ASHS 2024 Conference

What do careers in the horticultural industry pay? To answer this question, Seed Your Future (SYF) in cooperation with the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and North Carolina State University jointly launched an industry-wide salary survey program in Fall 2022. The survey collected salary and benefits information on a broad range of positions from CEO to seasonal workers as well as hiring trends for eight horticultural sectors: floriculture/greenhouse, florist, nursery, landscape, public gardens, fruit/vegetables and other edibles, garden center/markets, and horticultural services. More information on the sectors can be found at: https://research.seedyourfuture.org/. Average production salaries ranging from a low of $30,160 for fruit/vegetable production seasonal workers to $98,590 for public garden production manager. Pay for most positions was above $40,000. Pay for administration positions was higher and ranged from $46,740 for public garden merchandizers and $50,800 for landscape inventory managers to over $100,000 for fruit/vegetable production maintenance managers at $120,580, horticultural services research/development managers at $129,750 and horticultural services sales managers at $132,633. Needless to say, executive positions were the highest paid. While the average salaries for several positions were relatively low, the large range of salaries for those positions indicates that some positions had high pay, likely where employees had greater longevity. Salaries for many of the administrative-type positions were higher and potential horticulture students need to be aware that these positions are open to them as well. Indeed, these positions could be attractive to students as they would allow them to combine a love of plants and horticulture with various other interests such as business management, marketing, IT, graphic design, etc. Overall, the most common benefits for employees were paid time off, professional development and medical. Other common benefits provided include dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement. A host of other benefits reported by individual companies included Employee Stock Ownership Plan, profit sharing, bonuses, short-term/long-term disability, vehicle, phone, purchase discounts, flexible working environment, meals, and wellness days. The outlook is bright. Future hiring plans were mostly split between increasing hiring (51%) and hiring at the same rate (43%). Few businesses in either sector planned to decreasing hiring. For those looking for positions at either large or small business, horticulture has it covered. Of the businesses surveyed, 54% had 21 or more employees and 46% had 20 or fewer employees.

There’s a colloquial belief that horticulture-based enrollment in associates, bachelors, master’s, and doctoral degrees across the United States is waning. However, based on data compiled by the Food and Agricultural Education Information System (FAEIS), enrollment in horticultural bachelor majors went from the lowest enrollment in twenty years in 2018 to reach the highest point in last ten years in 2021 (3786 students). Bachelor’s degree enrollment in the West has steadily increased over the last ten years, while remaining level in the South. Enrollment in the Midwest has been generally declining for the last 20 years, while enrollment in the Northeast has been declining since 2015. However, both of the latter regions showed an increase in 2021. The West has the highest proportion of students enrolled in horticulture as a percentage (0.15%) of the total number of public high school graduates. Enrollment in horticultural master’s programs reached a peak in 2018 and has been variable since. Doctoral horticultural enrollment peaked in 2018 and 2019, declining in 2020 and 2021. Associates degree enrollment remained generally level from 2002 to 2019; however, it declined to a ten-year low point in 2020 and recovered by about 1/3 in 2021 to 432 students. Horticulture associates degree students have been predominantly male for the last ten years. However, when turfgrass enrollment is excluded, horticulture disciplines were 42% female and 58% male in 2021. At the beginning of the reporting period, in 2002, horticultural science bachelor programs were predominantly male (62%); by 2021 female enrollment increased to 48%. Over the last twenty years, the gender ratio in horticultural master’s degrees has remained quite consistent with the percent of female students ranging from 44 to 50% and of male students generally a little higher at 46% to 54%. In 2002 about a third of the doctoral graduate students were female, with the percentage increasing over time such that it reached close to parity by 2021 with 52% male and 47% female. Enrollment across all the fields and degrees, except for doctoral, is predominantly White, non-Hispanic. The percentage of bachelor Hispanic students has increased over time, representing the largest ethnic group after White, non-Hispanic. Asian student numbers also increased but not to the same level as Hispanic students. The percentage of non-US citizens in doctoral degrees has been quite high for many years across all the plant-related areas and was often the largest category. Implications are discussed.

