So You Want to Become a Flower Farmer?
Photo By Whitney Gray Photography for the Cover of Countryside Magazine featuring Farm Stands
Are you wondering if you should become a flower farmer? Do you feel you have flower farming skills that you can develop into a farming career?
Maybe you've dabbled in the garden for a number of years and enjoy tending to the beautiful blooms that you bring inside and arrange on your dining table. You've considered leaving the corporate 9 to 5 for a more comfortable life at home to spend quality time with your family. You've thought to yourself, "I can grow these flowers. Why not sell them?" Or perhaps you have gifted excess blooms to friends and neighbors, and they have encouraged you to pursue your passion. Whatever the idea that pushed you in the direction of running a flower farm, I am here to help break down how that lifestyle change will look. I hope to challenge you to ask yourself after this read, "Is it practical for me?"
Before we dive in, ask yourself these few questions. Do you:
Like working incredibly long hours?
Like working outside, no matter the weather—in heavy rain, mud and muck, and snowfall?
Mind getting up in the middle of the night during a freeze or a snowstorm to knock snow off your caterpillar tunnels or cover your new crops with frost cloth?
Mind having your house a constant state of mess and chaos due to the hours you've spent on the farm because mother nature waits for no one?
Like to plan ahead? Far ahead? Seasons ahead?
Keep critical track of finances, with each dollar spent in spreadsheets and income/loss statements?
Mind getting incredibly dirty daily? Shoveling manure and rotting compost?
Centerpiece workshop offered by Wildroots Farmer Florist at Warrenwood Manor in Kentucky
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then farming may just be the lifestyle for you! Now, I am not here to discourage anyone from entering into a livelihood that I myself fell in love with, too, and even moved overseas to pursue. Still, I do want to bring to light that those magazine portrayals and Instagram photos of life on a farm are far from realistic. You may be surprised that you spend even less time with your family even though you are working from home—unless they are also involved with the farm.
There are six key factors to consider when looking into operating any type of flower farm:
Location
Capital
Time
Market
Character
Labor
Location
There are many things to consider when choosing a location for your farm. Are you near a major highway or throughway? Are you located near a larger city or township where you can sell your flowers? If you will have visitors or customers coming to your farm, is there easy access or directions? Do you mind having your personal address and phone number on Google and Social Media for those to find you easily? Is your field plot going to be located at your home, or will you have to drive to a separate location? This can make a big difference at 3 a.m. when a snowstorm hits and you have to check your crops. How far of a commute will it be for you each day? And is there a shop or something secure onsite to keep all of your tools, tractors, and equipment easily at hand and locked up?
Often times flower farming doesn’t look anything like fields of blooms. Here Drew is spreading horse manure on a freshly tilled field for our front flower plot.
Capital
Now, I don't have to tell you that it takes money to start up any farm or business, but I am here to tell you that it might take a lot more than you're prepared to spend. Of course, you know that purchasing flower seeds is a must, but some things may catch you off-guard. For example, you'll need to budget $15 to $20 each for highly sought after dahlia tuber varieties that are on-trend this bridal season.
Gone are the days of hand-watering your garden. Be prepared to spend money on amending the soil with compost and manure and purchasing dripline irrigation and landscape fabric to suppress weed pressure. And while we are on the topic of weeds, will you be buying herbicide? Or will you be investing in ergonomic tools to hand weed your plot? If you want to become certified organic, know that it's a three-year process and takes a substantial amount of capital to become certified. It could turn out to pay back significant dividends, but it's certainly a long-term investment!
Long day? Just got off work? No time to change – the flowers are thirsty! Invest in drip irrigation even if it is your very first season. Hand watering can take several hours and in the heat of the summer may need to be done twice daily
I'm sure you've bought flower seeds before, but have you purchased bulk bulbs right after the Christmas season, when you are already feeling the financial squeeze from the gifts and the holidays? Are you willing to go into debt for your dream of farming flowers? The average farm spends its first five years of business in the red, but it IS possible to start and run a flower farm without going into debt. It may be slow-going, but it'll be well worth it! Can you afford to farm when not receiving your previously relied upon income? A majority of farmers have jobs outside of the fields, so those long hours I told you about—they just got longer.
