outreach contributions to the field of floriculture, most notably in the areas of production and postharvest handling of cut flowers, cuttings and poinsettias. His students have excelled in a variety of industry, public garden, governmental, or academic positions. As Department Head he focused on student recruitment into horticulture and spreading the word about the benefits of horticulture.

Dr. Dole specializes in floricultural crops research and teaches floriculture courses including Greenhouse Management, HS 440, and Production of Floriculture Crops, HS 442 . In addition, he serves as Executive Advisor for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, and co-authored Floriculture Principles and Species, 2nd edition, 2005, with Harold F. Wilkins.

Dr. Dole has been involved with the Seed Your Future movement since it's founding in 2014. He was an inaugural member of the Steering Committee, and served on the Advisory Council until late 2018 when he joined the National Leadership Cabinet.