![Graphic in header for site](https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/Graphic-in-header-for-site-1-scaled.jpg)
Thank you for your participation! Stay tuned for more events in 2024!
Urban Buds City Grown Flowers Farm Tour
Monday, November 6
Please note, the farm tour requires separate registration and is not included in the conference registration price.
SORRY, NO PERSONAL VEHICLES ALLOWED ON TOUR. BUS TRANSPORTATION IS INCLUDED IN REGISTRATION.
Urban Buds is a renowned flower farm in St. Louis, Missouri. Led by Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack, co-founders and co-owners, ASCFG members will have the opportunity to register for a farm tour, which will go over farming operations and how these practices are shaped by the urban environment.
About the Farm
Urban Buds has a rich agricultural history. The South St. Louis City farmstead is located seven miles south of the St. Louis Gateway Arch and dates to 1870. The Held family purchased the farm in 1905. For three generations, the Helds farmed the land, growing vegetables and flowers to sell in St Louis. In 1925 they opened a retail florist shop, and by the 1950’s were operating several glass greenhouses, one of which still stands. The property diminished over the years as pieces were sold off for development and the family eventually sold the farm in the mid 1990’s. The property changed hands several times until Urban Buds purchased it in 2012 in order to revitalize the property and in a nod to its incredible history, to continue the farming tradition. The land totals about an acre, one glass greenhouse remains as does the former florist shop. The rehab on these distressed structures continues.
Sponsored by:
Morning Tour: The morning tour is full.
8:00 a.m. Check in at the Hyatt St. Louis at the Arch (4th Street Entrance)
8:15 a.m. Board buses
8:30 a.m. Buses depart (NO PERSONAL VEHICLES PERMITTED)
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Farm Tour
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. Buses will return to hotel.
Afternoon Tour: The afternoon tour is full.
Noon Check in at the Hyatt St. Louis at the Arch (4th Street Entrance)
12:15 p.m. Board buses
12:30 p.m. Buses depart (NO PERSONAL VEHICLES PERMITTED)
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Farm Tour
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Buses will return to hotel.
Conference
Registration is closed.
Monday, November 6
3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Check in
4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Welcome Reception and Trade Show
Welcome Reception and Trade Show
Start your 2023 ASCFG Conference experience with the Trade Show and Welcome Reception!
After picking up your registration materials, this is the time to visit the Trade Show and meet cut flower industry vendors and suppliers. You can also participate in the Regional Rendezvous, which are specific locations in the hotel dedicated to connecting cut flower growers and farmers with other professionals in their ASCFG Regions. Lastly, don’t miss the floral design demonstration by the renowned Julio Freitas of The Flower Hat in Bozeman, Montana. His floral arch demonstration will cover the design process, sourcing materials, and much more.
Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.
Trade Show Supplier Participants
American Takii
A-ROO Company
Ball Seed ColorLink
Chicago Flower Market
Chrysal Americas
Colorblends
Eason Horticultural Resources
Farmer Bailey
GeoSeed
InFlora Cut Flowers
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Kube Pak
Leo Berbee Bulb Co.
Netherland Bulb Co.
Onings
Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants
Sakata Seed America
St. Louis Composting
Tend
The Tulip Workshop
SARE – Univ. of Missouri
Walters Gardens
Zabo Plant
6:00 p.m. Floral Design with Julio Freitas of The Flower Hat
Julio Freitas, The Flower Hat, Bozeman, Montana
![](https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/IngridSvarePhotography-260x300.jpg)
Photographer: Ingrid Svare
Don’t miss this floral design demonstration by the renowned Julio Freitas of The Flower Hat!
The Flower Hat is a floral design studio and flower farm nestled in the beautiful mountains of Gallatin Valley in Bozeman, Montana. The Studio is headed by internationally published designer Julio Freitas, whose design style embraces the seasons to create a loose, natural aesthetic that has graced hundreds of events. He started his growing operations on 1,800 sq ft and quickly leased ¼ acre plot for a few years, where he was able to grow and harvest thousands of flowers by using high intensity techniques before moving on to purchase his own farm.
Tuesday, November 7
General Sessions
7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m. Welcome
Val Schirmer, ASCFG President, Three Toads Farm, Winchester, Kentucky
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.
8:30 a.m. State of the Floriculture Industry: Current Status and Prospective Trends
Session Description
In this session, Dr. Melinda Knuth, an Assistant Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, will provide an overview of the current status of the cut flower industry within North America (and beyond) before forecasting future trends and considerations for cut flower farmers. Dr. Knuth has evaluated trade flows of horticulture products in the United States, assessed the supply chain in the cut flower industry, investigated profit margins in substituting species in floral arrangements, and estimated consumer acceptance of retail messaging. Her talk will give attendees a nuanced understanding of the cut flower market and inspire new ideas for sales and operating opportunities.
Dr. Melinda Knuth, NCSU, Raleigh
Dr. Knuth’s research priorities are on consumer and market research experience by focusing on the interface between people and plants, helping the horticulture industry understand consumer preferences, perceptions, and motivations. Historically, Dr. Knuth has evaluated trade flows of horticulture products in the United States, assessed the supply chain in the cut flower industry, investigated profit margins in substituting species in floral arrangements, and estimated consumer acceptance of retail messaging.
She currently is an Assistant Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Knuth teaches Greenhouse Management, Floriculture Production, Floral Design, and Horticulture Marketing. Dr. Knuth received her PhD from Texas A&M University in Horticultural Science with a certificate in Applied Statistics. From there, she was a postdoctoral research associate at University of Florida in the Food & Resource Economics Department. She currently serves as the Young Professional Council Advisor for American Floral Endowment’s Executive Board. Her article “What the Research Says About Millennials and Houseplants” was the #10 most read article in Greenhouse Product News in 2022. Dr. Knuth received GPN Magazine’s 40 under 40 award in 2021 and a 2017 AmericanHort Scholar.
9:30 a.m. Value-added Products, Services, and Outreach
Session Description
Adam and Jennifer O’Neal are the husband-and-wife farming duo of PepperHarrow Farm. Whether it’s through hosting workshops or volunteering with local organizations, Adam and Jenn are dedicated to nurturing a community of gardeners who share their vision for a healthier, more sustainable world. They believe in the power of flowers to bring beauty, wellness and connection to people’s lives. Their farm is more than just a business – it’s a place of inspiration and connection to the natural world. This philosophy drives their desire to connect with people through strategic outreach and to provide innovative products and services at PepperHarrow. This presentation will provide an overview of the value-added products and services Adam and Jennifer have implemented, and will inspire attendees to consider new initiatives for their own cut flower operations.
Check out Adam and Jennifer’s feature article in the summer issue of Midwest Living!
Adam and Jennifer O’Neal, Pepper Harrow Farm, Winterset, Iowa
Adam O’Neal and Jenn O’Neal are a husband-and-wife flower farming duo with a deep passion for gardening and a love for nature. Adam grew up in south Louisiana, spending countless hours exploring and playing in the swamps of a local nature preserve. These early experiences fostered a strong connection to the environment and a fascination with the natural world. As he grew older, Adam’s interest in gardening flourished, and he eventually became a Master Gardener, honing his skills and knowledge in various restored historic gardens throughout middle Tennessee.
Jenn hails from Iowa and inherited her grandmother and mother’s love of flowers at a young age. Growing up exploring her grandparents’ farm, she spent long summer days helping her grandmother sow, tend, and harvest arrays of beautiful garden blooms. Her grandmother was an accomplished floral designer, and Jenn eagerly soaked up all the knowledge she could while working alongside her. Eventually, Jenn pursued her own career in floral design, bringing her unique eye for beauty and creativity to weddings and events throughout central Iowa.
Whether it’s through hosting workshops or volunteering with local organizations, Adam and Jenn are dedicated to nurturing a community of gardeners who share their vision for a healthier, more sustainable world. They believe in the power of flowers to bring beauty, wellness and connection to people’s lives. Their farm is more than just a business – it’s a place of inspiration and connection to the natural world.