Time
Speaking of long hours. How are your time management skills? Do you feel like you and your family can afford the time it takes to start up a new business, a new farm, and learn all you need to know to grow flowers during this place in your life right now? I can say with confidence I have the utmost respect for farmers because they are accountants, mechanics, soil scientists, entomologists, marketers, financial managers, graphic designers, website creators, tax pros, hiring managers, labor coordinators, trucking and transporters, heavy equipment operators, etc. I could really go on and on here.
The art of farming has no gender bias—tasks must be completed no matter your background, all while you are at the mercy of mother nature. Farmers are the world's best multitaskers!
Our flower stand is a family affair.
Market
Where are you going to sell your flowers? Is there a farmers’ market nearby that you'd like to begin selling at? If so, remember this usually means every Friday you work all day in the field harvesting buckets of blooms, prepping flowers, making arrangements, and loading up the trailer for a zero-dark-30 start to your every Saturday where—no matter the weather—you’ll transport your product to market, set up your booth, and stay until close. It's a fun and useful way to get your name out to the community, but it's a big commitment at the same time!
If you prefer to sell wholesale, you can market your florals to wholesale florist companies or local florist shops. Wholesale requires a steady amount of large quantities of blooms that are unblemished, and you may receive less than half of direct market price for your crop. Will you take individual orders via online and stop whatever you are doing to meet those orders as they come in? Are you willing to deliver to town? Will you deliver directly to a person's home or a place of business? Maybe you prefer to break into the wedding industry and market your florals to brides. This will include working with them to create their vision, a studio or workspace for large orders, setup of installations, delivering to wedding venues, and more than likely breakdown at the end of the evening.
Drew piling wood chips, manure, and compost up for future use in our raised beds and on the flower fields. Heavy machinery operation is critical to farming.
Character
This is personal to you. Are you a people person? Then the farmers’ market might be the perfect place to start selling your flowers. Do you prefer the privacy of your home and farm? Selling wholesale may be for you! Are you enthusiastic about event planning? Weddings are the way to go! Determine your strengths and weaknesses (be honest with yourself) to choose the best path your flower dreams will take you. This is a crucial step and will guide the way of your business!
Labor
It's not hard to predict that farming requires help. Perhaps you believe that in the beginning, this will be your sole endeavor, and you can handle harvest and prep and making bouquets or arrangements. While this may be true, don't be fooled by thinking for a moment that farming is a solo business. You absolutely must have a partner there helping you because most jobs require heavy lifting. And if you are like most families, this will mean completing tasks on evenings and weekends, with your kids around and anyone else you can rope into assisting you. Labor is the most expensive part of farming, and you may not be able to afford hired help for your first few years of business. Remember that the sacrifice is not only felt by you; it is also felt by your family. Your friends may wonder why you aren't able to go out as much (or at all) like before, and family vacations will be planned around crop schedules, so early January is best. Those that have chosen their career will now need to assist you with yours. Farming is truly a labor of love for all involved parties.
Have long discussions with your partner or spouse. Farming will test your relationship, your time management skills, your time together, your interactions with your family. But I promise if they are on board it will only bring you closer together.
If you made it through all these hard-nosed points and are still with me, there is great news: You can be a flower farmer! And a successful one!
I don't know if it's my military background that makes me consider writing in a manner of “break them down, then build them up” (I blame it on serving six years in the Coast guard around salty sailors). Still, the simple fact is that if you did not let any of the above hard-faced truths of the farming lifestyle discourage you, then you know without a doubt that this is your path. This lifestyle is not for the faint of heart, and there are steep learning curves at every turn, but I can promise you that you will not find a more rewarding career anywhere.
Lauren in front of Brownings vintage flower truck and flower cart. Going mobile provides an easy and accessible market no matter where you are located.
With over 80% of flowers being grown overseas, I encourage anyone to get into the profession that grows locally. It is my goal, however, to be honest and upfront about the hard work involved. If you daydreamed of becoming a flower farmer, and after reading this that you decided it may not be worth the sacrifice, then you have successfully saved yourself time, money, and heartache—which is a good thing! There are many opportunities to have a life with flowers in other ways.
I wish you luck on your journey, flower friends—whatever path you choose!
