Master Gardener Plant Sale Guidelines Wendy Wilber State Master Gardener Coordinator [email protected] For Plant Sales or any Fundraising

• Your first question should always be why are we fundraising? • What project will this money go to? • What projects are appropriate? • We do not raise money just for the sake of raising money • Doing so really throws the balance of a whole Master Gardener program out of whack Always check in with the Vision and Mission • Vision: To be the most trusted resource for horticulture education in Florida • Mission: to assist extension agents in providing research based horticulture education to Florida residents. Master Gardener Plant Sales

• Motivations/benefits – Raise funds for specific horticultural projects – Raise funds for specific horticultural programming – Teach plant propagation, plant identification – Enhance volunteer programs organizational structure – Instill the group comradery that comes from working on a large project – Not just for the sake of making money without an earmarked cause How many plant sales do Florida MG programs have a year? • 64 % of counties have (1) one plant sale a year • 36% of counties have (2) two plants sales a year

This is a fund raiser not a business Plant sales take a large amount of We don’t want to compete with volunteer hours local business Most programs cannot handle more than one a year and maintain good volunteer coverage of our Mission To assist your Extension Agents in Do you need to have a plant sale providing researched based horticultural Every year? No. information What time of year do they have the plant sales? • 75% in the spring • 52% in the fall • 5 % in the winter How long are the plant sales? • 58% 1-5 hours • 30% 6-10 hours • 11% more than 10 hours (over two days) Where do they get the plants to sell ?

• 61% The Master Gardeners grow the plants and bring them to the sale • 50 % get liners or seeds and grow them up at the Extension office • 33 % purchase plants and resell them • 44 % get plants donated and sell them • 28 % Other…. hmmm Where do MG’s get the plants to sell?

• We lease space for growers to sell their products. • We have a nursery (housed at city of Lakeland nursery) we grow plants there, some we start from the nursery's plants, some from purchased plants, some from our own stock • We charge plant vendors • Plant cuttings are donated and then they get propagated on site and grown in our nursery • MG take cuttings and plant seeds and grow them at the Extension office.

Do you have venders at the plant sale? • 36 % No Vendors • 44 % Yes Plant Vendors • 44 % Yes Food Vendors • 55 % yes Information booths from Non Extension Do venders pay a fee at the plant sale? • 40 % Yes • 40% No • 20% It depends How many vendors they have?

• 65% Between 1-10 • 17% Between 11-30 • 17% Between 31-50 • 4% over 50%

How do they price their plants?

• 79% Below retail • 30% at Retail • 0% above retail

Really give thought to your pricing structure How many plants do they usually sell?

• 20% 0-500 • 29% 500-1,000 • 47% 1,000-4,000 • 3% 4,000-7,000 • 0% more than 7,000 What kinds of plants are sold?

• 65% Annuals Other = • 85% Perennials • Bulbs • 68% Shrubs • Cactus • 57% Trees • Caladiums • 48% Fruit trees • Herbs • 68% Vegetables • Rare plants • 82% Natives • Orchids/bromeliads • 65% Groundcovers • Aquatic plants • 80% Pollinators plants • 8% Seeds • 28% Other How often do they take inventory?

• 23% We don’t • 14% Weekly • 17% Monthly • 47% Once just before the sale

• For those with 182 accounts you must do at least 2 inventories, minimum before and after • More often is recommended to make sure you have enough of certain plants and to keep tabs on theft

How many people come to the sale? People who do not come to regular • 52% 1-500 people Extension programming will come to plant sales. Make an impression on • 32% 500-1,000 people them so they will come back. • 14% 1,000-5,000 people • 0% More than 5,000 Do you collect names and emails of those attending for future communication? • 40% Yes • 35% No (You are missing a golden opportunity) • 25% Sometimes

Where do they hold the sale(s)?

• 75% Extension Office grounds • 11% Fairgrounds • 11% Other county/government property • 14% Other Are there other Extension events at the sale that day besides the sale?