Adam and Jennifer’s first book, Small Farms, Big Dreams was published in February 2022 by BLOOM Imprint. PepperHarrow Farm has been featured in Country Gardens, Garden Gate, Better Homes & Gardens (print and online), Cottage Journal, and Midwest Living, among other national and regional publications. They have spoken at a number of flower farming and regional gardening conferences, and host their own popular workshops and events at PepperHarrow Farm. You can find their videos at PepperHarrow Farm on YouTube. Instagram: pepperharrow_, or TikTok: @pepperharrow www.
Check out Adam and Jennifer’s feature article in the summer issue of Midwest Living!
11:00 a.m. New Flowers, New Sales: Engage your Customers with Fun New Cultivars!
Session Description
The ASCFG National Cut Flower Trials are recognized as the only national cut flower evaluations in the United States. Growers in all zones test new annual, perennial, bulb, and woody cut flower varieties for hardiness, yield, stem length, and marketability. Breeders and suppliers rely on these Trials as an integral part of their cultivar development and evaluation process. Data are compiled by Dr. John Dole at North Carolina State University, where postharvest testing is also done. In this session, Dr. Dole will provide an overview of the results associated with the latest round of cut flower evaluations, as well as other fun and interesting cuts that show potential. Learn which new cultivars you need to try!
Sponsored by SunflowerSelections.com and GeoSeed
Dr. John Dole, NCSU, Raleigh
John Dole is Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. He received his BS from Michigan State University and his PhD from the University of Minnesota, with both degrees in Horticulture. He conducts research on cut flowers, unrooted cuttings, and a number of floriculture crops. John teaches a graduate level Physiology of Flowering course and has authored or co- authored eight books, including Woody Cut Stems, and Postharvest Handling of Cut Flowers and Greens. John is Executive Advisor for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) and co-manages the ASCFG Cut Flower Trials.
Noon Lunch
Lunch Details
A hearty lunch is included in your Conference registration for both Tuesday and Wednesday, and you won’t need to leave the Hotel! Save a chair for an old friend, or sit with growers you’re just getting to know.
Concurrent Sessions
1:30 p.m. Dried Florals and Botanicals in Design
Session Description
Hannah Muller is a farmer florist from Full Belly Farm who creates unique and wild garden style designs for weddings and events. She also makes wreaths and textural installations with the flowers they dry in Full Belly Farm’s Wreath Room, and incorporates dried flowers into other designs along with fresh flowers. Over the last decade, she has helped to pioneer the Field-To-Vase and Slow Flower movement in northern California. In this presentation, Hannah will describe the creation and evolution of The Wreath Room, a popular dried floral wreath Instagram account, and share ideas with attendees on how to expand into dried florals on their own operations.
Hannah Muller, Fully Belly Farm, Guinda, California
![](https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/Hannah-Muller-300x300.jpeg)
2:45 p.m. Evaluating Profitability in Cut Flower Farming
Session Description
Equal parts flower farmers and educators, B-Side Farm and Floral Design is an Oregon flower farm and education hub started by Lennie Larkin. B-Side Flower Farm grows unique flowers and designs wild, artful bouquets and hosts floral workshops and farm dinners. Lennie also works with new farmers on their business skills and in this session, she will provide an overview of how to evaluate a cut flower operation for profitability. Attendees will leave with new ideas and strategies to apply to their own farms.
Sponsored by:
Lennie Larkin, B-Side Farm, Warren, Oregon
Lennie Larkin is a flower farmer, researcher and farm business coach, whose primary goal is to help farmers keep farming. She started B-Side Farm & Floral Design in 2013 and served the Bay Area with unique flowers and bouquets for a decade before recently relocating the farm to just outside of Portland, OR. Lennie served on the board of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers for seven years, teaches Horticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College, and conducts grant-funded research on the cost of production for cut flower crops. Her first book, Flower Farming For Profit, will be published by Chelsea Green Publishing in December 2023, and she works with farmers through online courses and consulting through her new business dedicated to flower farm financial sustainability: flowerfarmingforprofit.com.
