Business is blooming for local growers
Farmer-florists are developing strong niche markets for their distinctive, sustainable varieties
The flower business has been borrowing trends from the food industry: fresh, local, sustainably grown and often heirloom. What does this look like? If you happen to be an Instagram user (and a gardener) you may have come across one of the growing number of farmer-florists: small-scale growers who serve local markets with unique flower varieties from their very photogenic floral farms.
These days, there’s a vibrant community of farmer-florists close to home. But the current trend traces its roots to the Skagit Valley, in Washington state. In 2008, Erin and Chris Benzakein established Floret Farm — which started as a small business of cut flowers which quickly spawned a full-fledged research and education farm and a popular book,
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden. This title is considered equal parts resource and inspiration for many of the growers who call themselves farmer-florists.
Closer to home, Melanie Harrington established Dahlia May Flower Farms on her family property in Trenton, Ont., after reading Benzakein’s book and taking a workshop on Floret Farm in the U.S. With more than 60,000 Instagram followers (@dahliamayflowerfarm), Harrington has no problem marketing her sustainably grown, unique and often heirloom varieties from her roadside stand and to local florists.
The beauty of flowers, of course, is that they sell themselves. “A lot of trends from the local-food movement are definitely spilling over,” Melanie told Ben when he dropped by the farm where she now produces row upon row of colourful flowers for cutting.
“A handful of commercial greenhouses in the Niagara area have also been switched over to marijuana production, which puts a crunch on supply of greenhouse space. There’s a lot of trends coming together, but I’m just happy to focus on what I enjoy doing — being creative and growing beautiful flowers.”
In Thornhill, Antonio Valente is a perfect example of how the farmer-florist trend is taking hold in a more-urban environment. Valente was a substitute teacher with a passion for flowers when he started selling cut flowers from the beds he kept in his parents’ backyard.
Also marketing himself through Insta- gram, where he posts photos from his garden and how-to videos at @antonionvalenteflowers, he recently took over his folks’ half-acre property. He can’t grow enough to meet demand.
“I’m competing with larger growers who are producing acres of flowers, so I grow varieties that a florist wouldn’t typically find from a wholesaler, heirlooms such as dahlias Gerrie Hoek and Pam
Howden and foxglove Sutton’s apricot. This allows me to differentiate myself and compete with the big guys.”
Toronto florist Rebecca De Oliveira, of Blush & Bloom Flower Studio, is buying more of her fresh-cut flowers from these farmer-florists as the trend continues. “I buy a lot from the growing number of small-batch growers, and it’s amazing. Their product is far superior to anything we see imported. It’s fantastic!”
Local growers are bound by the same seasonality as the rest of us gardeners — in about a month, Canadian gardeners will be digging up dahlia tubers. Sweet peas can be sown in pots during autumn and overwintered in a greenhouse, and hardy annuals such as larkspur and lovein-a-mist can be sown this fall.
Many local-grown flowers are available now at local farmers’ markets.
The year-round value of seasonal growers is in the relationships that form between the producers and consumers in a world that has long been dominated by commodified supply chains and major auction houses.
“You met my friend Melanie at Dahlia May — she’s the coolest!” exclaimed De Oliveira when we called to talk about this story.
Friendships that blossom in business over something as precious as locally grown flowers … isn’t that what this business should be about? Mark and Ben Cullen are expert gardeners. Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkCullen4