In early March, nearly 20 producers joined together to learn from Jade Moret of Holland Flower Farm, Dr. Kristing Lang of SDSU, and Ilene Gilbertson from Flowers On Main.
Jade Moret was the event keynote speaker, covering both the business and production components of flower farming. During the business portion, she spoke about building your brand with ideas specific to flower growers. A key takeaway was the idea of making sure your brand was viewable on not only each product but also your equipment. She also went over different sale routes that flower producers can use, such as a farmers' market, on-farm sales, subscriptions, you-pick events, and flower arrangements for events.
In the production portion, Moret went over considerations for those starting out and those who are expanding. When starting out, she advised producers to plan for what they want to envision for their farm- for instance, if tours and you-pick events are something you want, start out with wide walking rows. And, of course, one of the most important things to do is read your seed packets. Moret also showed an example of a spreadsheet she uses to track the seeds that she purchases, complete with columns for the flower color, days to maturity, notes on sowing, and what source she likes to purchase that variety from.
For many producers, being able to do floral design is an important part of their business. Ilene Gilbertson of Flowers on Main in Brookings helped each participant turn a bundle of cut flowers into an arrangement, with tips along the way for post-harvest care.
In the afternoon, SDSU Assistant Professor and Consumer Horticulture Specialist Dr. Kristing Lang went over soil management for cut flowers.
At the end of the event, two of the most common comments were that there was so much information packed into a short amount of time and the desire to have a similar event again. Meanwhile, if you are a cut flower grower and SDSPA member, you are encouraged to email Laura at sdspecialtyproducers@gmail.com to get added to the email list for information on the cut flower growers' monthly social hour, which is held via zoom at 11 mountain/ noon central.
This event was funded in part with funds SDSPA received through Specialty Crop Block Grant 2020. It was co-hosted by SDSU Extension, with help from Kristine Lang, Audra Scheel, Sydney Trio, Lori Puetz, and Jenny Behlings.
Source: sdspecialtyproducers.org