4:00 p.m. Resiliency in Farming: Disaster Recovery and Perseverance
Session Description
In March 2022, Adam and Jennifer O’Neal of PepperHarrow experienced one of the worst nightmares a farmer can face: A natural disaster. A tornado ripped through the farm in Iowa, causing the O’Neals to seek shelter in their basement. Once the danger passed, they began the long recovery process. In this session, they will share an overview of what occurred and how they rebuilt after the tornado. While they will focus on their specific experience, they will also share resilience and disaster recovery strategies with attendees.
Check out Adam and Jennifer’s feature article in the summer issue of Midwest Living!
Adam and Jennifer O’Neal, Pepper Harrow Farm, Winterset, Iowa
Adam O’Neal and Jenn O’Neal are a husband-and-wife flower farming duo with a deep passion for gardening and a love for nature. Adam grew up in south Louisiana, spending countless hours exploring and playing in the swamps of a local nature preserve. These early experiences fostered a strong connection to the environment and a fascination with the natural world. As he grew older, Adam’s interest in gardening flourished, and he eventually became a Master Gardener, honing his skills and knowledge in various restored historic gardens throughout middle Tennessee.
Jenn hails from Iowa and inherited her grandmother and mother’s love of flowers at a young age. Growing up exploring her grandparent’s farm, she spent long summer days helping her grandmother sow, tend, and harvest arrays of beautiful garden blooms. Her grandmother was an accomplished floral designer, and Jenn eagerly soaked up all the knowledge she could while working alongside her. Eventually, Jenn pursued her own career in floral design, bringing her unique eye for beauty and creativity to weddings and events throughout central Iowa.
Whether it’s through hosting workshops or volunteering with local organizations, Adam and Jenn are dedicated to nurturing a community of gardeners who share their vision for a healthier, more sustainable world. They believe in the power of flowers to bring beauty, wellness and connection to people’s lives. Their farm is more than just a business – it’s a place of inspiration and connection to the natural world.
Adam and Jennifer’s first book, Small Farms, Big Dreams was published in February 2022 by BLOOM Imprint. PepperHarrow Farm has been featured in Country Gardens, Garden Gate, Better Homes & Gardens (print and online), Cottage Journal, and Midwest Living, among other national and regional publications. They have spoken at a number of flower farming and regional gardening conferences, and host their own popular workshops and events at PepperHarrow Farm. You can find their videos at PepperHarrow Farm on YouTube. Instagram: pepperharrow_, or TikTok: @pepperharrow www.
Check out Adam and Jennifer’s feature article in the summer issue of Midwest Living!
1:30 p.m. Mental Health, Self-Care, and Burnout Prevention for Farmers
Session Description
Megz Reynolds is the Executive Director of The Do More Agriculture Foundation in Saskatchewan, Canada, and has first hand experience in agriculture as a former grain farmer. Personally familiar with the unique challenges the industry faces, Megz has been part of creating change at a provincial, federal and global level, always with a focus on the mental health of producers and the industry as a whole. In her presentation, Megz will provide an overview of self-care and resilience strategies for farmers as well as resources for further support.
Megz Reynolds, The Do More Agriculture Foundation, Saskatchewan
Megz has first hand experience in agriculture as a former grain farmer and is personally familiar with the unique challenges the industry faces. Through grassroots advocacy and policy work Megz has been part of creating change at a provincial, federal and global level, always with a focus on the mental health of producers and the industry as a whole. As the Executive Director of The Do More Agriculture Foundation Megz is using her background and lived experience to continue the conversation, raise awareness for mental health in agriculture, create community, build and strengthen partnerships and do more for those in agriculture, their families and rural communities.
