TWO ROSE PARADE^®FLOATS HONORED FOR CHOOSING “CALIFORNIA GROWN”

Floats by Kit-Cat^®Clock and Cal Poly Universities

Certified “California Grown” by CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

PASADENA, Calif. (January 4, 2012) – Before the floats made their debut down Colorado Boulevard, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, in partnership with the Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA), recognized Kit-Cat^®Clock and the students of Cal Poly Universities in a special ceremony for committing their floats to be the first “California Grown” ever certified “CA Grown” in this 123 year-old parade.  More than 85 percent of the flowers adorning each organization’s float were sourced from California flower farmers, an industry that has a $10.3 billion annual impact on the state’s economy and contributes 92 cents of every dollar earned back into the state. * 

“From San Diego to the Oregon border, more than 250 California flower farmers account for 75 percent of all domestically grown cut flowers in the United States, making California the top flower producer in the country,” said Secretary Ross. “And there is no better event to celebrate the bounty of California’s majestic flower industry than the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.  Certifying two of the floats this year is just the beginning of what I believe to be a return to sourcing CA Grown floral and non-floral materials for the Rose Parade, we hope to double the number of certifiable “CA Grown” floats each year.”

This year’s Rose Parade^®theme, “Just Imagine…” is exactly what event organizers did more than 123 years ago when they had the idea to showcase the state’s beautiful year-round weather with a parade of horse-drawn carriages covered in California cut flowers.   While California-grown flowers have adorned Rose Parade floats for more than 120 years, this is the first time in recent history when two floats will be decorated with nearly 100 percent California-grown flowers.

While Cal Poly students continued their long-standing commitment to sourcing predominantly locally-grown blooms with this year’s “To the Rescue!” float, the Kit-Cat Clock 80th anniversary float was the only commercial float with nearly 100 percent of its flowers grown in California. What’s more, the Kit-Cat Clock float also featured a special passenger – flower farmer Mike Mellano, Sr. of Southern California-based Mellano & Company whose family business has been growing flowers as long as Kit-Cat has been building clocks.

“The California cut flower industry and other state agricultural operations create jobs, fuel other businesses and generate taxes that support our local communities,” said Maile Shanahan Geis, BCMA Executive Director. “Thank you to Kit-Cat Clock and Cal Poly for setting an example, supporting hard-working families and inspiring consumers to buy locally-grown products.”

About the California Cut Flower Commission

The California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC) was created by the state legislature in 1990 with the mission to promote California cut flowers and foliage. The CCFC is overseen by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and is funded by grower assessments. The Commission represents the state’s 250 growers who collectively produce more than 75 percent of the cut flowers grown in the U.S., generating $330 million in sales (2007). For more information about California cut flowers, visit www.ccfc.org.

About the Buy California Marketing Agreement and the “California Grown” Program

The Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) is a joint effort of agricultural industry groups representing the products of California’s farms and ranches. Working as an advisory board to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, BCMA brings together industry and government resources to increase the awareness, consumption and value of California agricultural products, helping the state’s consumers enjoy the best of the California lifestyle. For more information, visit www.californiagrown.org.

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