Start your 2026 ASCFG Conference experience with the Welcome Reception! After picking up your registration materials, this is the time to connect with friends and colleagues over drinks and light refreshments. A cash bar will be available.

Val is the founder of Three Toads Farm in Winchester, Kentucky. She is renowned for her excellent bulb forcing and tabletop garden design skills, particularly with showy amaryllis and hardy spring bulbs. Val hosts on-the-farm workshops each year, and is a frequent and popular speaker on programs for both home gardeners and commercial growers. Currently in her second year as ASCFG President, Val Schirmer has previously served as Southeast Regional Director.

Don’t miss this exciting workshop with the renowned Charlotte Smith of The Profitable Mindset Podcast! During this two-hour workshop, Charlotte will teach attendees the necessary components for a successful, full-fledged marketing plan for cut flower farming businesses. She will also guide attendees through the process of drafting their marketing plan during the workshop with a custom workbook designed for attendees by Charlotte. This workshop will include a Q and A session.

Attendees Receive

1. 1 hour and 45 min presentation and workshop complete with a robust Q & A session.
2. A free copy of Charlotte’s book, Farm Marketing from the Heart.
3. A thorough, custom workbook that parallels the content of the workshop Charlotte is teaching.
   

Sponsored by:

Charlotte Smith the Marketing and Mindset Coach for Farmers and host of The Profitable Mindset Podcast. A fifth-generation farmer with a significant background in marketing and branding, she has been honored as a food rebel, pioneer, and visionary by PBS’s Food Forward TV; a “Pioneering Leader in Raw Milk Production” by Mark McAfee, CEO Organic Pastures Dairy; and one of the 25 “World’s Most Influential Women in Food and Ag” by Food Tank. She developed the yearlong coaching program, “5X Your Farm Sales,” which teaches farmers the skills to make money on their farms and live calm, balanced lives through mindset coaching. You can learn more at her website: https://charlottemsmith.com/

​Laura Lengnick, an award-winning soil scientist and founder of Cultivating Resilience, emphasizes that climate resilience in agriculture involves not only adapting to climate-induced challenges but also transforming food systems to proactively address climate change. She advocates for regenerative agricultural practices that enhance soil health, such as no-till farming, cover cropping, and diversified cropping systems, to build resilience against climate variability. ​Laura Lengnick’s framework for climate resilience in agriculture is detailed in her book Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate. This framework emphasizes regenerative agricultural practices, whole-farm planning, climate risk management, and community and regional resilience to adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts.

During 2025, Laura partnered with three ASCFG Regional Directors to adapt her framework to accommodate the needs of cut flower farmers in three different and distinct regions. This session will provide an overview of the original research and work conducted, and the corresponding results, with practical guidance and advice for attendees who wish to integrate climate resilience strategies into their own farms. Please note that this is a hybrid panel session, meaning that it is a combined virtual and in person presentation.

Sponsored by:

Laura Lengnick has explored agricultural and food system sustainability through 30 years of work as a federal researcher, policy-maker, adult educator, private consultant, community activist, and farmer to understand what it takes to move sustainability values into action on the farm, in community, and as a nation. When her text, Resilient Agriculture, was published in 2015, it was the first and is still the only book to apply social-ecological resilience theory to climate risk management in U.S. food and farming systems. Trained as a soil scientist, Laura’s innovative leadership in soil health and sustainable agriculture systems research at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center in Maryland was nationally recognized with a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 2002.

Photograph courtesy of CALS Magazine.

Don’t miss this exciting talk on the latest varieties from Dr. John Dole, NCSU Professor and ASCFG Executive Advisor! This session covers a plethora of blooms, fillers, woodies, and more to consider adding to your farm. Dr. Dole will also discuss the ASCFG Seed Trials and how members can participate.

Sponsored by:

Dr. Dole specializes in floricultural crops research and teaches floriculture courses including Greenhouse Management, HS 440, and Production of Floriculture Crops, HS 442. In addition, he serves as Executive Advisor for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, and co-authored Floriculture Principles and Species, 2nd edition, 2005, with Harold F. Wilkins. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Dole moved to the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University in 2000, becoming Director of Graduate Programs in 2004 and Department Head in 2011. Dr. Dole has a long history of significant research, teaching, extension, and outreach contributions to the field of floriculture, most notably in the areas of production and postharvest handling of cut flowers, cuttings and poinsettias.

The quality of blooms determines what you can charge, plain and simple. Learn how the price of your blooms is directly informed by petal quantity, uniformity, stem length, flush / stage, and much more. The renowned Scott Shepherd of the Flower Podcast, with over three decades of experience in the cut flower industry, will provide a florist’s perspective on what makes the perfect bloom. Attendees will see specific examples of cut flowers in various stages and their corresponding prices during this exciting session.

Scott Shepherd is the host of The Flower Podcast, where he shares his expertise and passion for the floral industry. With years of experience in floral design, cultivation, and business, Scott provides valuable insights into the world of flowers, from trends and techniques to the stories behind florists and growers. Through his podcast, he connects with innovators and industry leaders, offering a platform for discussions on creativity, sustainability, and the future of floristry.

Flowers offer undeniable therapeutic value to individuals and contribute to community well-being. And in 2021, Robert Washington-Vaughns founded the Black Men Flower Project 2021, a nonprofit organization using flower delivery and floral design events to enhance and elevate community care. Join this session to learn how the BMFP started, why they focus on outreach through events and strategic community partnerships, and how attendees can develop a flower-driven nonprofit program or partner with an existing program in their own region.