2:45 p.m. Creating Flower Collectives: Strategies for Success
Session Description
With a doctorate in economic geography and a decades-long career as an organic vegetable and flower farmer, Dr. Schumilas is an early innovator of the community supported agriculture model in Canada. In recent years, she has combined her applied knowledge and scholarly expertise to assist small-scale cut flower farms in collaborating in online marketplaces and collectives. Her presentation will cover proven strategies for developing successful cut flower collectives.
Theresa Schumilas, Garden Party Flower Farm, St. Agatha, Ontario
Dr. Theresa Schumilas
Garden Party Flower Farm
@gardenpartyflower farm
Theresa has farmed using regenerative and organic techniques for 40 years. Her farm, Garden Party, was one of Canada’s first vegetable CSA farms and she has been an active participant in Canada’s organic and ecological farming communities. After an injury in 2012, Theresa stopped farming and completed her doctorate in economic geography at the University of Waterloo. She documented how the CSA model was being adapted by farmers in China. Following this, she completed post-doctoral research into emerging digital disruptions affecting local food and farming systems. She launched Open Food Network Canada, a national not-for-profit organization that works with farmers to develop open source (non proprietary) on-line solutions and marketplaces.
As fortune would have it, in 2014 Theresa’s hip injury repaired itself and she returned to full time farming – but this time as a specialty cut flower grower. Garden Party Flower Farm sells wholesale flowers to designers and bulk buckets for DIY weddings. As she moves into retirement, Theresa has started to focus on helping small-scale cut flower farms collaborate in online marketplaces and collectives.
4:00 p.m. Using Native Species in Cut Flower Farming
Session Description
Dee Hall is a floriculturist and CFO (Chief Flower Officer) of Mermaid City Flowers in Norfolk, Virginia. An avid, life-long gardener, Dee prioritizes community building in her work and educating the public about the importance of locally grown flowers. In this session, she will discuss the rationale for using native species in cut flower farming and provide attendees with strategies for consumer education efforts and for using native species in floral design.
Dee Hall, Mermaid City Flowers, Norfolk, Virginia
![](https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/MermaidCity-19-200x300.jpg)
35th Anniversary Banquet
Banquet Details
Join fellow conference attendees for a special celebratory banquet to mark the 35th anniversary of the ASCFG! Dinner and non-alcoholic beverages are included, and a cash bar will be available. And in the spirit of celebration, feel free to wear your formal overalls and best boots when saving a chair for an old friend or to sit with growers you’re just getting to know.
Wednesday, November 8
General Sessions
8:00 a.m. Morning coffee and refreshments
8:30 a.m. Weathering the Storm of a Different Kind: People Quitting, Injuries and Other Labor Challenges.
Session Description
In her trademark down-to-earth and engaging presentation style, Ellen will focus on the topic of labor resilience in this session. Labor management is a key skill for successful cut flower farmers, and even more necessary in difficult situations like injuries, resignations, or supporting struggling employees. Ellen will discuss important labor practices and procedures such as cross-training employees, developing systems, and drafting standard operating procedures, among other concepts. Attendees will leave with a wealth of ideas and strategies to implement on their own farms.
Ellen Polishuk, Plant to Profit, Clarksburg, Maryland
Ellen is a farm consultant and workshop leader. She leverages her 35 years of biological vegetable farming experience to help growers around the country to achieve more satisfaction and better profitability from their farm businesses. Her client work touches on all aspects of production, soil fertility, quality of life, as well as farm finances and bookkeeping. Ellen was one of three owners of Potomac Vegetable Farms in Northern Virginia where she grew Ecoganic produce for 7 farmers markets, a 550 member CSA and two roadside stands. Ellen is a co-author of the book Start Your Farm. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband, where she gardens like crazy.
9:30 a.m. Cut Flower Farming over the Decades: A Retrospective
Session Description
To celebrate and mark the 35th anniversary of the formation of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Joe Schmitt, Janet Foss, and John LaSalle will participate in a panel discussion about how the specialty cut flower industry has changed in the last three decades. This presentation will illuminate how the past has shaped the present – and the future.
