A QUIET AND COLOURFUL REVOLUTION

Susan Lynch and The Flower Farmers of Ireland make the case for Irish flowers by Irish Growers

Aquiet revolution is underway. There’s never been a better time to source locally grown flowers, there are growers all over the island. We could do more, though, to get those flowers into customers’ hands and homes. Irish flower farmers are on the verge of hitting the mainstream, they just need a little help to spread the word. In the Summer 2017 edition of this publication, Ruth Monahan said “How wonderful would it be to have a sustainable and environmentally mindful, fairtrade, cut flower industry here. The holistic world view of what could be achieved is mind blowing. If we could get this party started next July, we could be celebrating success in a field nearby.”

Four years later, change IS happening. There is an everincreasing awareness of impending and irreversible climate change, groups of people all over the world are trying to do their bit. Scientists, farmers, politicians, and schoolchildren are all trying to change how we do things. More specifically, The Flower Farmers of Ireland, an umbrella organisation for cut flower producers, with more than fifty members all over the island, is working to deliver a sustainable product while supporting biodiversity, especially our beleaguered pollinators. Every year we see more new entrants seeking to build flower growing businesses. However, despite the fact that the Irish Government declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in 2019, there is little to no support available for flower growers located on the island.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

The Flower Growers of Ireland envision beautiful fields of flowers around the country, supporting local ecosystems AND businesses, and creating local employment. Our fields and gardens create a safe environment for pollinators. They are also perfect venues to attract agri-tourism. Supporting local growers will reduce flower imports and make us more independent. If nothing else, the isolation from the rest of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how important it is to be self-sufficient.

Sometimes when there are no words, flowers speak volumes. People love flowers as a way of saying ‘I love you’, ‘thinking of you’ or ‘get well soon’. Weddings, anniversaries and births are marked with flowers.They can be used to say ‘hi’ to someone you have missed, and sometimes to say ‘goodbye’. The list is endless. People respond to flowers on an emotional level, they can make you laugh and they can make you cry. Much of the focus in the horticultural sector has traditionally been on crop and food production. While food is obviously vital, flowers and their growers have slipped through the cracks and flower growers are not supported to the same extent as other sectors, leading to ‘money left on the table’, money large commercial growers in other countries have been only too glad to pick up. We (and the pollinators that support the aforementioned food crops) need flowers without the air miles, refrigeration & chemicals that come with imported flowers.

We hear all the time, from the EU and other authorities, that we need to reduce our farming carbon footprint. The Flower Farmers of Ireland can certainly help tick that box. According to the recent CAP proposals, the EU needs us to reduce our farm sizes. Flower farmers can be extremely productive in very small spaces, so including these farms in any national measures can bring down the national average. We are part of the pollinator plan, we use sustainable practices and sustainability is vital for the future, so let’s embrace it. Growing flowers can create local jobs. Apart from the actual growing, flowers need to be harvested, delivered, arranged and sold. Some of our members are involved in ‘Social Farming’ programmes which help their local communities. Flower Farmers with their unique workplaces and practices enhance Ireland’s reputation as a green and sustainable Island.

SO HOW CAN WE GO FORWARD AND WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO TO SUPPORT FLOWER FARMERS?

Many people appreciate seasonal flowers in much the same way as they do seasonal food. Like the first Irish strawberries or tomatoes, people welcome the first seasonal blooms and the quality of things grown in season. Those who don’t understand the seasonal nature of the product are generally open to learning and this is a gospel we are constantly preaching. People genuinely want to buy Irish flowers. They understand the need to embrace more environmentally friendly practices such as reducing air miles, and they want to ‘shop local’ when possible. Florists want to sell Irish flowers to give their customers choice and support Irish employment.

Throughout the growing season our members are constantly contacted by florists from across Ireland looking for Irish flowers. Some of the bigger florists can bring in as much as 400 buckets a week to meet the demands of their clients and they would love to buy more Irish flowers. Lorna Stuart Trainor is the owner of ‘A Room in Bloom’. She is also an award-winning floral designer who teaches professional floral design for NOTS (National Organic Training Skillnet), and she said. ‘I wanted to have local flowers, as one of the most common questions I get asked as a florist is; where do the flowers come from? I’m so thrilled to now be able to say some of them are grown in Mullingar! Also, Irish grown blooms add a little something special and extra to arrangements that you can’t get from Dutch blooms. They are not perfect, which is fun, the seasonality means they are picked at the perfect time and not forced.”

Local focus increased during the pandemic. With restrictions on travel, flowers gave people a voice, a way to send good wishes to their loved ones. Yes, weddings were down in both frequency and numbers attending, but being able to send flowers gave people something positive to hold on to. Irish-grown flowers are a lucrative option with minimal input, annual flowers grow well in most soils, some even prefer low fertility, and flowers can bring greater revenue per acre than many salad crops. We already have the interest and support of the public and florists. To progress, we need support from the State. Ideally, that would include backing for research and development in our colleges, but we also need to look at logistics and future employment potential. As a priority, we need research and development to focus on identifying the best flowers to grow in our climate, that can produce a crop earlier and longer into the season. We need help to be instrumental in continuing to create and support an Ireland where pollinators can survive, and become recognised contributors to the Irish agri sector.

But at the very heart of it, is the fact that people want Irish flowers and Irish florists want to supply Irish flowers, and from every facet this makes sense. ✽

The article was written by Susan Lynch (member) and Britta Baranowsky (Chairwoman) of the Irish Flower Farmers of Ireland. Susan is a member of Flower Farmers of Ireland, is the largest Grower of Roses for the cut flower industry in Ireland and runs thevintagerosecompany.com, a flower farm specialising in growing roses for the wedding industry. Britta Baranowsky (Chairwoman) of the Irish Flower Growers Association members and is an artisan flower grower and floral designer of theflowerfield.net