The average age of principal farm operators was 58.1 years in 2022. With this reality, agricultural educators, extension personnel, and agricultural businesses are looking for innovative strategies to recruit and effectively train the next generation of diverse farm operators. On-farm apprenticeships in the U.S. are an increasingly popular method of training future farmers. However, these apprenticeships tend to be informal with little or no formal curriculum. Registered apprenticeships are an emerging trend in workforce development with rapidly increasing popularity among non-traditional trade occupations such as healthcare and information technology, but are still relatively new in agriculture. Registered apprenticeship programs have been shown to help recruit and develop a diverse and highly skilled workforce, increase productivity, allow employers to participate in training, and increase job retention. At the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), we developed North Carolina’s first two registered agricultural apprenticeship programs. This session will cover the basic components of registered apprenticeships and how they can meet the growing need for skilled farm labor in vegetable operations. We will share how we created the Sustainable Vegetable Production Apprenticeship in North Carolina, including curriculum development, administrative logistics, and the opportunities and challenges associated with registered agricultural apprenticeships. We will also share reflections on the successes and challenges of our first three years of the program. During the first two pilot cohorts we had 123 applications with more than 40 applications from military veterans with 13 veterans joining the apprenticeship program. Our pilot program demonstrates that registered agricultural apprenticeships are a viable pathway for recruiting and effectively training veteran and minority beginning farmers.

Availability of trained labor is a challenge for greenhouse and nursery growers in the U.S., and access to online education is limited in many countries. To supply this need, the Greenhouse Training Online extension program was initiated in 2015 at the University of Florida (UF). The goal of the program is to deliver bilingual professional development training on horticultural science. Four-week courses on crop management topics (basic skills, nutrients, weeds, diseases, water quality, climate management, and economics) are delivered in English and Spanish using an eLearning platform. Each course consists of eight pre-recorded lessons and associated assignments, with interactive feedback provided by instructors via email or discussion forums. Mandatory pre- and post- evaluation surveys were used to measure impacts. For 2023, a total of 563 participants enrolled in seven courses with 473 successfully completing requirements (84%). The completion rate is high for an extension program because of asynchronous delivery across time zones and work schedules, specific deadlines, a course fee to increase perceived value, interaction with instructors to customize instruction, and a certificate of completion as a graduation reward. Participants included 23% international, and 17% completed lessons in Spanish. The majority (73%) of participants were industry professionals in production and other roles, and 71% indicated that their highest level of horticulture training was either learned on the job, or in high school. The proportion of students rating their technical knowledge in the course topics as very good to expert increased from 11% to 53% following the completion of the courses. Instructors are currently from 12 institutions, and Michigan State University (MSU) and UF have collaborated since 2022 on a "Plant Health Professional" certificate program through their combined institutions. We have a keen interest in collaborating with university and industry partners to develop a comprehensive and coordinated curriculum tailored to the needs of the industry. UF is well-positioned to assist in promoting, hosting, or translating courses, to mitigate barriers to course development and enhance accessibility for learners. Overall, the Greenhouse Training Online program has proven to be a sustainable model for bridging a gap in horticultural education, and empowering greenhouse and nursery growers with the knowledge and skills needed for success in their industry.

