The Return of Blooms and Bouquets
Three years ago, Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm had the idea to bring together flower farmers from all over our region for a day of learning. Summer is notoriously hard for flower farmers and florists alike. Sales are down and the temperatures are high. This seemed like the perfect time to give folks the shot in the arm they needed as they started the second half of the year.
For the past two years, Dave Dowling, president of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Laura Beth and I have come together to teach folks about farming, business and design. In it’s third year, Blooms and Bouquets added a new presenter in addition to the three founding speakers: Mimo Davis Duschack of Urban Buds City Grown Flowers in St. Louis Missouri. What a treat! With over 20 years of flower farming experience, Mimo brought so much energy and excitement to the day.
Growers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, DC and Virgina arrived bright and early and started the day with a tour of Butterbee Farm. Returning participants marveled at how much the farm had grown since their visit the previous year. Returning to the barn, the day’s agenda included topics including Season Extension, Selling To Florists, Ask Dave Anything, Crop Planning and Tips for Selling at a Farmers Market. We always try to keep the agenda fresh and relevant for both new and returning attendees.
The day ended with a floral design class out in a shady field where the growers practiced their bouquet making skills. LoCoFlo staff was on hand to share their expertise in design and business. All of the flowers and foliage we used for the designs were harvested from Butterbee Farm. It was a truly perfect setting to learn about floral design and working with locally grown flowers.
With this year’s event successfully completed, we are already planning and scheming for next year’s Blooms and Bouquets! Stay tuned for more details!
You can see lots more photos from Blooms and Bouquets here! Thanks to Stacy Bauer Photography for these great photos!
In case you can’t wait for next year, LoCoFlo has some upcoming classes to tide you over until then! Check out our website for all the details.
Thanks to everyone who made Blooms and Bouquets 2017 so much fun!