Sponsored by:
Joe Schmitt, Janet Foss, John LaSalle
Joe Schmitt
Joe Schmitt is a 3rd generation grower whose grandparents left the Rhine Valley in 1906 to work in the first carnation greenhouse range in the U.S. They later had greenhouses of their own in Bayport, Long Island, at the time the heart of the largest flower growing region in the country, serving the New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington wholesale markets and beyond.
Joe’s parents, early converts to organic farming methods in the Fifties, relocated to Delaware where the family had five acres of field production, serving the same East Coast markets with annual cuts, focusing heavily on Celosia. Joe ended up in Wisconsin, gravitated to the CSA scene there, and spent 20 years growing several acres of flowers from 80,000 home grown plugs, and marketed through CSA shares, too many unavoidable weddings, and primarily by bucket runs to fifty or so retail shops. Retired since 2017, he now does any damn thing he wants, focused largely on growing veggies and flowers. And no weddings.
Janet Foss
Janet and Jim Foss started their farm in 1981 in northwest Washington state. At that time, they sold at the farmers market, did custom picking for local customers, and had a florist who bought most of their products. In 2008, they transitioned to a beautiful home near Onalaska, WA, on the Newaukum River. Janet and Jim purchased the land in 2001 and started shaping it into the current farm. Giant White Calla are still the specialty, but they also grow roses, garden flowers, and clematis. The Fosses grow over 200 varieties of flowers, and have flowers available most of the year.
John LaSalle
John LaSalle started with the business 1979. At LaSalle Florists, they have been growing and selling fresh cut flowers and plants for over 75 years. Their mission is to have the best flowers available to customers at a reasonable price. Presently, they grow freesia, lilies, and snapdragons in our greenhouses plus dahlias, ornithogoluim and a wide variety of summer cut flowers in our fields. Bedding plants in the spring and summer fill the greenhouses. During the Christmas and Easter seasons they furnish a variety of plants. John chooses crops based on environmental conditions and what may not be available in wholesale markets. Over the years LaSalle Florists has grown carnations, chrysanthemums, gladiolas, freesia, tulips, daffodils, and a host of minor crops.
11:00 a.m. Innovative Social Media Strategies for Cut Flower Farmers in Rural Areas
Session Description
In 2023, the effective use of social media is quite simply a necessity for any business. It’s a profoundly important method for brand awareness, customer outreach, community building, sales, and more. But how best to use these tools? Which ones are the best? In this session, Julio Freitas, founder of the renowned The Flower Hat flower farm and floral design studio, will discuss the social media strategies he uses within his own business. Attendees will leave with an appreciation for the importance of social media as a communication tool and with new ideas to consider applying to their own social media accounts and products.
Sponsored by:
Julio Freitas, The Flower Hat, Bozeman, Montana
![](https://www.ascfg.org/wp-content/uploads/IngridSvarePhotography-260x300.jpg)
Photographer: Ingrid Svare
The Flower Hat is a floral design studio and flower farm nestled in the beautiful mountains of Gallatin Valley in Bozeman, Montana. The Studio is headed by internationally published designer Julio Freitas, whose design style embraces the seasons to create a loose, natural aesthetic that has graced hundreds of events. He started his growing operations on 1,800 sq ft and quickly leased ¼ acre plot for a few years, where he was able to grow and harvest thousands of flowers by using high intensity techniques before moving on to purchase his own farm.
Noon Buffet Lunch included
Lunch Details
A hearty lunch is included in your Conference registration for both Tuesday and Wednesday, and you won’t need to leave the Hotel! Save a chair for an old friend, or sit with growers you’re just getting to know.
Concurrent Sessions
1:30 p.m. Best Practices for Postharvest and Transport of Cut Flowers
Session Description
Mike and Polly Hutchison state that the key to all of their success is excellently grown flowers that provide customers with maximum value – aka POSTHARVEST vase life! Customers stay with them not only for the types of flowers but because the flowers consistently last for them. The metric for success is that all of their flowers last at least one week. Dahlias are expected to last for them for at least five days. Mike and Polly will show you their secrets and tweaks to the excellent research put out by their very own cut flower researchers. They will also show attendees the storage and safe transport systems used to get the flowers out to the loyal customers of Robin Hollow Farm.
