Giving horticulture a voice in Washington

By The Coffee Shops®.

Industry advocacy starts with horticulture professionals sharing their experiences directly with policymakers.

A united green industry can strengthen individual businesses, but turning that collective strength into meaningful advocacy requires participation.

During the Front Line Advocacy Briefing at Cultivate 2026, AmericanHort’s Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs, Matt Mika, urged horticulture professionals to bring their firsthand knowledge directly to elected officials and policymakers. “Your information, your background, you are the experts,” he said.

That expertise matters because policymakers may not understand the realities behind growing, distributing and selling horticultural products. Matt pointed to labor, tariffs, supply chain challenges and the farm bill as issues where businesses can help AmericanHort understand what is happening in their operations.

The same knowledge can help lawmakers better understand those challenges. According to Matt, advocacy does not have to match the image of lobbying often presented in entertainment or popular culture. Instead, it can be rooted in relationships and education. “This is what it is. You all know this. It's networking. It's people. It's what you all love to do,” he said.

One particularly valuable opportunity is inviting elected officials to visit horticulture operations. Those visits allow policymakers to see how a business works and hear directly about issues ranging from H-2A and H-2B labor to fuel, fertilizer and supply chain pressures. “You gotta tell your story,” Matt said.

That message builds on a call for greater industry collaboration. A stronger collective voice depends on individual businesses being willing to contribute their experience and explain how policies affect day-to-day operations.

For Matt, showing up is ultimately at the heart of effective advocacy. Whether professionals engage with federal, state or local officials, participation helps ensure the people developing policy have an opportunity to hear directly from horticulture.

Visit the AmericanHort website or Watch the full address or Read the transcript.