Robert Washington-Vaughns is the Founder of the Black Men Flower Project. The Black Men Flower Project was born out of a desire to change how Black men are seen in the world. Flowers symbolize a softness that’s often stripped away from Black men, and for Robert, flowers and floral design are about reclaiming that gentleness and reminding Black men that it’s okay to embrace beauty and care. Robert delivers bouquets to Black men at community events, sets up “bloom bars” where people can create their arrangements, and even partners with juvenile detention centers to help young Black boys send flowers to those they miss. These experiences have shown Robert just how powerful flowers can be as tools for connection and healing. Learn more about his work here: https://blackmenflowerproject.org/

Photograph by Tira Howard Photography.

The ASCFG Trade Show is an exciting event that brings together industry professionals, farmers, suppliers, and innovators from across the cut flower farming industry. This dynamic gathering showcases the latest cultivars, supplies, and solutions in floriculture and cut flowers. Attendees can explore a wide range of exhibits and network directly with exhibitors during this event. Whether you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve, discover new products, or find valuable business connections, the ASCFG Trade Show is the perfect place to grow your business!

Natural disasters such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes can devastate farming operations, threatening livelihoods, local economies, and your business. This session aims to equip farmers with practical strategies for disaster recovery, providing them with the tools to rebuild their operations. Join the highly experienced Small Farms Educator Meghan Baker of North Carolina State Extension as she provides a practical step-by-step recovery plan for the damages, costs, and organizational challenges incurred by natural disasters.

Meghan Baker is a horticultural professional based in Asheville and currently serves as the Small Farms Extension Agent in Buncombe County for the NC Cooperative Extension Service. Meghan holds an MS degree in Plant & Environmental Studies from Clemson University. As an outreach educator and technical consultant, she helps farmers navigate production and business challenges with crops ranging from vegetables to herbs to forest products.

With unpredictable algorithms, uncertain legislation, and changing demographics, communicating with consumers has moved away from social media and onto building an email-based community through which you can directly contact your customers. Attendees will learn from the renowned Charlotte Smith how to develop an e-mail newsletter from scratch and will afterwards feel confident in starting their own.

Charlotte Smith the Marketing and Mindset Coach for Farmers and host of The Profitable Mindset Podcast. A fifth-generation farmer with a significant background in marketing and branding, she has been honored as a food rebel, pioneer, and visionary by PBS’s Food Forward TV; a “Pioneering Leader in Raw Milk Production” by Mark McAfee, CEO Organic Pastures Dairy; and one of the 25 “World’s Most Influential Women in Food and Ag” by Food Tank. She developed the yearlong coaching program, “5X Your Farm Sales,” which teaches farmers the skills to make money on their farms and live calm, balanced lives through mindset coaching. You can learn more at her website: https://charlottemsmith.com/

We’re not just doing this for fun anymore: Tracking certain margins and metrics over time can take the guesswork out of profitability for a cut flower farm. To make a powerful and useful budget, join Michelle Elston from Roots Flower Farm as she teaches attendees how to organize your accounts and which metrics are especially useful to track. Please note that this session will be most helpful to growers with at least three years of financial records for their farm. 

Michelle Elston, founder and owner Roots Flower Farm, has loved plants and flowers for as long as she can remember. After studying plant science at Cornell University, she and her husband, Mike, moved to Massachusetts. There, they bought a garden center and stayed for 9 years. But after the birth of their first child, they realized that the best place to raise their kids was close to family roots. So they sold the garden center and moved back to Michelle’s hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. What started as a small garden has evolved into a 10-acre farm that produces enough flowers for more than 25,000 supermarket Bouquets, 450 wholesale/Party Buckets, and numerous corporate events annually. Now, 16 years later, she realizes she never imagined her seed of an idea would turn into such a thriving small business.

Understanding the role of photoperiod—the duration of light exposure in 24 hours—is crucial for optimizing plant growth and productivity. This session will explore how plant species respond to varying light conditions, influencing key processes such as flowering, germination, and fruiting. Attendees will learn how manipulating light exposure can enhance crop yields and support profitable farming practices.

Sponsored by:

Dr. Dole specializes in floricultural crops research and teaches floriculture courses including Greenhouse Management, HS 440, and Production of Floriculture Crops, HS 442. In addition, he serves as Executive Advisor for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, and co-authored Floriculture Principles and Species, 2nd edition, 2005, with Harold F. Wilkins. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Dole moved to the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University in 2000, becoming Director of Graduate Programs in 2004 and Department Head in 2011. Dr. Dole has a long history of significant research, teaching, extension, and outreach contributions to the field of floriculture, most notably in the areas of production and postharvest handling of cut flowers, cuttings and poinsettias.

In this session, Sarah Head of Eda Creek Farm will guide attendees through the essential components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans tailored for cut flower farming. Participants will learn about monitoring techniques, biological controls, eco-friendly and conventional pesticide options, and how to build a personalized plan for your farm. Attendees will gain practical insights into developing and managing effective IPM programs that safeguard flowers from pests and enhance crop quality and yield.

Sarah Head is the owner and flower farmer behind Eda Creek Farm, a small, sustainable farm in Oregon City, Oregon. After a 15-year career in education, Sarah shifted her focus to farming, blending her passion for resilience, community, and beauty. At Eda Creek Farm, she grows cut flowers, specialty vegetables, and raises animals using organic practices that prioritize soil health and biodiversity. She sells through a flower CSA, wholesale markets, and events, and is an active member—and the West and Northwest Regional Director—of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.