• 17% No • 54% Classes/Demonstrations Golden Opportunity to • 14% Open house Market Extension and • 23% 4-H activities To partner with other • 71% Plant Clinic/MG help desk Areas in your Extension office • 25% Soil sampling • 8% Other (garden tours, workshops)

Do they have raffle and/or door prizes? • 47% Yes

• 31% No Raffles are considered gambling and are not permitted • 22% Sometimes Do they charge for parking? • 0% Yes • 94%No • 5% Sometimes • Use a double ticket method for your receipting method Do they charge an entrance fee? • 85% No • 8% sometimes • 3% Yes • Again use the double ticket method to account for the money What is the policy for allowing MGs who volunteer at the sale to purchase plants?

• 28% Volunteers can purchase/set aside plants before the sale • 7% Volunteers can purchase plants as soon as the sale opens • 25% Volunteers can purchase plants at a set time • 20% We don’t have a policy for this

Good suggestions to follow……

Do they purchase event insurance?

• 3% Yes • 8% Sometimes • 88% No

Do they get a FDACS/DPI plant inspection and permit? • 64% Yes • Sometimes Citrus • 35% No

YOU NEED TO GET YOUR PLANTS INSPECTED AND GET A TEMPORARY NURSERY LICENSE FROM FDACS/DPI Insurance information

• If you are off Extension Office grounds you must purchase insurance • American Income Life covers Extension Programs • http://www.americanincomelife.com/who-we-serve/4-h- insurance

Inspection information • If you are selling plants you must be inspected by DPI • Small permit fee • Great educational opportunity for the MG’s • http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant- Industry/Bureaus-and-Services/Bureau-of-Plant-and- Apiary-Inspection/Plant-Inspection

Tax information

• IF YOU HAVE a UF 182 account sales tax will be collected. • IFAS Fiscal is still working with UF to be able to do it efficiently and in a streamlined fashion • Contact Carree Musgrove [email protected] for the most current information Square Readers

• We cannot use square readers because they are not considered secure by the PCI requirements (payment card industry) https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pci_security/ If a customer’s information was compromised UF would be responsible for the breach • What about a credit card machine? You must take UF training (TRM 150)for using the machine • Currently the only option is to purchase a machine. The machine itself cost a little over $700 and there is a monthly data plan that has to accompany it that is $19.00. • Annually, there is a user fee charged by UF to help us comply with the Payment Card Industry standards. You may also be aware that the vendor incurs an approximate 3% fee for each swipe, so that cost would have to be built in to the cost of a plant. Contact Carree Musgrove [email protected] How do they advertise?

• 88% Word of mouth • 17% Free TV ad • 85% Brochures/Flyers • 3% Paid TV ad • 68% Newsletters • 82% Website • 82% Free Newspaper ad • 94% Social Media • 22% Paid Newspaper ad • 25% Other ( Signs, Road signs, • 48% Free Radio ad magazines, Marquee, direct • 0% Paid Radio ad emails, over the street banner, electronic billboards)

Remember to Brand your event with the correct LOGO’s How many other organizations have plants sales at the same time frame?

• 42 % 0-1 • 24% 2-3 • 18% 3-5 • 15% more than 5 What other stuff do they sell? • 5% Gift baskets • 8% Fertilizer 8% Compost • 20% Terrariums • • 3% Mulch • 26% Tools • 23% We only sell plants • 3% Note cards • (44%) Rain barrels, bee • 32% Rare or special plants boxes, tomato cages, gloves, • 11% Seeds planters, garden art, mushrooms, honey, frost • 44% Garden themed items cloth, books, self watering containers How much do they make on other items?

• 31% More than $500 • 13% Around $250 • 38% Less than $100 • 14% None Who donates to their sales?

• 96% Master Gardener volunteers • 13% Hardware stores • 36% Local nurseries • 3% Gift shops • 20% Other (home gardeners in the community) On average how many Master Gardeners work the day of the sale? • 56% 0-30 • 31% 30-60 • 12% 60 or more • Over 1000 volunteer hours often go into 1 sale How much money do they make on their plant sale?

