Flower growers in Carpinteria have weathered a year for the books in “bloomenomics.” Mid-March last year, the pandemic crippled the industry, halting transportation and distribution and leading local growers to donate, burn and compost thousands of blooms. Almost a year later, most of Carpinteria’s flower growers are still standing, starting to see more consistent sales and feeling optimistic toward the future.
In the heart of Carpinteria’s flower basket corridor, at Myriad Flowers on Foothill Road, Harry and Michelle Van Wingerden have been growing roses and floribunda since 1999. After sales at the family farm plummeted last spring, Myriad saw an uptick throughout the summer when markets and wholesalers reopened, and transportation of flower crops resumed. Still, the event industry’s prolonged shutdown has meant dramatic shifts were needed for the farm to stay afloat.
Pre-pandemic, regular sales for Myriad included selling to the California-based wholesale market, the L.A. and San Diego flower markets and other wholesalers in across the country – much of which has yet to return. “Right now, a majority of our sales is staying within California and we still have a pretty good presence in Phoenix and Las Vegas, but anything past that – a lot of those customers came back for Valentine’s Day but not after,” said Erik Van Wingerden, CFO of Myriad.
For Myriad, closing the sale of a parcel making up roughly half their farm in late August was a huge help in getting the company through the pandemic’s financial blows. “We were in the process of trying to sell anyway but it was happenstance that the deal went through then,” Van Wingerden said. “The sale helped us augment our losses and we were also able to get a PPP loan. Those two things enabled us to continue in business.”
The reduction in property meant a loss in flower production – almost half of Myriad’s roses. Downsizing came at the right moment, as regular sales venues and demand were significantly reduced this past year for Myriad. “We have enough product for our demand. But not too much in excess that we have to sell at a very low price or dump,” Van Wingerden said. Since Myriad grows roses in nurseries, they weren’t impacted by the cold snap which caused many flower growers across the country to lose out on Valentine’s Day sales because flowers had not bloomed in time.
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