US: The blooming business of locally grown flowers
"The demand for local flowers is increasing because the quality is better and the flowers last longer", says Rodney P. Crittenden, executive director of the Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Florists Association.
"A flower’s shelf life is determined when it’s cut—and then how it’s cared for and handled from the time it’s cut until it withers up and dies," says Crittenden. "If you can grow something local, cut it and get it into the consumer’s hand, that’s a good thing."
According to 2016 figures cited by Statistic Brain, which includes data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the annual amount spent on floral products in the U.S. is $26 billion, and the total value of cut flower annual sales is $7.5 billion. Wisconsin retail florists reported annual sales of more than $111 million, according to 2014 U.S. Census figures. Also, 80 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported, according to Statistic Brain.
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