January 13-14, 2026
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Albuquerque, New Mexico
REGISTRATION CLOSES DECEMBER 22
Member Rate
$675
Non-member Rate
Join at a special rate on the application!
$850
Payment Plans Available!
Call the office at (440) 774-2887
Conference Schedule
Monday, January 12
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Welcome Reception
Welcome Reception
Tuesday, January 13
General Sessions
7:15 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Coffee and Refreshments
8:00 a.m. Welcome by the ASCFG President Val Schirmer
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.Session Description
Attendees Receive
- 1 hour and 45 min presentation and workshop complete with a robust Q & A session.
- A free copy of Charlotte’s book, Farm Marketing from the Heart.
- A thorough, custom workbook that parallels the content of the workshop Charlotte is teaching.
Sponsored by:
Charlotte Smith, The Profitable Mindset Podcast
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/Session Description
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 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. This panel session includes Laura Lengnick, Sarah Kistner of Stone Meadow Farm, and Erin McMullen of Rain Drop Farms.
Sponsored by:
Special Guest and Virtual Lecturer: Laura Lengnick
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.
Lunch Details
Attendees will have the opportunity to lunch their own lunches at the renowned and award-winning Sawmill Market, an artisan food hall across the street from the Hotel Albuquerque at Oldtown. The historic lumberyard building was transformed into a 34,000-square-foot food hall, outdoor gathering place, and community hall for Albuquerque, showcasing the beauty of New Mexico through food, diversity, and art. Today, the market houses 27 individual local merchants including a brewpub, a cocktail and wine bar, and a mercantile.
1:30 p.m. New Year, New Flowers: Cut Flower Varieties to Consider for 2026
Session Description
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. John Dole, NCSU, Raleigh
Session Description
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.
Sponsored by:
Scott Shepherd, The Flower Podcast
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.Session Description
Robert Washington Vaughns, The Black Men Flower Project
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.
ASCFG Trade Show
Tuesday, January 13
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Your Trade Show experience will include appetizers and a cash bar. Check out who will be there!
Trade Show Description
Wednesday, January 14
Concurrent Sessions
8:15 a.m. Adding U-Pick to Your Operation: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
Session Description
Shannon Allen started a U-Pick program on Bloom Hill Farm, an operation that serves Uniontown, Ohio, with a farmstand, an Airbnb cottage, and wedding and event florals. Learn how the U-Pick operations fits into this well-rounded farm, along with its origins, profitability, and drawbacks or considerations. Shannon will provide specific recommendations to conference attendees about how to start a similar service on their own farm.
Sponsored by:
Shannon Allen, Bloom Hill Farm
A North Canton, Ohio native, Shannon Allen went to the local high school and graduated from the University of Mount Union. A lover of all things beautiful, she thrives on flipping through the seed catalogs every winter, dreaming of the new flower varieties she can bring to the farm. Bloom Hill Farm offers a full suite of floral options for the community: Wedding and event florals, wholesale and grocery, CSA subscriptions, U-Pick, and a farm stand.Session Description
Sponsored by:
Mimo Davis, Flower Farmer and Co-Founder of Urban Buds, St. Louis, Missouri
Mimo Davis is a flower farmer and teacher who co-founded Urban Buds, an urban flower farm in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to founding Urban Buds, Mimo operated Wild Thang Farms for more than a decade. Located in Ashland, Missouri, her farm was considered the largest cut flower farm in the state at that time; Mimo also worked at the Missouri Wildflowers Nursery during that era, where she specialized in native plants. Recently featured in the BLOOM Imprint text, Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers, Mimo has a Master’s Degree in Horticulture from North Carolina A & T University.
Photograph from the text Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers.
Session Description
Sooner or later, every flower farmer comes face-to-face with this fact: You can grow anything but you can’t grow everything. Join Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm as she walks you through the important decisions you need to make to ensure that you’re growing the right crops for your market and your bottom line. Laura Beth will provide actionable advice and thoughtful strategies that you can implement on your farm — don’t miss this session!
Sponsored by:
Laura Beth Resnick, Butterbee Farms
Laura Beth Resnick is the founder and owner of Butterbee Farm. In a previous life, she studied music performance before finding out that farming was her thing. She is passionate about creative entrepreneurship and enjoys running the farm, from weeding to customer relationships, and especially working with Butterbee’s wonderful part-time crew.
Session Description
Meghan Baker, Small Farms Educator, NC State Extension
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.Session Description
Charlotte Smith, The Profitable Mindset Podcast
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/Session Description
Michelle Elston, Roots Flower 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.Lunch Details
Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase their lunches at the renowned and award-winning Sawmill Market, an artisan food hall across the street from the Hotel Albuquerque at Oldtown. The historic lumberyard building was transformed into a 34,000-square-foot food hall, outdoor gathering place, and community hall for Albuquerque, showcasing the beauty of New Mexico through food, diversity, and art. Today, the market houses 27 individual local merchants including a brewpub, a cocktail and wine bar, and a mercantile.
Session Description
Need new ideas for winter production crops? Or wish to start winter crops? Join Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm as she shares valuable insights from her second year of the SARE Christmas flowers research grant, which includes an overview of profitability and production details. Furthermore, Rebecca will have the data from her ASCFG grant trial around winter scoops and anemones. Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of which winter crops can be most profitable and what’s involved in producing them.
Sponsored by
Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm
Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm, in partnership with husband Mark, is keen on bringing beauty to their community! After over a decade of living in NYC, Rebecca and Mark left behind their urban lives to start their dream farm. They focus on growing cut flowers in a sustainable, bee-friendly way, and while not currently USDA organic certified, their flowers are grown utilizing organic practices and without harsh pesticides or herbicides.
Session Description
Dr. Melanie Stock, Utah State University
2:00 p.m. Why Plants Flower and How You Can Use This Information / Mini-Session: Financial Report on What Farmers are Making
Dr. John Dole, NCSU, Raleigh / Lennie Larkin, B-Side Farm, Oregon
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.
Bonus Mini-Session: Lennie Larkin of B-Side Farm and Flower Farming for Profit will share a brief report on the two-year Western SARE–funded financial benchmarking project she developed and led with 10 flower farms—though in practice, we collected three full years of financial data. Larkin sorted, validated, and compiled detailed farm-level metrics, including gross and net per acre, labor-to-gross ratios, asset ratios, and a wide range of other key performance indicators that help growers understand profitability and efficiency. Don’t miss this wonderful extra mini-session!
Sponsored by:
Dr. John Dole, NCSU / Lennie Larkin, B-Side Farm
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.
Lennie Larkin is the owner of B-Side Farm in Sebastopol, California, and the founder of the Farmer-Florist Collective. Known for her clear, practical approach to business planning, she teaches growers how to build profitable, sustainable cut-flower operations. A respected educator and speaker, she blends hands-on farming experience with data-driven insight to strengthen the economic success of flower farmers nationwide.
Session Description
Sarah Head of Eda Creek Farm
OUR SPONSORS
PLATINUM BLOOM PARTNERS
GOLD GROWER PARTNERS
