A Flower Share, also known as a Flower Subscription, also known as a Flower CSA (CSA=Community Supported Agriculture), benefits both consumers and growers.
A Flower Share is a weekly or monthly “share” of locally grown flowers, paid for ahead of time, provided (either through pickup or delivery) on a set schedule.
The consumer gets the freshest of seasonal flowers delivered to his/her/their door and knowledge that what they are receiving was grown locally, using sustainable practices, on a small farm. Most flowers sold in the US are imports from countries with dubious employment practices, lower standards for safety, including a heavy use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides to meet phytosantary requirements to enter the country. By participating in a flower share, buyers get transparency into growing practices, connection to the small farm and the farmer, and the knowledge that farm helpers are paid fairly and work in a safe environment.
The Flower Share benefits the grower because it provides planned sales in advance of the season.
This provides money to buy seeds, plants, bulbs, supplies, equipment, and compost, and importantly, allows us to pay workers without going into debt so we can start the season as early as we need to. Farming is a year-long process, as I’m sure you know! Selling flowers shares is a crucial part to stay a sustainable business.
I’ve offered flower shares to our community since my third year as a grower. My favorite thing about selling shares? Getting to know my clients! I’ve had some clients who’ve bought a flower share every single year I’ve been in business and it’s truly the best!
To learn more about the current flower shares my farm is offering, please click on the SHOP tab and choose FLOWER SHARE.
Why? Because I need a break after the growing season is over? A little. Or maybe more than a little. But mostly because I hate the incredible waste that accompanies import flowers. In a couple of weeks I’m doing early season weddings and I’ll document what it looks like to use blooms grown on other continents (or even other parts of the US) to flower a wedding. It’s also really stressful to have to rely on supply chains, wholesaler issues, and vagaries of delivery when my heart really isn’t in it. I needed to make a decision: either fully commit to regular deliveries of imports (whether or not I had orders) or decide that no, I wasn’t going to do it anymore. So after the end of the year – not going to do it anymore!
In the winter and early spring I am not able to create the kinds of designs I like to create. Unless I charge a lot more money I can’t offer the variety of blooms and foliage that make my seasonal designs special, and I’m not super interested in charging a lot more money. And if I’m not offering a variety of blooms and foliage in my style, what’s the difference between me and another florist? These are the things I ask myself.
You may not know this about me, but I haven’t always been a flower farmer and designer. I spent 17 years working in (mostly) public schools and also founded and have been running a nonprofit to help families impacted by a neurobehavioral disorder (
