Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

Popped with Phebe: Pop Up Events, Workshops, and Unique Retail Options
2025-04-08 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Phebe Robinson-Higgins of Grace Floral and Co.
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Pop-up workshops are an exciting way for flower farmers and floral professionals to engage your community, to showcase your expertise, and create memorable experiences. Often hosted in third party retail and boutique spaces, these unique events are offer incredible opportunities to connect with new clients and to partner with local businesses. Join the remarkable Phebe Robinson-Higgins from Grace Floral and Co., who will teach you how to successfully design, plan, and execute pop-up events that attract and inspire new customers.
You’ll learn the following…

Planning and Logistics: How define your workshop’s purpose and target audience; how to choose the right venue (and if applicable, the right business partner); and the necessary considerations for selecting materials, managing time, and organizing all the moving parts.
Fundraising and Financial Support: While pop up events and retail experiences require less funds than traditional brick and mortar shops, business owners still need capital to get started. Phebe has expertise in grant writing and seeking funds to bankroll new business endeavors, and will share her advice and experiences.
During and After the Workshop: Phebe will share recommendations for how to create an interactive and memorable experience for your attendees, including recommended practices for day-of event execution, troubleshooting common challenges, and ensuring smooth operations. Lastly, Phebe will share guidance how to sustain the new relationships you’ve built with participants.

What Attendees Receive:

Live webinar access.
Event recording for one year.
Electronic copy of presentation slides.

This event is part of the 2025 Flowers are Serious Business webinar series. Learn more and register here!

Farm Tour: Wollam Gardens
2025-04-08 08:30 - 13:00 | Wollam Gardens, 5167 Jeffersonton Rd, Jeffersonton, VA, 22724, United States
Host: Bob Wollam
Wollam Gardens
5167 Jeffersonton Rd
Jeffersonton VA 22724
8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
www.wollamgardens.com
Limited to 80 attendees.
Registration Fee: $125.
Event Overview: Join the renowned Bob Wollam at Wollam Gardens for an exciting tour of this fantastic operation. Wollam Gardens is an 11 acre cut-flower farm and event destination, featuring a flower farm stand, a U-Pick garden, a gift shop, a bed and breakfast, an event center, and much more. Learn about the origins and evolution of this spectacular farm from a longtime cut flower farmer and ASCFG legend. Attendees will take away practical ideas for their operations and inspiration for future offerings.
Sponsored by:

Register Today!

2025 ASCFG Growers' School
2025-03-18
Location: The Grand Lady, Austin, Texas
This program is intended for all cut flower growers, wherever they are in their educational journey and regardless of scale or business model. Our stellar line-up of sessions and speakers can be found here. Register today!
Growers’ School Program and Registration
Sponsors

Farm Tour: Blossom Lane Farm
2025-03-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Blossom Lane Farm, 1015 Stanley Lane, , FL, Baker, Florida, 32531
Hosts: Jonalyn Carver of Blossom Lane Farm and Julia Keel of Full Keel Farm
Tour Location: Blossom Lane Farm
www.blossomlanefarm.com
1015 Stanley Lane, Baker, FL 32531
(850) 733-7435
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Limited to 75 attendees.
Registration Fee: $175 (Includes lunch).
Event Overview: Jonalyn Carver of Blossom Lane Farm and Julia Keel of Full Keel Farm are technically in the same growing zone and they farm in the same state. However, their individual microclimates ensure that they have different farm operations. Differences in growing conditions affect first and last frost dates, nighttime temperatures, seeding and planting timing, crop selections, when Jonalyn and Julia grow and sell, sales outlets, and agritourism, among many other factors. Be sure to join this dynamic duo for a full day of educational programming and farm tours especially tailored for flower farmers who grow in the American Southeast, and learn in person how two successful flower farmers have worked with their microclimates to create a flourishing business. Lunch will be provided.
Register Today!
Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: Solar Panels on Cut Flower Farms
2025-03-10 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Jenny Jonak has been an attorney for 27 years as well as the founder and owner of Dragon Song Farm in Eugene, Oregon. During this Ask an Expert webinar, Jenny will describe her experience with installing solar panels on her cut flower farm. This important infrastructure investment required time, upfront costs, and research, and Jenny will share advice and considerations for fellow farmers.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to ASCFG members prior to the event. All Ask an Expert webinars are recorded and available through the Members Only website after the event.

Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: Pressed Flowers for New Products and New Customers
2025-02-17 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join us for the ASCFG’s February 2025 Ask an Expert webinar on Monday, February 17, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern!
Kate Punnett created a small flower press company called The August Press where she sells flower presses across North America. She also captures her pressed art digitally and sells her prints, and her future goals are to create a longer format book celebrating local pressed flowers throughout the season. Learn from her experiences in developing alternative streams of income and a new customer base through developing new services and products featuring pressed flowers.
Kate Punnett is an artist, homemaker and homeschooling mom that has created an artistic practice in between mothering her kids, growing a garden, and starting a part-time school. She teaches art and the creative process in her community to both children and adults. Kate was a sustainable florist before she started pressing flowers. She ran a small social enterprise in her floral studio gifting flowers to community members. Her passion lies in mixing the ephemeral nature of flowers with people. Her artistic work is driven by the desire to create change through aesthetics, from garden, to street, to community, to city and beyond. She fell in love with pressing flowers as a way to slow down the quick pace of the locally grown flower season. Always celebrating the spirit of local, her pressed work is a call for hope, joy and connection.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. All Ask an Expert webinars are recorded.
Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: Best Practices for Seed Saving
2025-01-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join us for the ASCFG’s January 2025 Ask an Expert webinar on Monday, January 13, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern!
Erika Clarke founded and manages Sow Local Seeds, a family farm that specializes in locally adapted and ecologically produced flower, herb, and vegetable seeds in Nova Scotia, Canada. During her presentation, she will walk attendees through her practices and processes for saving cut flower seeds before ending the webinar with a robust question and answer session. More details coming soon!

ASCFG Supplier Showcase: Get Ready to Thrive in 2025!
2024-12-10 15:00 - 18:00, 2024-12-09 15:00 - 18:00 | Zoom
The ASCFG will host the 2025 Supplier Showcase on Monday, December 9, and Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
This is a wonderful opportunity for members to connect with agricultural and cut flower vendors. ASCFG members are invited to attend these complimentary webinars, during which vendors will discuss current and forthcoming products, tools, and other useful resources. More information will be available in Fall 2024.
Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: Hosting Successful & Profitable On-Farm Workshops
2024-11-18 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join us for the November 2024 Ask an Expert Session!
Hosting workshops can be a wonderful way to share about your farm operation and to provide guests with a unique, memorable experience – but there is more planning and preparation to hosting workshops than most farmers anticipate. During this session, Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm will give attendees the information and tools for success by providing them with strategies for hosting smooth, enjoyable workshops on their farms. By the end of the webinar, attendees will have a realistic picture of what it costs – financially and in labor – to successfully host workshops on their farms.
Sponsored by:

Reminder: The Cut Flower Quarterly Submission Deadline
2024-11-15
The Cut Flower Quarterly is the only periodical dedicated to informing growers about the production, postharvest care, and marketing of cut flowers. Are you contributing an article or a feature to the next issue? Or do you wish to purchase an advertisement or sponsor an event? All submissions for the Winter Issue are due on November 15, 2024.

Vendors and suppliers are welcome to explore our different advertising and sponsorship options.

Have a question? Contact us at operations@ascfg.org.

ASCFG Southeast Regional Conference
2024-10-08 - 2024-10-09 | The Barn at Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm, 7316 Morrow Mill Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, United States
The ASCFG Southeast Regional Conference will be held at The Barn of Chapel Hill of Wild Flora Farm. This event will feature presentations on cut flower topics, time to network with fellow cut flower farmers in the region, and a tour of the host farm. Two hands-on workshops – floral design and floral pricing – will occur as optional add-ons for the second day. A full schedule and registration details will be available in April 2024.

Location: The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Dates: October 8-9

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Ask an Expert: Business Planning for Flower Farmers
2024-10-07 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 7, 2024.
Join us for an Ask an Expert session taught by Lennie Larkin of B-Side Flower Farm.
Business planning can be an overwhelming process, which keeps flower farmers from doing it. But the good news is that business planning doesn’t have to be a one-site-fits-all, formal process. In this session, Lennie will guide you through some introductory business planning methods and leave you with actionable steps to help grow or refine your farm.
Lennie Larkin started B-Side Farm after falling head over heels for flowers. She came to farming and flowers from a background in adult education. Naturally, B-Side Farm has quickly become an educational farm where Lennie not only grows and designs with flowers, but teaches others how she’s doing what she’s doing. B-Side Farm workshops are designed to meet every student where they’re at and encourage them to dive a little deeper into the world of flowers – whether in the garden or design studio. The B-Side Blog is a growing resource for both of these arenas.

Sponsored by:

ASCFG 2024 Election
2024-10-01 00:00
Every election is determined by the people who show up.
This year, members in the West and Northwest Region will elect a Regional Director.
All members will elect a President and Vice President
Both positions will serve 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Please review this information and watch for your ballot to arrive via email in early October.
Your participation is vital!
Meet the Candidates and Vote by October 31

ASCFG West & Northwest Regional Conference
2024-09-24 - 2024-09-25 | Free Range Flowers, 6222 Medcalf Rd, Bellingham, WA, 98226, United States
The ASCFG West & Northwest Regional Conference will be held at Free Range Flowers in Bellingham, Washington State. This two day event will feature presentations on cut flower topics, dedicated time to network with fellow cut flower farmers in the region, and a tour of the host farm. Please note that Bellingham is thirty miles south of the U.S.-Canadian border and may be a wonderful opportunity for our farmer members in British Columbia to attend an ASCFG Regional Conference in 2024.

