How You Can Celebrate Women in Horticulture Week

Posted by Brian Sparks|June 1, 2020 in Greenhouse Grower

Female entrepreneurs are growing the U.S. economy. In fact, over the past five years, women-owned businesses increased 21% and now represent 42% of all companies, employing 9.4 million workers and generating $1.9 trillion in revenue, according to American Express research. Specifically, 13% of these firms are in the professional/scientific/technical services category, which includes horticulture.

While the number of women-owned firms continues to grow, they only employ 6% of the nation’s workforce and contribute just under 4% of business revenue—roughly the same share they contributed in 1997.

That’s why supporting women in business to enable them to grow their companies to the next level is crucial. Join Garden Media Group June 1-5 to support, honor, and promote these amazing professionals and their achievements during Women in Horticulture Week.

“Women play a crucial role in the horticulture industry—not only as entrepreneurs, growers, researchers, marketers, and employees at all levels, but also as the largest consumers of home and garden products,” says Katie Dubow, President, Garden Media Group. “As a second-generation women-owned business, I am proud to celebrate inspirational, hardworking and dedicated women and spotlight their contributions to the horticulture industry with Women in Horticulture Week.”

“With women making up the majority of gardening consumers, and the growing percentage and role women play as professionals in horticulture, we need to face the incredibly lopsided power and leadership dynamics that currently exist in the industry,” says Leslie Finical Halleck, Halleck Horticulture, LLC.

Here are some creative ways you can celebrate Women in Horticulture Week.

• Share exciting facts about women in business, including your own story, to inspire other women.
• Get involved with associations that promote horticulture careers for women. For instance, at Cultivate’20 Virtual, AmericanHort will have a panel discussion with accomplished women in the industry on the importance of building a strong business network.
• Volunteer or become a mentor. If you’re a thriving female horticulture entrepreneur, consider giving back by either volunteering with organizations that support women or becoming a mentor. If you’ve never had a mentor, find one to connect with and learn from. Ask peers inside and outside the industry for suggestions.
• Join the industry group Women in Horticulture who provide free or low-cost networking opportunities for those who identify as women in the horticulture world.
• Improve your skills. Whether it’s reading a motivational book written by a female entrepreneur or using a new organizational app, learning always leads to growth.
• Network with other women in horticulture. Even if you’re not attending events in person, you can invite female entrepreneurs to connect virtually via apps like Zoom.
• Change your frame on Facebook to support Women in Horticulture.
• Use the hashtag #womeninhort to share stories, photos and inspiration from women in horticulture on your social media channels.
• Tune in to “Grow! With Katie,” Dubow’s Facebook Live talk show. During Women in Horticulture Week, Dubow will interview some of the most influential women in the industry, including Lisa Fiore (Founder and CEO of Landscape Hub), Marta Maria Garcia (Marketing Director of Nature’s Way Farms; Leslie Halleck (Certified Professional Horticulturist, with 27 years of green industry experience); Jennifer Jewell (creator, writer, and host of “Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden,”); Terri McEnaney (President of Bailey Nurseries); Heidi Mortensen (Principal COO and Co-founder of ShrubBucket); and Sandra Reid (Vice President of Corporate Communications and Strategic Plan Administration at Davey Tree)
• Sign up for the AmericanHort Women in Horticulture interview series. This week’s focus is on Jennifer Moss. Past interviews have been with Susie Raker Zimmerman and Kathy Fediw.

“The role of women as business owners and leaders is significant in horticulture,” says Mary Beth Cowardin, Vice President of Marketing and Member Engagement for AmericanHort. “We will continue to help connect women in our industry to foster successful careers and life balance.”