Miami International Airport processes 940 million flowers ahead of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day accounts for 30% of all holiday flower sales and getting blossoms into the U.S. safely is no small feat.

An estimated $3 billion is expected to be spent on flowers for Valentine’s Day this year. The vast majority will likely pass through the hands of agricultural specialists at Miami International Airport.

Customs and Border Protection estimates nearly a billion stems of cut flowers from countries like Colombia and Ecuador have been carefully checked for disease and pests.

Miami International received more than 400,000 tons of flowers just last year.

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How does a robot milk a cow?
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.

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