Mike and Polly Hutchison, Robin Hollow Farm, Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Mike and Polly have been farming for over twenty five years, first as Certified Organic vegetable farmers and since 2006 as Robin Hollow Farm, a specialty cut flower farm and florist in Rhode Island. Polly’s love affair with flowers and gardens began with the English cottage-style gardens designed by her mother in Newport, Rhode Island. Mike came to farming from environmental education, from sharing forest and dune ecology to teaching gardening to urban youth.
Together they run Robin Hollow Farm, with Mike now largely in charge of production and logistics while Polly runs the design and floristry side. They share the retail sales of flowers and plants in their store and via farmers’ markets. RHF comprises over four acres of flowers and foliage, markets to two farmers’ markets, some florists, and designs for over fifty wedding and event clients per year. In 2020, they added a home delivery subscription service.
2:45 p.m. ASCFG Research Foundation: Growing Ranunculus
Session Description
Assistant Professor Dr. Melanie Stock leads the Utah State University Small Farms Lab and studies cut flower production and resource sustainability in the US Mountain West. In this session, Dr. Stock will provide an overview of her research on growing ranunculus in high desert environments. This session was made possible partially by the Association of the Specialty Cut Flower Growers Research Foundation, which funds original cut flower research and directly benefits ASCFG membership.
Sponsored by:
Dr. Melanie Stock, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
Dr. Melanie Stock is an Assistant Professor and Extension Urban & Small Farms Specialist at Utah State University (USU). She is a professional soil scientist, originally from Wisconsin, where she graduated from UW – Madison. Dr. Stock leads the USU Small Farms Lab and studies cut flower production and resource sustainability in the US Mountain West. Her lab’s research focuses on season extension methods that advance bloom and increase yield, to soil fertility and contamination management, and conservation irrigation. Her program now also has collaborations in biology to study pests and disease, as well as economics to study markets of cut flowers.
The best part of Dr. Stock’s career is working with cut flower farmers, who have been essential in participating in trials and surveys, bringing new research ideas, and furthering outreach and education. She is an establishing member of the Utah Cut Flower Farm Association (utahflowerfarms.com) and serves as Research Chair. She is also a member of the ASCFG, American Society for Horticultural Science, and Soil Science Society of America.
Website: www.smallfarmslab.com
4:00 p.m. Growing Cut Flowers for Cultural Holidays
Session Description
In this presentation, Frank and Pamela will focus on growing, harvesting, and selling marigolds for the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Diwali holidays. Many people in the floral industry are unaware of the incredible demand for marigolds in both Latino and South Asian communities. In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is as big a holiday (or bigger) than Mother’s Day. And in India, there are over a dozen holidays that use large amounts of marigolds, not to mention births, weddings and funerals. They are also used in Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam and many other countries.
With increasing populations in these communities within the United States and especially in Texas, the Arnoskys are experiencing huge increases in sales. In 2022, they sold over 30,000 bunches (300,000 stems!) of marigolds in the last two weeks of October alone. This talk will provide an overview of the best practices for growing marigolds, variety selection, day-length considerations, harvest and post-harvest handling and other issues, as well as a brief discussion of marketing and sales opportunities.
Frank and Pamela Arnosky, Texas Specialty Cut Flowers, Blanco, Texas
For over 30 years, Frank and Pamela have operated Texas Specialty Cut Flowers in Blanco, Texas. We have 20 acres of production deep in the heart of Texas, one of the toughest areas you could think of for growing flowers. As if that wasn’t hard enough, we also farm 20 acres of peonies in the north woods of MN and 11 more acres of peonies in the high desert mountains of west Texas. We have sold flowers to every segment of the industry, but now focus on grocery store sales along with a thriving on-farm flower and nursery market. We have produced millions of marigolds for the Dia de los Muertos and Diwali holidays for many years. We have been ASCFG members since the early 90s and have both served on the ASCFG board. We have written years worth of articles, given dozens of presentations, hosted tours and conferences at our farm, and have been incorrigibly positive boosters for our industry.
