Summary: In this episode, we talk with one of my favorite industry people, Sakata Seed America’s Jamie Kitz about a whole range of topics. We start with plants – seed annuals, vegetative annuals, cut flowers and vegetables and then transition to industry support, charitable giving and philanthropy. Throughout we share tons of industry ideas and dig into where Jamie gets her energy and inspiration that’s so infectious. We wrap the episode up talking about the Sakata Gives program and actionable ways to bring a similar sense of corporate mission to your organization. And trust me, it’s not the old way of directing employees to give to a charity selected by corporate management. It’s far more grassroots these days. My guest, Jamie Kitz has represented Sakata Seed Americas for more than a decade as Key Account Sales Manager working with bedding plants, floral crops, and cut flowers. You’ve no doubt seen her at trade shows and meetings, always on the cutting edge of new plant trends. And in the past few years she’s taken on the role of Corporate Citizenship Specialist for the Sakata Gives Program, a visible representation of Sakata Seed America’s attention to corporate social responsibility. If you are in horticulture and on LinkedIn, you’ve likely seen some of the ways Sakata is giving back. So, this episode will be about plants – Sakata is an industry leader bringing amazing products to market. Have you heard of Sunpatiens? How about Dragon’s Breath and SuperCal? Ord industry mainstays like Majestic Giant Pansies and Profusion Zinnias. These are just a few rock stars in an extremely diverse and innovative portfolio. And this episode will also be about aligning with causes and how this can not only benefit your community and the world around you but also your company and team culture. To say I was psyched for this one would be an understatement. I’ve been planning it since before we launched the podcast. Sakata Seed America Plant Resources and Social Media: Sakata Ornamentals Site: https://sakataornamentals.com/ Sakata Vegetables: https://sakatavegetables.com/ Jamie Kitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiekitz/ Sakata Vegetables on Twitter: @veggiesbysakata Sakata Ornamentals on Twitter: @flowersbysakata Sunpatiens on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunPatiens/ Sunpatiens on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunpatiens/ Some of the Organizations Jamie Referenced: Seed Your Future: https://www.seedyourfuture.org/ Produce Marketing Association – Center for Growing Talent: https://www.centerforgrowingtalent.org/ National Garden Bureau Programs: https://ngb.org/ America In Bloom: http://www.americainbloom.org/ Contact Links: Email Guest Jamie Kitz: jkitz@sakata.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo
