ASCFG Events Calendar

Ask an Expert: Crop Planning and Succession

Zoom

Crop Planning and Succession Whether you are growing for markets, grocery stores, floral designers, or your farmstand, you want a bright mix of flowers all season long. In an attempt to demystify succession planting, Jeanie McKewan, former owner of Brightflower Farm, will take you through the steps of planning your crop to make sure you […]

Ask an Expert: Is Agritourism Right for Your Farm?

Zoom

Join Melissa Fery and Audrey Comerford from Oregon State University Extension as they share their expertise in agricultural tourism (often also called agritourism). Attendees can expect to learn about the concept and to discuss the goals of agritourism; to see examples of what agritourism can look like in different farming environments; and to consider different […]

Ask an Expert: Developing a Social Media Strategy for Your Farm

Zoom

Join Hannah Muller from Full Belly Farm to learn about social media strategies for flower farmers and growers! Social media is a powerful communication and sales tool for businesses. But which platforms and techniques are best for your operation? Attendees can expect to discuss the purpose, advantages, and disadvantages of different social media platforms before […]

Ask an Expert: Find and Keep Farm Employees, Part I of II

Zoom

Join us for a unique, two-part moderated panel discussion featuring four cut flower farms throughout North America as they discuss the challenges of finding, training, and retaining farm employees. Inspired by the recent article, "How's Your Labor Situation?" in The Cut Flower Quarterly, these sessions will take a deep dive into agricultural employee management topics. […]

Ask an Expert: Find and Keep Farm Employees, Part II of II

Zoom

Join us for the second moderated panel discussion featuring four cut flower farms throughout North America as they discuss the challenges of finding, training, and retaining farm employees. Inspired by the recent article, "How's Your Labor Situation?" in The Cut Flower Quarterly, these sessions will take a deep dive into agricultural employee management topics. Attendees […]

Ask an Expert: Selling Flowers to Florists

Zoom

Join the March 2023 Ask an Expert session for an exciting conversation between Maya Kosok and Ellen Frost, farmer and florist! This session will dig into the nitty gritty details of selling to florists, touching on such topics including variety selection, availability lists, approaching florists, bunch sizes/stem length, pricing, and more. Maya Kosok is the […]

Ask an Expert: Breeding Unique Zinnias

Zoom

Join us for the April 2023 Ask an Expert session, taught by zinnia expert Tiffany Jones of Blomma Flower Farm. Attendees can expect an overview of how to get started breeding zinnias, including the overall process; how to determine the breeding goal(s); and discover surprising details like the magic of “green seed” as well as […]

Ask an Expert: Cultivating Native Species in Cut Flower Farming

Zoom

Climate change, species decline and ecological breakdown brings renewed attention to what farms grow and how they grow them. One big question growers face is how do my crop and production choices affect my environment? And are there changes I could make to minimize negative impacts or even create positive ones? In this presentation, Matthew Dell […]

Ask an Expert: Growing Superb Celosia — Strategies and Tips

Zoom

Join us for the June 2023 Ask an Expert session, taught by Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm. Laura Beth grows celosia a million different ways: Inside, outside, pinched, not pinched, many successions, and lots of varietals. During this talk, Laura Beth will focus on the different approaches used at Butterbee Farm, the end goal of […]

Ask an Expert: Wedding Floral Design

Zoom

Join Julie Raymond of Bittersweet Gardens for a wedding design demonstration during the July 2023 Ask an Expert session! During this Zoom-based presentation, Julie will design a wedding centerpiece and walk attendees through her process for customer engagement, project management, and design workflow. Julie has completed graduate work in horticulture at University of Massachusetts at […]

Ask an Expert: Floral Photography for Farmers

Zoom

A photograph speaks volumes to the viewer. A good photograph can boost sales, strengthen customer relationships (as they feel more a part of your farm with good images that tell an effective story), and increase the perceived value of your flower farm. A poor or non-existent photo can do the exact opposite. Learning to take […]

Ask an Expert: Growing Ranunculus

Zoom

Learn the basics of growing ranunculus in high tunnels, including high tunnel best practices, variety selection, the pre-sprouting process, transplanting, crop timing, spacing, pest and disease management, along with tips and tricks for producing ultra-high quality large blooms with long stems. Jenny Marks is owner of Trademarks Flower Farm, located in the Finger Lakes Region of […]