ASCFG 2026 Election

Every election is determined by the people who show up.

This year, members in the Southeast and North and Central will elect a Regional Director.
All members will elect a President and Secretary
All positions will serve 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Ballot will be available October 1 – 31.

Meet Your Nominees!

North and Central Regional Director

Hi there! My name is Adrianne Gammie, and I run a flower farm and design studio called Marilla Field & Flora.

I started farming in 2017 and joined ASCFG the same year. I had just moved home to my parents’ farm in Ohio after living in Toronto for six years, and was giving myself a season to see if I had what it takes to be a flower farmer. I was prepping beds, planting seedlings, and figuring out bouquet sleeves. Then on June 21, our fourth-generation farmhouse burned down. I’m pretty confident that my flower career would have ended before it really began if it weren’t for the ASCFG.

Today, I have a 10-acre farm in Dexter, Michigan, just outside of Ann Arbor. We have two acres of high-density, low-till production, and dedicate six acres to native pollinator fields (my pride and joy, outside of my family). Most of our flowers are sold directly to florists, but we also run a bouquet subscription program, supply bouquets to a handful of specialty grocers, host events and workshops on the farm, and operate a design studio that handles 20 to 25 weddings of various sizes throughout our growing season. I’m blessed to run this farm with the help of an incredible team of women who all love flowers and getting their hands dirty as much as I do.

From my early days in the cut flower industry, I was awestruck by the generosity with which others shared their knowledge. That generosity shaped me into the farmer, designer, and business owner that I am today. Now, I’d love the opportunity to pay that generosity forward to as many folks as possible. It would be an honor to serve on the board of directors to help continue this legacy of growing together and learning from one another so that this community can continue to grow and its members find their definition of success, long into the future!

I’m very excited about running for the North & Central Regional Director position for 2027-2029. I started our cut flower venture in 2017 when we moved to Kansas City, Kansas, from St. Louis, Missouri, for my husband’s job. Originally, our farm name was Reverie Flower Farm, but we later changed it to FarmStrong Flowers. As I was born and raised in St. Louis, it was my first time moving away from home. We decided to change our lifestyle and became stewards of our own little piece of nature. This is when I discovered growing cut flowers commercially. I immediately researched as much as I could and dove in. With no farming background in the family, I knew mistakes would be made and that was the best way for me to learn how to get better at growing professionally. Here I am almost 10 years later and I hope I never stop learning.

Colleen McCoole Payne
FarmStrong Flowers
Bucyrus, Kansas

Prior to farming, my careers spanned from being an art director in advertising to a corporate image manager in construction to 23 years as a realtor, with a handful of other careers overlapping in between. In addition to managing my own farm, I also started and run the KC Flower Farmer Wholesale Market with 22 cut flower farmers and more than 300 registered buyers in Kansas City.

I’m in my tenth year of farming, and we have grown; out of our 12 acres, we now have just over an acre in production. I grow mainly perennial crops, but my primary crop is dahlias– I am now at 4,000 plants in the field and in grow bag production. I’ve spent the last three to four years trialing different ways to successfully overwinter dahlias in the field in our Zone 6b location. My farming practices lean toward regenerative techniques focusing on interplanting and permanent, no-till beds. I only use natural inputs such as molasses, kelp, fish emulsion, alfalfa, bone meal, blood meal, etc. in our fields. I overhead water only, use shade cloth solely on my dahlia tunnels, and corral with sheep/goat fencing. I don’t use any landscape fabric. My biggest challenge each season is battling the heat of the summer and keeping crops healthy.

My vision for this position is to visit as many of the states as possible and attend cut flower events within those states in my three-year term. I will work hard to spread awareness of ASCFG membership and hope to help improve aspects wherever I can. I look forward to listening to others’ concerns/needs and contributing solutions whenever possible.

I’ve been a member of the ASCFG since 2018. For me, joining was a necessity in order to level up in my growth as a farmer and earn a badge of professionalism as a grower. Through the years of participating in ASCFG events, I have met so many knowledgeable people in the industry who are spread far and wide. The amount of expertise accessible via the ASCFG is truly invaluable. I’m eager to share what I’ve learned over the years as well as to gain wisdom from all of you. I want to be a liaison throughout the region to share information and connect people.

