Millions of fruits of vegetables are eaten at Disney resorts every year, and 90 percent of them come from American Seed Trade Association member companies.
That’s according to ASTA president Andy LaVigne, who introduced Adam Schwerner of of Disneyland Horticulture this morning at ASTA’s 2016 Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.
Schwerner spoke about how Disney staff create the horticultural splendor that millions of people enjoy every year and the many ways Disney makes that happen, including collaborating with ASTA member companies to purchase the plant varieties they need.
“Heart rates and blood pressure drop when people are next to beauty; plants do that,” he told the crowd. His goal, he said, is to merge the arts and horticulture together.
As director of horticulture and resort enhancement in Anaheim, California, Schwerner is responsible for designing and maintaining the living beauty of the resort, overseeing the landscaped and flower-filled lands, as well as the holiday, building and attraction décor teams at the resort.
Previously, he was the director of the Chicago Park District’s multidisciplinary Department of Cultural and Natural Resources, where he spearheaded the Park District’s initiatives to forge bold, inclusive connections between the arts and Chicago’s neighborhoods by increasing arts presence — in all its permutations — throughout Chicago’s parks.
He frequently gives presentations to national and international audiences on topics including contemporary public garden design and the integration of art into public parks and gardens. He has a degree in ornamental horticulture from Rutgers University.
He says plants provide the perfect way to tell the story of Disney’s many characters and the worlds they inhabit.
“Plants tell the story. Without the plants, the story can’t be told,” he said.
"My goal is merging the Arts and Horticulture together" Adam Schwerner #ASTAVegFlo pic.twitter.com/TLf2vvdlsL
— American Seed (ASTA) (@Better_Seed) February 1, 2016
