Flower power isn't just a slogan from the '60s. Today, the expression comes from building a community, and that's exactly what the Southeast Minnesota Flower Farm Consortium (SEMNFFC) is trying to help bloom. The Consortium includes a variety of local flower farmers including agritourism businesses, larger field-type farms and some growers with greenhouses. Currently, the Consortium includes 17 participants.
The SEMNFFC began as a concept in 2023. Heather Wright, the group's founder, has a love of flowers that germinated in her youth. She recalls the bachelor buttons that grew in the yard of a childhood neighbor as something she says "came to mean a lot."
Now, as a mother herself, flowers have continued to be central to her life. "One of the most precious photos of my children is my eldest, about 5-years-old, sneaking back over our gate with a fistful of someone's flowers. Yes, it was a naughty thing to do, but it was also such a beautiful moment of innocence and earth. Fresh flowers are a very spiritual thing."
Over the years, Wright has worked at a variety of flower shops and greenhouses in Minnesota and even had a stint owning her own flower businesses, first in Pine Island in 2015 and then in Rochester from 2019-2023. Currently, Wright works as a freelance floral arranger with Huckleberry Floral in Dodge Center, Minnesota. Her experiences in the floral industry helped her see the value of locally grown flowers.
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