Project Overview
Nationwide, there has been a big shift in floral trends. Brides, romantics, and home-decorators alike are opting for farm-fresh sunflowers, dahlias, and zinnias over imported roses and carnations. As with the local foods movement, conscious buyers want their flowers in-season, organic, and sustainably produced. In response, thousands of small flower farms have popped up around the country. Flower farming is unique in that most growers are female, and many come into the business without prior agricultural experience. Our project provided new and existing flower farmers with the tools and support needed to manage the production and marketing risk involved in growing cutting varieties. Our educational efforts were geared towards growers in colder climates (USDA zones 5a through 3a), but drew participants from around the country. We offered a total of 12 virtual weekly workshops focused on marketing risk and production risk to over 250 participants. Over the winter, we facilitated a cut-flower track at the Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference for over 60 attendees. At the peak of summer, we hosted an in-person summer intensive with with tours and hands-on activities for 33 attendees. In addition, we provided farm visits and consultations to 13 producers.
Number of Participants: 250
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.