Maggie Taylor
Delight Flower Farm
Champaign, Illinois

I’m Maggie Taylor, the founder and owner of Delight Flower Farm near Champaign, Illinois. I’m a first-generation farmer, but I’ve been a lifetime gardener thanks to my mom. I started my farm in 2011 while working as a librarian. In 2015, I registered as a legit business, and in 2017, I made the leap to farming full time. I had a mentor, Linda Chapman, of Harvest Moon Farm in Indiana. She adamantly encouraged me to engage with the ASCFG’s resources. In 2017, I went to my first regional conference at Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in Ohio. It filled my cup, made my brain buzz with inspiration, and I made some friends whom I still have today. In 2024, I spoke at our regional ASCFG conference at Clara Joyce Farm.

Today, Delight Flower Farm spans a robust five acres, complete with four hoophouses, diverse revenue streams, and a crew of more than six team members, including some H2A workers. Labor has been one of my biggest challenges as the operation has grown. I’ve tried different configurations for farm crews, hours, seasons, and overall workflow management. I am motivated to be a really good boss and employ people who want to return to their jobs year after year. Since I’ve spent a lot of time problem-solving farm labor issues, I have ideas to share with other farm owners struggling with similar challenges.

At my core, I’m deeply passionate about community connection, making a lasting impact, and always striving to do better. I am a natural leader, a good listener, and I have worthwhile contributions to make for this organization, for which I feel so grateful. I love farming, and I like other people who love farming. If elected, my goal is to make sure the offerings of the ASCFG serve people in the middle of their agricultural careers, not just new farmers or highly experienced (and wise!) farmers. I love this region, which is both large and at the same time as comfortable as my own backyard. I have a goal of connecting our region in ways that reflect this identity of being both expansive and welcoming. I am honored to be nominated for this position. Thank you for your consideration (and your votes!)

Southeast Regional Director

Jonalyn Carver
Blossom Lane Farm
Baker, Florida

I started Blossom Lane Farm in 2019 with my husband in the Florida Panhandle as a way of reconnecting after he retired from the military. We started with just an eighth of an acre. It has grown into almost four acres and has become a year-round operation. Some of our favorite crops are eucalyptus, ranunculus, dahlias, snapdragons, marigolds, sunflowers, and forcing specialty tulips and lilies. I have been a member of the ASCFG since I started flower farming. At my very first conference, I was scared but determined to go by myself, and I met some lovely people. This conference is also where I learned to force specialty bulbs, which has become a staple of our winter production.

I started selling at a year-round weekly farmer’s market in 2019. I quickly expanded to workshops, weddings, dried flowers, U-pick, and selling to florists, thanks in large part to the ASCFG conferences, farm tours, and all of the information on the website. My journey has been filled with both fantastic and questionable decisions, but the choice to join the ASCFG is my best. Growing along the Gulf Coast brings its own unique set of challenges, and I am so grateful for the friends and connections I have made through the ASCFG who have helped along the way.

Community is so important, and everyone has a place and a part to play. For me, running for Southeast Regional Director is a way to give back to the ASCFG for all of the encouragement, education, and resources I have received. I believe that none of us can do this by ourselves and would be honored to celebrate all of the growers in the Southeast region. I am excited at the prospect of sharing what the ASCFG has to offer all growers, whether this is your first day or your twentieth year.

Bethany Harris
Center for Urban Agriculture
Griffin, Georgia

Hello everyone! My name is Bethany Harris, and I am honored to be considered for the Southeast Regional Director position. Horticulture has always been at the heart of my career. I currently serve as Director of the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture (UGA), where I work with growers, researchers, and Extension professionals to bring practical, research-based solutions to the horticulture industry. Before joining UGA, I taught horticulture at Southern Crescent Technical College and led horticulture and entomology education at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at Callaway Gardens. I also earned both my M.S. in Entomology and Ph.D. in Horticulture from the University of Georgia. While my roles have changed over the years, one thing has remained the same: I genuinely enjoy helping people learn, solve problems, and build successful businesses.

