ROOTED IN THE FUTURE: CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HORTICULTURE, JAZMIN ALBARRAN
- Jennifer Jewell
- Aug 28
- 5 min read
This week on Cultivating Place, host Abra Lee dives into the world of pathways to plant professions with Jazmin Albarran, Executive Director of Seed Your Future, a non-profit whose vision is a world where everyone understands the power of plants and is aware of the promising careers in the art, science, technology, and business of horticulture.
Horticulture is the art, technology, and science of plants. It is the food we eat, the landscapes we live and play in, the environments we thrive in. It is the business of managing and using what we grow while maintaining the health of our soil, air, and water, and the well-being of our children, our communities, and our world. In short - it's all about plants!
Every day, the plant world is quietly led by horticultural heroes and plant champions who make an enormous impact on our lives and the future of the planet. Through their online, in person and year round programs, including the Horticultural Heroes stories shared, the Immersive Learning for High School Educators, Green Career Week (coming up October 6 - 10, 2025) and more, Seed Your Future aims to share stories, promote horticulture, and inspire more people to pursue careers working with plants.
Jazmin didn’t take the traditional horticulture path—but that’s exactly what makes her story so compelling. For more than a decade she has led nonprofits, strengthened systems, and opened doors for others, proving she is far from your typical green-thumbed leader.
Before stepping into her role with Seed Your Future, she served as the Eastern Regional Director at the American Camp Association where she built vibrant, diverse, and welcoming, volunteer communities.
Nowadays, Jazmin is guiding Seed Your Future into its next phase through nurturing careers in horticulture, floriculture, and agriculture, AND expanding plant-based career opportunities across the nation!
With more than 10 years in nonprofit leadership, Jazmin’s built numerous welcoming spaces as well as learning environments. Through, “Green Career Week”, “Seed to STEM” lessons, and tools like the,
Where to Study, a map for students to use plus career databases, she’s making sure young people know that horticulture not only exists but that there’s budding careers in this line of study!
Jazmin’s work reminds us that the future of horticulture isn’t just about plants—it’s about people. By opening doors, sparking curiosity, and championing diversity, she’s helping to grow a field where every voice and every story can take root and thrive.
Follow & Support Jazmin online:
and on Instagram:
All photos Courtesy of Seed Your Future, all rights reserved.
If you enjoyed this program, you might also enjoy these
Best of CP programs in our archive:
Olbrich Botanical Gardens Centering Plants & People Of Madison, WI, with Horticulturist Erin Presley
JOIN US again next week, when host Ben Futa chats with Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Flower Farm and their mum project, which seeks to bring chrysanthemum production back to the US through preserving, sharing, and evaluating heirloom/heritage mums. ... That's right here, next week. Listen in!
Cultivating Place is made possible in part by listeners like you and by generous support from
supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.
Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, y'all, it's Abra—
Late August in the garden is a mix of abundance and change. Flowers are still showing off, pollinators are busy, but you can feel fall just around the corner.
In the south, though, its been raiiinnnnning, and you can see it! Lush growth, second blooms, and weeds trying to sneak in too. Even the good things need tending. So what in your life could use a little care before the season shifts?
If you need inspiration, come join me for a garden tour at Oakland Cemetery here in Atlanta. It’s the perfect place to soak in the beauty, hear some stories, and see how history and nature grow together. We’ll share some sun, some soil,
and maybe a story or two—under those old oak trees which we loving call witness trees because they witness everything— from before our time and after our time.
August always has this mix of energy and reflection. The garden’s in full swing, but you can feel the shift coming. That’s what my conversation with Jazmin felt like—rooted in the here and now, but always looking ahead to what’s possible.
As Executive Director of Seed Your Future, Jazmin is working to promote horticulture—especially young people, encouraging them to pursue careers working with plants. She’s out here doing the hard, hands-on work of making sure the next generation sees a future for themselves in this field. Talking to her reminded me that the seeds we plant today—whether in soil or in someone’s mind—can shape entire landscapes in the future.
So as we move from summer toward fall, maybe take a page from Jazmin’s book: keep tending what’s in front of you, but don’t forget to plant for tomorrow.
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