Page 48 - Free State Winter 2022 - Website Version

PRESS RELEASE

Securing the Future

Horticultural Research Institute: By the Industry, For the Industry

The numbers tell a story:

In the 60 years since the establishment of the Horticultural Research Institute, the foundation has endowed $9.5 million in
research grants and scholarships, drawing on funds contributed by horticulture industry professionals. Of that remarkable
figure, $3.6 million has been distributed to more than 100 research projects in the past 10 years. This year alone, HRI will provide
$417,039 to support industry-specific research.
The generosity of donors, paired with the foundation’s strategic and savvy investment plans, has created a total endowment
of nearly $20 million, and it’s a figure that continues to grow. Remarkably, there are more than 200 named funds established by
industry professionals, their businesses, and organizations. In addition, 103 scholarships have been awarded since 2007.

At the most recent fund-raising gathering of HRI members in July 2022, a record $882,000 was pledged on the spot. Three new
funds were established, and existing fund sponsors announced additional contributions to the coffers.
“HRI has experienced incredible industry support, especially over the last five years,” states Alan Jones, HRI President (Manor
View Farms, Monkton, MD). “The major investments made in HRI by the industry indicates that the work HRI accomplishes is
valued and, in turn, allows us to tackle even more.”

But the numbers tell only part of the story. The people involved, the research conducted, the programs established, and the
students supported all have contributed to the success of HRI and, critically, to the ongoing success of the greater horticulture
industry.

Sixty years ago, the Horticultural Research Institute was established on the premise that the most useful research—that which
would provide practical, actionable solutions—should be determined by those professionals whose work is most directly af-
fected: the horticulture professionals themselves. No one knows their day-to-day challenges better; no one understands their
long-term goals more clearly.
From Day One, HRI has sought their input in order to drive the research that propels the industry toward growth and stability,
vitality and sustainability. Industry professionals identify specific challenges and present their recommendations; HRI’s teams
of industry volunteers then assess the industry relevance and scientific merit of grant proposals. Horticulture professionals also
evaluate all scholarship applications.

Dan Batson, current HRI treasurer and president and CEO of Greenforest Nursery, Inc., in Perkinston, Mississippi, explains the
concept:
“Those of us on the board, as well as HRI members and contributors, see this as a way for the industry itself to influence and
maneuver the research that needs to be done through the universities,” he states. “We give them the ideas of what needs to be
done in our industry: say, this is today’s problem, one that we need to have solved as soon as possible. The progressiveness of
our industry is really dependent on people who can connect the research directly to our industry.”
Susie Usrey, vice president of customer relations for Monrovia, agrees. Susie and her husband, Bruce, long ago established
research and scholarships funds, and Susie remains a staunch supporter. Research initiated by industry professionals and
funded by HRI, she states, “is unique and very much needed, and handled very well. It has really made a huge difference in the
industry.”

48 WINTER 2022 • Free State News