Although I am not a commercial cut flower grower, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside flower farmers throughout the Southeast through UGA Extension. Those relationships have become one of the most rewarding parts of my career. Listening to growers, learning about the challenges they face, and helping connect them with practical solutions has reinforced how special this industry truly is. I’ve been fortunate to help organize the ASCFG-partnered UGA Virtual Cut Flower Symposium, field days, workshops, webinars, and educational resources designed to support flower growers. More importantly, I’ve seen firsthand what makes ASCFG unique: It is a community where people are always willing to share ideas, answer questions, celebrate one another’s successes, and help fellow growers learn.

If elected, I would bring an Extension and education perspective to the ASCFG Board while always keeping the needs of our members at the center of my work. I believe one of my greatest strengths is bringing people together and connecting growers with one another, connecting growers with researchers, and helping turn research into practical information that can be used on the farm. I hope to support opportunities for members to learn from one another, strengthen the partnerships that make the industry stronger, and help the ASCFG continue to be the trusted resource and welcoming community on which so many growers rely. It would be a true privilege to serve the Southeast Region and give back to an organization that means so much to the cut flower industry.

Mandy Hornick
Blue Ridge Blooms
Leicester, North Carolina

Hi everyone! My name is Mandy, and I’m the owner of Blue Ridge Blooms. It is an honor to be considered for the role of Southeast Regional Director. Flower farming has been my passion for nearly two decades, and I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive and inspiring community of growers. I studied horticulture in college, but it wasn’t until I moved to the Washington, D.C., area that I discovered my passion for cut flowers. City life quickly helped me realize I needed to be working outdoors. I started looking for a job where I could put my horticulture background to use, and in 2007 I had the opportunity to work for Dave Dowling, where I spent three incredible seasons learning the ins and outs of flower farming. Until then, I hadn’t even realized flower farming could be a career! From my very first season, I knew I wanted to have a flower farm of my own someday.

My husband Bob and I began making plans to return to the Asheville, North Carolina, area, and in 2015 we purchased our farm in the Big Sandy Mush community of Leicester, where we’ve been growing ever since. I attended my first ASCFG National Conference in 2008, and immediately felt like I had found my people. The friendships, education, and encouragement I’ve found through the ASCFG have helped shape me as both a grower and a business owner.

Today, we grow flowers on about 2.5 acres using regenerative, no-till practices. We sell wholesale to florists, design flowers for weddings, and supply a few local restaurants. Like every flower farmer, we’ve had our share of challenges: from weather and labor to learning what works best on our farm, but each season has taught us something new. I enjoy finding practical solutions, trying new varieties and techniques, and learning from other growers.

One of the things I love most about this industry is that everyone is willing to share what they’ve learned to help someone else succeed. It would truly be an honor to serve as the Southeast Regional Director. I’ve watched our industry grow and change over the years, and I believe ASCFG has been a big part of that success. I’d love the opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much. If elected, I hope to be a voice for growers in our region, help strengthen connections between members, and encourage more people to get involved. Whether someone is just getting started or has been farming for decades, I want them to feel as welcomed and supported by the ASCFG as I did when I attended my first conference.

President – running unopposed

Erin McMullen
Rain Drop Farms
Philomath, Oregon

For more than 20 years, I have farmed in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley. Through my service as an ASCFG member and board representative, I have toured flower farms across North America and Europe. Whether visiting large-scale commercial operations or powerhouse backyard businesses, I see the same shared passion. This global perspective fuels my desire to lead our amazing organization forward.

Education is in my DNA. Coming from a long line of educators, I am incredibly proud of ASCFG’s robust learning programs. Equipping our members with top-tier knowledge allows them to deliver the highest-quality local flowers to their customers. Through the years, I have used every opportunity available to me to further my knowledge in the field of farming. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Botany and Environmental Science from Oregon State University, and I started our farm during the last year of my schooling, stumbling into my livelihood through a series of on-farm jobs. Rain Drop Farms has grown over the years, from a backyard quarter acre to a 12-acre wholesale operation supplying markets and designers up and down the West Coast. As flower farming experiences a massive resurgence, ASCFG must lean in and lead. We need a seat at the table in every major agricultural discussion.