Invasive species pose significant threats including economic losses in agriculture and horticulture, decreased biodiversity, human and animal health hazards, disruption of native ecosystems, and more. In the U.S., the losses due to invasive species were historically estimated at around $120 billion annually, but a more recent study suggests this cost is much higher at $1.2 trillion. Florida is a high-risk state for the introduction and establishment of invasive species due to the state’s diversity of agricultural commodities, mild winters, large number of international deep-water ports and airports, and highly desirable tourism operations. Research shows that the public plays an important role in early detection of invasive species, but awareness is critical to the development of strong volunteer-based networks. Licensed pesticide applicators, often the first to observe suspicious pests, play a crucial role in both early detection and ongoing management of non-native species in Florida. To address these challenges, the First Fridays with Florida First Detector webinar program was developed. This yearlong pilot program offered one-hour lunch time webinars on the first Friday of every month beginning in September 2022. Leveraging innovative online education techniques, the program aimed to connect diverse professional and public audiences across Florida. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of invasive species issues, webinars engaged multiple stakeholder groups including farmers, horticultural professionals, landscapers, land managers, master gardener volunteers, homeowners, and beyond. The content focused on increasing knowledge about invasive species, including the identification of species not yet detected and recently introduced species in Florida. The goals were to promote early detection of new species, monitor the spread of recently introduced species, and offer sustainable management recommendations for species currently impacting Florida. Each month highlighted a different pest group including invasive fruit flies, palm pests, wood boring insects, citrus pests, snails, and more. Post-reflective surveys demonstrated that 94.7% (n=675) of respondents increased their knowledge on invasive species and 99.9% intended to adopt at least one practice learned. Six-month follow up surveys, evaluating behavior implementation over time, showed that 97.5% (n=166) of respondents had adopted at least one practice (i.e. submitted samples of suspicious pests, employed integrated pest management, etc.) since attending a webinar. The findings underscore the effectiveness of interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches in addressing invasive species challenges. This presentation will discuss the methodologies and experiences in developing and implementing the one-year pilot program as well as the program’s future directions and potential applicability to other regions.

In today's high schools, students are often unaware of the diverse and meaningful careers available in horticulture, especially within controlled environment agriculture (CEA). From machine learning to design engineering, CEA encompasses a wide range of technical fields, yet these opportunities are frequently overlooked in state-led agriculture curricula. This presentation underscores the need for improved national communication among agriculture teachers to develop effective programs that educate students about the rich array of horticulture careers. We advocate for the creation of equipment and curriculum that vividly depict these career paths. Furthermore, there's a pressing need to expand students' awareness of post-secondary education options beyond state boundaries. While careers in medicine are well-known, horticulture careers, which are equally complex and rewarding, often go unnoticed by technically-minded students. As the demand for locally-produced, sustainable food rises, the need for skilled horticulturists in every niche grows. We urge for a greater influx of horticulture students to meet this demand and drive innovation in the field. In summary, this presentation highlights the urgency of bridging the gap between students and the myriad opportunities available in horticulture, particularly within the dynamic realm of controlled environment agriculture.

The cannabis and hemp industries have grown at a remarkable rate over the last decade, requiring the creation of comprehensive curricula to ensure proper workforce development. This discussion focuses on the educational initiatives employed at Cornell University to support industry growth and mitigate business failure in hemp-related fields. Our approach to curriculum design was tailored to meet the unique requirements for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as industry stakeholders. This includes the creation of in-person and robust online hemp programs that are data-driven and up to date with the rapidly growing field of scientific knowledge. In doing so, we aim to ensure that students and the public are equipped with the most recent insights from scientifically-sound resources to support responsible practices within the industry, while also aligning with the institution’s curriculum standards. The School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) at Cornell University has been at the forefront of offering hemp-specific courses including Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry, Hemp Breeding, Hemp Production, Hemp processing, and Chemistry and Pharmacology of Cannabis since 2019, with two of them also available through the online certificate program. Additionally, many professionals in the cannabis industry participated in the Cannabis Science and Hemp Sciences concentration for one year master’s degree program, Master of Professional Studies (MPS) at Cornell University, with approximately 30 students completing the degree in 2023. We will also highlight prior years' student expectations in order to suggest effective educational experiences and the challenges of this growing discipline in the absence of a comprehensive textbook. Through sharing insights, best practices, and case studies, this presentation aims to inspire dialogue and collaboration among educators, industry professionals, and legislators to advance the development of cannabis education within higher education institutions.