Buckeyes & Blooms

Columbus, Ohio, April 20 & 21, 2027

Join fellow flower farmers in Ohio for two days of practical education, creative inspiration, and behind-the-scenes access to the renowned Sunny Meadows Flower Farm! Designed for growers of all experience levels, this conference combines expert-led educational sessions with opportunities to connect, learn, and grow alongside the cut flower community. Day One takes learning into the field with an immersive farm tour at Sunny Meadows Flower Farm. Attendees will learn about production systems, infrastructure, crop management, harvest techniques, and postharvest practices firsthand. Explore real-world solutions, ask questions directly of host growers, and gain ideas you can take home and implement on your own farm. The day concludes with a special networking dinner to ensure that attendees have time to connect and truly talk with one another.

Day Two will be hosted by the renowned Leo Berbee Bulb Co. at their facility and features a full schedule of tours and educational sessions led by experienced growers and industry professionals covering the latest techniques, business strategies, and production practices. Whether you're looking to improve your growing skills, strengthen your business, or connect with other flower professionals, this two-day conference offers a unique blend of classroom learning, creative inspiration, and hands-on farm experiences. 

Day One Schedule

Sunny Meadows Flower Farm, Columbus, Ohio

Go behind the scenes at Sunny Meadows Flower Farm for a hands-on look at the systems and strategies that support a productive, diversified flower farm. See how the farm uses greenhouses and unheated season extension to produce flowers for the busy Mother’s Day market, explore its perennial production, and get an inside look at efficient packing and shipping practices. Take home practical ideas for extending your season, improving workflow, and getting flowers from field to customer.

The farm tour is followed by a networking dinner at a local venue. Stay tuned for more details!

Day Two Schedule

Leo Berbee Bulb Co., 

Facility Tour: Leo Berbee Bulb Co. 

Go behind the scenes at Leo Berbee Bulb Co. for an inside look at the facilities and operations that support bulb production and sales. Tour the greenhouses and garden center, then hear from the Berbee team about growing and producing specialty crops, including Henk Berbee on freesia and irises and Marjolein Berbee on lilies. Explore the systems, infrastructure, and expertise behind a successful bulb operation and gain ideas you can apply to your own farm.

Session One: Succession Planting with Bulbs

Presenter: Charl van der Geest of Jansen's Overseas

Extend your bulb harvest and keep flowers coming by mastering succession planting. Charl van der Geest from Jansen’s Overseas will share practical strategies for planning and timing successive bulb plantings, including how to choose varieties, schedule plantings, and coordinate crops for a steady supply of blooms. Learn how thoughtful bulb succession planning can help you make better use of your growing space, spread out harvests, and increase the consistency of your flower production.

Key Takeaways for Attendees:

• Plan succession plantings to extend the bulb harvest window.
• Choose varieties and planting dates to target specific harvest periods.
• Coordinate bulb production to maximize growing space and maintain a steady supply of blooms.

Session Two: Make Your Farm Brand Work Harder

Presenter: Susan Studer King of Buckeye Blooms

Your farm’s brand shows up everywhere, from your website and social media to farmers market signage, bouquets, packaging, and business cards. In this session, Susan Studer King of Buckeye Blooms will walk through a real-world branding audit and the process of refining their brand for a more consistent customer experience. Learn how to identify where your branding is falling short, make practical improvements without starting from scratch, and create a cohesive look and message that helps customers recognize your farm and understand what makes it unique.

Key Takeaways for Attendees:

• Clarify what makes your farm unique and how to communicate that through your brand.
• Develop practical ways to create a recognizable and memorable farm brand.
• Learn how to refine your branding without completely starting over.

Session Three: Knowing Your Numbers to Drive Better Decisions

Presenter: John Kennedy of BoomerWrangle LLC.

How do you grow your farm’s profitability without simply growing more flowers? John Kennedy of BoomerWrangle will share practical strategies for improving the financial performance of a flower farm, from evaluating what you grow and sell to identifying opportunities to increase revenue and control costs. Learn how to look at your farm’s numbers, make more informed business decisions, and focus your time and resources on the parts of your operation that contribute most to your bottom line.

Key Takeaways for Attendees:

• Identify your most profitable crops and sales channels so you can focus resources where they generate the greatest return.
• Find opportunities to increase revenue and reduce costs without simply increasing production.
• Use your farm’s financial data to make clearer decisions about pricing, production, labor, and investments.

Session Four: Helping Your Hellebores

Presenter: Pending

Hellebores are a high-value crop with the potential to bring distinctive blooms to your farm during a valuable time of year. This deep dive will take you from planting to harvest, exploring variety selection, establishment, seasonal care, timing, harvest, and postharvest handling. Get practical, farm-tested insights for growing hellebores successfully and making them a productive part of your cut-flower operation.

Key Takeaways for Attendees:

• Choose hellebore varieties suited to cut flower production.
• Master planting, care, and seasonal timing for quality blooms.
• Improve harvest and postharvest handling to maximize vase life.

Registration Opens Soon.