Blooming in a New Direction Local Flower Farms are the Way to Grow

By Ainsley Schoppel

We’ve all attended luxurious, formal events where carefully arranged centerpieces of floral perfection adorned every table. Or what about a stroll through the floral department of our local grocery store near Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day? A literal showcase of plentiful bouquets in various sizes, colours, and complementary flower combinations is at our fingertips. And it’s no wonder: we often turn to flowers as a symbol of celebration or as a gifted gesture to show love, thanks, congratulations, and sympathy. No matter the purpose in the cut-flower market, each selected bloom in a centerpiece or bouquet brims with intention, vibrancy, and botanic crispness that implies it was freshly harvested for our very own special occasions.

But was it?

If not locally sourced, most roses used for weddings worldwide are from Ecuador.

Chances are, the answer is “no”. In fact, most flowers sold in the United States come from the Netherlands, Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Because South America’s climate and soil conditions are ideal for commercial flower production, Colombia has become the dominant producer of U.S. cut flowers, with roses, carnations, spray chrysanthemums, and Alstroemeria leading the way. Ecuador exports large quantities of roses, delphiniums, asters, baby’s breath, and mixed bouquets. Together, Columbia and Ecuador account for approximately ninety percent of all roses, ninetyeight percent of all carnations, and ninety-five percent of all chrysanthemums sold in the U.S. last year. With a consistent floral exportation of over five billion dollars, the Netherlands is also a dominant power in the industry: it’s the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips and is the most successful global grower of peonies. Given the delicacy of most floral species, it’s no easy feat to move shipments from one continent to another. Cut flowers must be transported using a “cold-chain”—a series of refrigerated facilities on farms, trucks, planes, and boats. The cold temperatures are necessary to put the flowers into a dormant state to preserve freshness. With a supply chain of farmers, wholesalers, airlines, cargo ships, floral traders, florists, and supermarkets, flowers can be transported from farm to shop within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. But, like so much of life, time is critical: for every extra day lost to travel delays, flowers lose fifteen percent of their value.

The world’s largest importer of flowers in 2021 was the U.S. with twenty-one percent of the world’s imports. The next closest country was Germany with just over fifteen percent.

Unsurprisingly, a supply chain like this is unkind to the environment. Depending on where the flowers are grown, pesticides and harsh fertilizers may have been used to grow the crop. If they were grown in a greenhouse under little regulation, massive amounts of water are needed to sustain the contained ecosystem and only contaminated water returns to the surrounding earth. And once the flowers are grown and cut, they are almost always packaged. Floral packaging often includes green floral foam that has been shown to contribute to the world’s microplastic pollution. And finally—after being driven, shipped, and flown—bouquets are commonly wrapped in plastic or cellophane sleeves, with most ending up in landfills.

Taking a closer look at the American flower industry, seventy-five percent of domestic cut flowers are grown in California, with an additional small percentage grown in Florida, Washington, Hawaii, and other states. However, even with ideal growing conditions and a long history of quality fresh flower production, many domestic farms are struggling to keep up with international suppliers and achieve sales that would contribute to business growth and expansion. A major contributing factor is higher land, energy, and labor costs than offshore competitors.

But, even if domestic flower farms can’t compete on a global scale, they still offer numerous regional benefits. Flowers play such an important role in ecosystems as they attract pollinators, and some even provide natural medicinal alternatives. Some flowers, such as lupines, work as nitrogen fixers, and some, such as sunflowers, use phytoremediation to clean our soil, water, and air. Flowers have a positive effect on the ecosystems of surrounding landscapes, meaning flower farms can be a form of agriculture that gives back to the land. ymore info:

Phytoremediation is the use of plants and soil microbes to reduce the concentration or toxic effects of environmental contaminants. It is widely accepted as a cost-effective environmental restoration technology.

As we collectively become more aware of the significance of eating locally and supporting local meat, dairy, and produce farms, it’s important to remember that local flower farms are a critical aid to our environment as well. And let’s not forget that they can be just plain fun! In fact, many regional flower farms offer “You Pick” or “Cut Your Own” experiences, as well as farm tours, local floral deliveries, and even weekly subscriptions to receive a fresh and beautiful addition to your home. Other farms offer more in-depth experiences through various workshops that include making tea blends and tinctures, distilling plants to extract essential oils, and even fabricating seasonal wreaths for your home.

By putting in a little effort and making a few habitual changes, we can absolutely give the floral industry a local re-focus and help breathe life into farms that are doing so much for the environment and our enjoyment of nature’s beauty. The power is in our wallets, so explore your local farms, learn about their offerings, and start to make regional flower shopping part of your routine. Your vases are waiting.

Find a flower farm near you at www.ecofarmfinder.com