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The United Flower Growers has helped to raise floriculture into B.C.’s second largest agricultural financial driver.
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Assume again 60 years in the past. What have been you doing in 1963? That’s when seven British Columbian floral growers determined to work collectively promoting their minimize flowers and potted crops from one central location to be able to facilitate a greater shopping for course of for florists, backyard retailer homeowners, floral wholesalers and grocery shops.
The idea was to supply a single venue for numerous floral merchandise that patrons might choose up within the early morning and have on their retailer cabinets, prepared for shoppers, that very same day.
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United Flower Growers Co-op (UFG) celebrates its Diamond sixtieth Anniversary this September, and it has helped elevate floriculture into B.C.’s second largest agricultural financial driver, simply behind the dairy business, however forward of the huge poultry manufacturing operations.
Within the early days, UFG operated hand-turned public sale clocks, with people shouting out their bids on flowers and crops. Initially they have been situated on East Georgia within the Vancouver wholesale produce district, however to satisfy rising demand, UFG made the transfer to their present location on Marine Method, simply east of Boundary Street. It’s a central location, near the Vancouver airport, with comparatively easy accessibility for all of the Decrease Mainland and Fraser Valley growers and patrons. It’s additionally fairly near the U.S. border crossing, the place a lot of right now’s product is exported.
The UFG is a not-for-profit co-operative enterprise, the place its grower shareholders obtain dividends from any income. As we speak there are over 80 growers and affiliate members supplying the public sale with potted crops and minimize flowers year-round, supplemented with floral provides and imported product to supply patrons with a really big selection of merchandise 12 months a yr.
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Modelled after the Dutch-style flower auctions within the Netherlands, the place simultaneous public sale clocks begin excessive and drop in worth, our native UFG patrons decide how a lot they’re keen to pay and cease the clocks accordingly. All 4 clocks transfer in a short time, and patrons must make instantaneous choices. In peak seasons auctions can take over three hours and are held three to 4 instances per week, beginning at 6 a.m.
I’ve been to the Dutch public sale in Aalsmeer the place professional patrons can burn out due to the depth of the method, with a lot at stake with every transaction. It’s not fairly as intense right here, however all patrons have to be very alert.
I used to be in a position to converse with Michel Benoit, the CEO of UFG, who was most insightful concerning the public sale right now, and its future.
Shifting past the standard mannequin of a gallery of seats, every geared up with related keyboards, the place everybody has an equal alternative to purchase any product on provide, a number of years in the past UFG built-in distant shopping for as nicely, the place patrons might log in, join with UFG, just about examine the product and buy on-line. This was simply earlier than COVID-19 took its toll on any folks gathering, and though many patrons have been reluctant to alter as a result of they might now not look at all of the merchandise early within the morning, be proper there to purchase and cargo their purchases to take again to their shops, they quickly embraced the brand new procedures.
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Benoit applauded his workforce, and former CEO Bob Pringle, for his or her revolutionary technological adaptation, which was groundbreaking, and among the many first globally.
Patrons might theoretically buy from anyplace on this planet, nevertheless it was particularly vital to out-of-town patrons on Vancouver Island, within the Inside and up north, who usually needed to sleep of their autos in a single day due to ferry schedules and long-distance journey. It has additionally confirmed to be an infinite time-saver for patrons as they will buy on-line from house and choose their product up later and even have another person choose up for them.
One other innovation UFG has pioneered is digital shopping for of floral merchandise. All the pieces being offered has to have a present picture so patrons can see precisely what they’re buying and the identical will be carried out with product rising in greenhouse or within the fields. On the finish of the present day’s reside public sale, patrons can pre-purchase flowers and crops that might be prepared for them to choose up on the subsequent day’s reside public sale.
For instance, after the tip of Thursday’s reside public sale, you would pre-purchase product that will be prepared so that you can choose up at Monday’s public sale. These digital transactions save a lot time. The growers can merely drop merchandise at one location and transportation prices are decreased for the purchasers, who solely have one cease to make.
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Distant shopping for has additionally freed up a substantial amount of area of their constructing, permitting for leases, making the ability way more environment friendly.
Benoit has been conducting focus teams with each clients and growers to find out new floral traits and new concepts, and to introduce new floral merchandise.
Native outside summer season rising has elevated phenomenally over the previous few years, with an amazing variety of product from distinctive flowers like amaranthus and the golden foliage of smoke bushes like cotinus Golden Spirit, to distinctive perennial hop vines now accessible. Berry stems like deciduous holly have grow to be extra widespread, and a tremendous assortment of minimize Christmas greens has additionally been an space of elevated manufacturing.
Their ever-increasing variety of high quality floral merchandise has expanded their market nicely throughout Canada and the U.S. On a current journey to a commerce present in Oregon, Benoit instructed me he was more than happy with the popularity of B.C. floral merchandise throughout the Pacific Northwest. He was fairly taken abruptly when he visited one in every of their chain retailer purchasers within the U.S. When he recognized himself to the cashier, she got here from behind the counter and hugged him, thanking him for the gorgeous Canadian flowers they promote of their retailer.
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Congratulations to the UFG as they rejoice their diamond sixtieth anniversary. All of them have a lot to be pleased with. By the onerous work and imaginative and prescient of native growers, and their dedication to innovation and expertise, they’ve been an enormous think about B.C.’s financial system, and helped carry crops and flowers into the houses of an ever-increasing variety of people from Western Canada to Manitoba and the U.S.
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