Bloom to Boom: Flower Farm Profitability

WEBINAR VIDEO: Bloom to Boom: Flower Farm Profitability

WEBINAR SLIDE DECK: Bloom to Boom: Flower Farm Profitability • PDF

About Our Presenters

Lennie Larkin started B-Side Farm in Sonoma County, California, in 2014 and has since moved the farm and settled outside of Portland, Oregon. B-Side has grown flowers for various retail and wholesale customers and designed for hundreds of weddings over the years. Lennie's true passion lies in tending to her own farm and helping other farmers thrive in their businesses. She has been an associate faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College and served multiple terms on the Board of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Through her research and educational business, Flower Farming for Profit, she teaches a business curriculum that she developed specifically for flower farmers.

Niki Irving is the farmer and florist of Flourish Flower Farm in Asheville, NC, and the author of Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting and Arranging Beautiful Blooms. Niki grows using only natural practices, creates lush, seasonally inspired arrangements for weddings & special events, hosts classes and workshops on her farm, offers seasonal bouquets at the farm's Farmstand, and serves on the board of the ASCFG as the Southeastern Regional Director.

Debra Prinzing Author and Founder of Slow Flowers Society, is an advocate for American grown flowers. Connecting annually with hundreds of growers, designers, and floral industry experts, Debra has compiled a collection of industry insights based on her close connections with the industry.

Hillary Alger has over 12 years of experience on the research team at Johnny's Selected Seeds. She is currently the Product Manager for flowers and herbs. She works with our product technician team to manage and continually improve our product offering.

Explore this past webinar's recording and slide deck.

OVERVIEW: In collaboration with author and Slow Flowers Society founder Debra Prinzing, we are excited to present our next free webinar, Bloom to Boom: Flower Farm Profitability! This live event will occur on Thursday, April 11, at 4:00 pm ET.

Farmer florists and authors Lennie Larkin of B-Side Farm and Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm will join us to discuss their operations and share their approaches to increasing profitability, including tracking labor costs, inputs, markups, and sales channels.

After a round table discussion with Debra, Johnny's Flower Product Manager Hillary Alger will moderate our Q&A session, where she will pose audience questions to Lennie and Niki.

• From Johnny's Flower Farming Library
  • Pricing & Profitability for Today's Flower Farmer
  • Tips for Building a Profitable Cut-Flower Business
  • Collective Selling Models for Flower Farmers
  • An Introduction to Producer Marketing Cooperatives • © Margaret Lund, M Lund Associates
  • Flower Power for Roadside Markets
  • Tips for Starting a U-Pick Flower Operation
  • Wedding Wisdom 101 • 10 Tips for Beginners Entering the Wedding Floral Business
• From Slow Flower Society
  • About the Slow Flowers Movement
  • Slow Flowers Membership & Resources
• From Niki Irving, Flourish Flower Farm
  • Workshop Profitability & Decision Making Exercise
• From Lennie Larkin, B-Side Farm
  • Take Lennie's Farm Viability Quiz
  • Download Lennie's Pathway To Flower Farm Profitability cheat sheet
• Additional Resources Mentioned
  • Know Your Costs to Grow: Costing and Decision Making for Multi-Crop Vegetable Farmers
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)