As your president, I will focus on three core pillars:
(1) Top-notch education: Expanding our learning platforms to support farms of every size.
(2) Community mindset: Fostering an inclusive, supportive network across all regions.
(3) Powerful advocacy: Leveraging relationships to seek and secure the institutional backing our growers need to flourish.

I respectfully ask for your vote to build upon the incredible work of current president, Val Schirmer, our board, and our staff
.

Secretary

Sarah Head
Eda Creek Farm
Oregon City, Oregon

It is an honor to be running for the ASCFG Secretary position! Over the past two years I have served as the regional representative for the West and Northwest Region, and I’m excited to further commit myself to the mission and work of the organization. Like many of you, I found the ASCFG very early in my farming career and it didn’t take long for me to figure out what a wealth of resources, connections and relationships the organization offered.

I wasn’t sure I was going to be a farmer when we bought our land in 2015. I was teaching high school part time, raising two little girls, and had just returned to the country from 15 years of city living. I grew all our vegetables and had a few flowers on the side. But the flower patch grew, as they often do, and it soon became clear that maybe there was something to this. I joined the ASCFG, started a small side hustle to sell my flowers, and Eda Creek Farm was born. Over the next 10 years, I stayed small (just over ½ acre), got involved in a really fulfilling greenhouse growing partnership (hi, Fawn Lily Farm!) and joined our local wholesale market, Oregon Flower Growers Association. I continue to grow incrementally, on the constant quest for balanced work load, profit and sanity. Top quality, unique blooms for designers and florists is my niche, and my crop plan is ever evolving. Year-round growing is crucial to the success of my business and someday I’ll live the dream of taking some time off in July. So much of this, especially the idea of time-off in the summertime, wouldn’t have even occurred to me if it hadn’t been for my fellow members in the ASCFG. They continue to show me what is possible in this profession.

I love representing our region for the organization, and I also know I have lots to offer as Secretary and as an Executive Committee member. The Secretary is a crucial position on any board, making sure details are not forgotten, protocols and procedures are followed, and that the record of work is accurate and insightful. I am a detailed oriented person who strives for accuracy and clarity in my work. In my former career in education, notetaking and synthesizing information was a daily occurrence and I will bring that same focus to this position. I will also bring my commitment to equitable access and elevation of marginalized voices to the position. As a member of the Community Engagement Committee, I work alongside my colleagues to ensure that all members have a voice in the organization and that multiple perspectives are considered in all that we do. The organization is at a very exciting time in its trajectory, and I truly believe the years to come are going to offer next level services, resources and connections to our members. I am excited to be part of that work in any position, and thank you for taking the time to consider me for Secretary.

Sarah Kistner
Stone Meadow Gardens
Granville Beach, Nova Scotia

Hi friends, I’m Sarah Kistner from Stone Meadow Gardens in Granville Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada. I’ve been part of the flower-farming community for more than twenty years, and for the past nearly four years I have served on the board as the regional director for Canada. Now, I’m running for secretary.

My introduction to flower farming came by serendipity twenty-plus years ago, and although life has taken me in many directions, I’ve never looked back. My husband and I founded Stone Meadow in 2015 near Nelson, British Columbia, and have since moved our farm across Canada to Nova Scotia, where we finally feel we’re getting our feet under ourselves. We farm about 1.5 acres, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales, including our local farmers’ market, online tuber sales, and our newly developed U-pick experience.

The ASCFG is near to my heart because it’s through this organization, well before the polished photography and curated moments of social media, that I first found examples of what flower farming could be. I was inspired and empowered by a community of people from across North America who were willing to share the lessons they had learned and help newcomers get a solid start. And for that, I am forever grateful.

It would be my honor to serve as secretary and help steward our organization into the future, forging a path forward that embraces new opportunities while, importantly, honoring the legacy of community and sharing that is the foundation of the ASCFG.