Seed Your Future Dinner Celebrates Focus on New, Young Industry Voices

Russ-Redding-and-Anna-Ball-at-Seed-Your-Future-event

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell C. Redding and Anna Ball

During the Seed Your Future Leadership Meeting Fundraiser dinner at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, on Feb. 12, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture Russell C. Redding thanked the Seed Your Future initiative for its work over the past three years to create awareness of horticulture and careers in horticulture. Redding was among more than 100 distinguished guests invited to the dinner from the local horticultural community in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, who joined dozens of Seed Your Future Cabinet Members and Advisory Council members, in attendance for the two-day meeting.

Advertisement

Redding spoke during the dinner, saying he applauds the Seed Your Future initiative because it has “done what most sectors in agriculture struggle with, and it has been a pleasure to see it come together.”

Redding said there is nowhere in the state of Pennsylvania where securing enough jobs in the agricultural workforce is not an issue.

“We have found that we really have to be very straightforward about what agriculture is, what the jobs are that need to be filled, and what the salaries are for those jobs,” he said.

Top Articles
Vestaron Receives EPA Approval for Second Active Ingredient, Basin Bioinsecticide

Thus far, very few agricultural jobs have been defined, he said, but Seed Your Future is beginning to fill in the blanks to explain horticultural careers, and determine how the horticulture industry wants to be perceived in public.

Redding ended his remarks with a quote from his favorite management guru, Steven Covey: “Before you reap the harvest, you have to plant the seed.”

Redding was among several who spoke during the evening fundraiser, including Seed Your Future Co-founders, Anna Ball, President and CEO of Ball Horticultural Co., and Longwood Gardens’ President and CEO Paul Redman, who each shared the idea and inspiration behind the initiative. Seed Your Future Executive Director Susan Yoder presented the many milestones and accomplishments of the movement since its inception in 2015, and highlighted some of the exciting new things to come this spring.

Visit SeedYourFuture.org to find out how you can contribute to the initiative in time, treasure, and talent.

0