IGIA Specialty Crop Grant Project

Goals
Timeline
Pro Plant Selections
GardenIllinois.com 
Plant Library
Virtual Presentation

Each year, the USDA allocates funding through the state departments of agriculture that is used to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The Illinois Department of Agriculture received more than $591,000 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Producer groups, trade associations, nonprofits, colleges, and universities were eligible to apply for these funds, which were split between ten projects intended to strengthen the state’s specialty crop industry.  

In April 2020, IGIA applied for grant funds that would allow us to create a digital platform where motivated buyers can connect with the quality plant material they seek, ultimately linking them to a local producer where they can complete the purchase. The funds would also provide for a digital campaign to drive traffic to the platform to promote plants and IGIA members.

And finally some good news in 2020...in October, we were notified that we received funding to proceed with the project! 

Project Goals

1. Use social and digital marketing tactics to drive customers to local retailers for high-quality plant material.
2. Promote the benefits of working with a professional on a planting project.
3. Nurture the next generation of plant parents and gardeners, using the educational resources of IGIA members and industry partners.
4. Digital hub will serve as a resource for campaigns like CRTI so motivated buyers can be directly linked with our suppliers (retail and wholesale).
5. Campaigns can be used to educate and increase awareness (Planting for pollinator health; Plant this not that (invasive education); Substitutions for plants in short supply, etc.)

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Project Timeline

Phase One (Retail Consumer Focus)

• Redesign the gardenillinois.com website to enhance the educational offering, focused on the physical, emotional, environmental, and economic benefits of plants - January - March 2021
• Offer a plant finder tool that will help connect consumers with plants that meet their individual needs - March 2021
• Connect the catalog offering (not real-time inventory) of IGIA retail members to the plant finder tool so motivated buyers are matched with the local retail garden center, nursery, and/or greenhouses in their community that offers the plants they seek - April - May 2021
• Conduct a targeted digital marketing campaign that will drive traffic to the plant finder on GardenIllinois.com - June 2021 - September 2022

• Connect the catalog offering (not real-time inventory) of IGIA wholesale growers to the plant finder tool - October 2021 - December 2021
• Link landscape professionals, municipalities, and garden centers looking to purchase high-quality plant material from Illinois producers that service the wholesale market - January 2022 - December 2022
• A targeted marketing campaign will drive wholesale buyers to the online platform to boost overall sales of plant material - January 2022 - December 2022

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Virtual Presentation

On February 18, IGIA hosted a virtual meeting to explain all the details of the project, including how IGIA members can get involved, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about the project. Access the presentation slides

WATCH THE RECORDING

ICN Pro Plant Selections

This project will allow us to have a renewed focus on promoting Illinois Certified Nursery Professionals. One way we'll do that is by promoting ICN Pro Plant Selections, on GardenIllinois.com and social media.

See the ICN Pro Plant Selections on GardenIllinois.com

ICN Pros are not limited to what type of plant they can promote as their favorite selection, but it would be best for a Pro's selection to be in alignment with the plants their employer actively promotes since we will be encouraging customers to visit their website and/or retail location as part of the call-to-action.  You will be asked to update your selection once each year when you renew your certification (every December).

When you submit your selection, we'll ask you to include a photo of yourself and your plant selection so that we can include it on the GardenIllinois website and in social media promotion.  Please be sure that any photos shared are able to be reproduced (do not just pull a photo from the internet).

If you are not currently employed by a green industry business that operates in a retail capacity, we can still share your Pro Plant Selection, but it won't link customers to a specific business.  If you are employed by a green industry business that is not an IGIA member, we will still share your Pro Plant Selection, but it won't be linked to a specific retail location.

SUBMIT YOUR ICN PRO PLANT SELECTION NOW

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IGIA Members - Plant Library

We are adding a plant finder to GardenIllinois.com. This feature will allow consumers to search for specific plants, type in their zip code, and then find retailers in their area that sell the plant. In order to do this, we need our members who sell retail to opt-in (CLICK HERE). There is no cost to be part of the plant library.  During Q1 2021, we are adding IGIA members who sell RETAIL ONLY.  At the end of Q3 2021, we will add WHOLESALE members.  Start cleanup process on your plant list now. Plant List Clean-up FAQs

OPT-IN FOR THE PLANT LIBRARY

We will give you the opportunity to submit your customized plant list (plant catalog).  This is not intended to be real-time inventory.  When a customer searches for a plant and then enters their zip code to find it in their zip code, it will display a list of the retail locations (IGIA Members) that sell the plant.  It does not guarantee you have the plant at that moment.

EXCEL TEMPLATE FOR PLANT LIST

When you are ready to share your plant list with IGIA, click on the link above.  Copy and paste your list into the format in the template so that your plant list will be loaded correctly into the plant finder.  Once your plant list is ready, save the file by company and year, and email it to Kellie Schmidt

FAQs ABOUT PLANT LIST CLEAN-UP

If you do not wish to provide your customized plant catalog, you can still be included.  IGIA will have a generic list of plants loaded.  We can use this list for your garden center, but you must let us know by opting-in for the plant library.

Wholesale growers will have the opportunity to become part of this process in Fall 2021.  More details will be communicated at a later date.

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