Location: Free Range Flowers, Bellingham, WA
Dates: September 24-25

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS
SunflowerSelections.com
Floralife
The Gardener’s Workshop
CalFlowers
Seattle Wholesale Grower Market

ASCFG South & Central Regional Conference
2024-09-11 - 2024-09-12 | The Fresh Herb Co, 4114 Oxford Rd, Longmont, CO, 80503, United States
The ASCFG South and Central Regional Conference will be held at The Fresh Herb Co. in Longmont, Colorado. This two day event will feature presentations grounded in the theme of best practices for farming in a challenging climate, dedicated time to network with fellow cut flower farmers in the region, and a tour of the host farm. A full schedule and registration details will be available in April 2024.

Location: The Fresh Herb Co., Longmont, Colorado
Dates: September 11-12

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS
SunflowerSelections.com
Picklinq
The Gardener’s Workshop
CalFlowers

Ask an Expert: Maximizing Season Extension
2024-09-09 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join Maya Kosok of Hillen Homestead (Baltimore, MD) to learn about season extension without a greenhouse or high tunnel. Maya will cover several different ways to maximize your growing space with minimal infrastructure, including planting hardy annuals, selecting perennials, using low tunnels for frost protection, succession planting, and more. Many regions of the United States have the highest demand for local flowers in spring and fall, making season extension especially important. This talk will include many ideas that can be applied across different growing regions and different scales, but it is worth noting that Hillen Homestead is located in a warm zone 7b and produces very intensively with minimal equipment.
Sponsored by:

ASCFG North & Central Regional Conference (Clara Joyce Flowers)
2024-08-27 - 2024-08-28 | Clara Joyce Flowers, 13493 E Blair Hill Rd, Stockton, IL, 61085, United States
Given the wide geographic stretch of the ASCFG North and Central Region, we are offering two Regional Conferences for this area. We’re thrilled to share that one of this event will be hosted by Drew Groezinger of Clara Joyce Flowers in Stockton, Illinois, and that all educational offerings are built around the theme of, “Scaling Up Your Cut Flower Operation.” Attendees will enjoy a farm tour, educational sessions and workshops, and dedicated time to network with other farmers.

Location: Clara Joyce Flowers, Stockton, Illinois
Dates: August 27-28

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Reminder: The Cut Flower Quarterly Submission Deadline
2024-08-15
The Cut Flower Quarterly is the only periodical dedicated to informing growers about the production, postharvest care, and marketing of cut flowers. Are you contributing an article or a feature to the next issue? Or do you wish to purchase an advertisement or sponsor an event? All submissions for the Fall Issue are due on August 15, 2024.

Vendors and suppliers are welcome to explore our different advertising and sponsorship options.

Have a question? Contact us at operations@ascfg.org.

ASCFG Canada Regional Conference
2024-08-13 - 2024-08-14 | Dahlia May Flower Farm, 1226 Stockdale Rd, Trenton, Ontario, K8V 5P6, Canada
The ASCFG Canada Regional Conference will be held at the Dahlia May Flower Farm in Trenton, Ontario, Canada. This event will feature presentations on cut flower topics, dedicated time to network with fellow cut flower farmers in the region, and a tour of the host farm. Furthermore, attendees can refine their floral design skills by participating in a hands-on demonstration and workshop. A full schedule and registration details will be available in April 2024.

Location: Dahlia May Flower Farm, Trenton, Ontario, Canada
Dates: August 13-14

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS
SunflowerSelections.com
CalFlowers – That Flower Feeling
Unicorn Blooms
Hofland

ASCFG North & Central Regional Conference
2024-08-06 - 2024-08-07 | Raker’s Trial Gardens, 10185 Rainey Rd, Litchfield, MI, 49252, United States
Given the wide geographic stretch of the ASCFG North and Central Region, we are offering two Regional Conferences for this area. We’re thrilled to share that one of these events will be hosted by the Raker-Roberta’s Trial Gardens in Michigan, and sponsored by InFlora Cut Flowers, Express Seed, and Raker-Roberta’s. This two day conference will offer a facility tour and conference style presentations along with time to network with fellow cut flower farmers. A full schedule and registration details will be available in April 2024.

Location: Raker’s Trial Gardens, Litchfield, Michigan
Host: Raker’s – Roberta’s Young Plants

Dates: August 6-7

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS

ASCFG Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
2024-07-22 - 2024-07-23 | