Find out what voters decided in Florida on its pending medical marijuana ballot measure, and in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., on full recreational use.

AmericanHort announces the revised American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1) is now available for industry use. The Standard reflects the consensus of the industry regarding how nursery stock — living plants other than annuals — should be specified and sold within the trade.

AmericanHort recently participated in the USDA Honeybee Forage Summit and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) along with representatives from other interested agencies and organizations. A research proposal was submitted on the final day of the NAPPC meeting to the USDA for potential funding under the Farm Bill Section 10007.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Oct. 29 that more than $4 million in technical and financial assistance will be provided to help farmers and ranchers in the Midwest improve the health of honey bees. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is focusing the effort on five Midwestern states: Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The 2015 Garden Center Symposium/Midwest Perennial Conference is scheduled for January 21 and 22 in Waukesha, Wis. It will be the 51st event, and will feature a line-up of speakers from throughout the industry.

Monrovia announces its new plant varieties for 2015, with the promise of more to come soon.

Pleasant View Gardens will no longer be using neonicotinoid insecticides in its liner production, but will keep any insect population under control using traditional practices and beneficial insects.

Greenhouse Grower hosted its first GreenhouseConnect event October 22-25 at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla. The event brought together top growers and suppliers for one-on-one meetings and networking, in a focused but relaxed atmosphere.

United Fresh will create a new floral membership category in 2015 to enhance services to members throughout the floral supply chain. A new Floral Advisory Board of suppliers and retailers will be appointed to lead the effort.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded more than $18 million in grants to small businesses for high quality, advanced research and development that will lead to technological innovations and solutions for American agriculture. NIFA awarded 100 grants through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, Garry Grueber of Cultivaris and Global Breadfruit says the horticulture industry will need to address such issues as population growth, feeding a hungry world, less availability of water and land resources, rampant climate change and increased focus on the environment and sustainability.

The Southern Region Master Gardener Conference will be October 21 to 24 in Baton Rouge, La., and Plant Development Services’ Kip McConnell will be among those speaking to participants.

Bell Nursery has acquired two new growing operations in North Carolina and Virginia. Bentwood Farms and Blue Ridge Growers will add more than 250 acres of greenhouse and field production space.