Website: www.texascolor.com
Instagram: @arnoskyfamilyfarms
1:30 p.m. Signage and Wayfinding in Floral Purchases
Session Description
Dr. Melinda Knuth, an Assistant Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, has evaluated trade flows of horticulture products in the United States, assessed the supply chain in the cut flower industry, investigated profit margins in substituting species in floral arrangements, and estimated consumer acceptance of retail messaging. In this session, her presentation will focus on how signage and retail messaging influences floral purchases by consumers. Attendees will leave with an appreciation for how font, color, signage positioning, and many other elements influence sales and operating opportunities.
Melinda Knuth, NCSU, Raleigh
Dr. Knuth’s research priorities are on consumer and market research experience by focusing on the interface between people and plants, helping the horticulture industry understand consumer preferences, perceptions, and motivations. Historically, Dr. Knuth has evaluated trade flows of horticulture products in the United States, assessed the supply chain in the cut flower industry, investigated profit margins in substituting species in floral arrangements, and estimated consumer acceptance of retail messaging.
She currently is an Assistant Professor in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Knuth teaches Greenhouse Management, Floriculture Production, Floral Design, and Horticulture Marketing. Dr. Knuth received her PhD from Texas A&M University in Horticultural Science with a certificate in Applied Statistics. From there, she was a postdoctoral research associate at University of Florida in the Food & Resource Economics Department. She currently serves as the Young Professional Council Advisor for American Floral Endowment’s Executive Board. Her article What the Research Says About Millennials and Houseplants was the #10 most read article in Greenhouse Product News in 2022. Dr. Knuth received GPN Magazine’s 40 under 40 award in 2021 and a 2017 AmericanHort Scholar.
2:45 p.m. In Partnership with the American Floral Endowment: Management Strategies for Botrytis
Session Description
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers is pleased to partner with the American Floral Endowment to present this session. Dr. Jim Faust focuses on overcoming the challenges in the postharvest longevity of cut flowers. Through the support of the American Floral Endowment, he is studying techniques to improve the control of botrytis on flower petal tissue with biorational products and to reduce rapid leaf necrosis following cut flower storage and shipping. This session will share his findings from his research and share important insights for pest management.
Dr. Jim Faust, Clemson University, South Carolina
Dr. Jim Faust is a professor at Clemson University where he teaches greenhouse production and hydroponics courses and does research on floriculture crops. His research focuses on overcoming the challenges in the postharvest longevity of cut flowers. Through the support of the American Floral Endowment, he is studying techniques to improve the control of botrytis on flower petal tissue with biorational products and to reduce rapid leaf necrosis following cut flower storage and shipping.
4:00 p.m. Growing Dahlias
Session Description
Drew Groezinger is the host of the podcast ‘Between Me and Drew,’ an educational podcast that is focused and centered around floriculture and the specialty industries that surround his daily life. Passionate about cut flower farming and education, Drew will focus on the specifics of growing dahlias during this session. These popular flowers have a perennial place in consumer hearts and this talk will provide an overview of the best practices for growing different cultivars, harvest and post-harvest handling, and other considerations.
Sponsored by:
Drew Groezinger, Clara Joyce Flowers, Stockton, Illinois
Drew Groezinger of Clara Joyce Flowers is a floral designer and flower farmer who is passionate about education, advancing the beginning cut flower farmer and building a farm that is to sustain and employ people for years to come. He is the voice and host of the podcast ‘Between Me and Drew’, an educational podcast that is focused and centered around floriculture and the specialty industries that surround his daily life.
His farm, Clara Joyce Flowers, serves wholesale florists, wedding and event designers, their own wedding and event floral design clients and gardeners and growers across the country through cut flowers, dahlia tubers and rooted cutting sales. Clara Joyce Flowers operates from their home farm in Stockton, Illinois.