• 19% $100-$1,000 • 51% $1,000-$5,000 • 16% $5,000-$9,000 • 9% $9,000-$15,000 • 1% more $15,000 Planning is everything Months in advance planning is need for a successful sale

Master Gardener Chairperson and Coordinators’ 2017 Plant Sale Timeline

December Have meeting set up date for January Mtg with Plant Sale Committee heads Check for Label updates / label holder – order blinds & water proof labels January Meeting with MG Coordinators – go over agenda for upcoming Order Plant liners? Order ground cloth Clean pot corral / decide how many pots needed Look for Potting Soil to order February 2/15 Order fruit trees and blueberries (how many?) 2/20 Check irrigation / make sure working, flags for pop-ups 2/21 check Plant sales for 2/28 2/28 Lay ground cloth & signs in nursery…Perennials/annuals/trees, etc. during Demo Cleanup Day Order soil and pots Order Fertilizer March 3/2 First potting up day. 8:30 - 12 3/15 schedule the inspector, IFAS Book Store Grooming Crew 3/14 2nd potting up day 8:30 - 12 3/17 Recap @ Mo. Mtg 3/30 3rd potting up day 8:30 - 12 April Grooming Crew 4/3 Set up 4H for loading, carts & returns for Plant Sale 4/14 4th Potting up day 8:30 - 12 4/21 recap Plant Sale @ Monthly meeting 4/25 5th Potting up day 8:30 – 12 May 5/8 – 5/12, 9am-12pm plant drop off / Label everything 5/15 Nursery Inspector 5/15 – Pricing 5/18 – Fruit trees & blueberries 5/19 Plant Sale Prep 9am to finish 5/20 Plant Sale 7am to finish (6-6:30 for coordinators) 5/23 Plant Sale Clean UP Organize committees

Plant Sale Chair Plant sale Co Chairs • Plant Growing • Cashiers • Inventory • Parking • Check out people • Procurement • Greeter and sign in • Labeling • Refreshments for volunteers • Plant Grooming • Loading (4-H ers) • Sales Team • Holding area – Annuals • MG information table – Perennials • Handicapped parking – Shrubs • Special Assistance • Signage – Edibles • Vendor check in – etc

Sourcing

• Plant material • Potting soil • Pots • Labeling materials • Boxes, bags, wagons for the day of the sale • Donations or purchase? Plant material

• No invasive plants (check the IFAS assessment of non native plants) • Highest quality possible- you are representing IFAS • Colorful and edible plants sell well • Think about size of plants • How will you organize? Natives, Perennials , Pollinators • Use signs to help with the organization Labeling

• This is where the education comes in • Be 100% accurate look up correct common names and botanical names • Include growing conditions if possible • Recycled blinds (other) • Invest in label machine? • If plants are not in bloom try to put a photo of the flower in the pot Signage

• Gets shoppers there • Shows shoppers which plants are where do you need a map of the sale? • Informs on classes and demonstration • They can tell prices if you color code • Lets shoppers know where there money goes – What MG projects are supported by their $$

• Don’t miss the opportunity to BRAND the event Label the volunteers too

• Matching shirts or hats • Special shirt just for the day • Reflective vests • Name tags Have a rain plan, think about other risks. Risk Management Plan

• Have a safety meeting before the sale • Make your sale accessible for walkers, wheel chairs, the visually impaired • Make the sale as safe as possible • Look for hazards and eliminate them • Have a plan and make sure all the volunteers that day know the ‘in case of emergency’ plan

Dogs? Sales Team • Your sales team is really an education team • Select leaders for sales that know a good deal about plants • If their favorite plants are herbs they should be selling herbs, perennials people should sell perennials • This is where they educate the public • Sales leaders create enthusiasm

Clean up

• Schedule an clean up day directly following the sale to put things in order • Have a debriefing meeting to make notes on what worked and what didn’t so you can make adjustments • Thank your donors Wrap up

• Pick leaders for the next sale • Share the success with the MG group so everyone knows how the team did • Thank everyone for their hard work • Develop a plan for next time • Execute the plans to use the money in the time allotted with the same intensity given to the plant sale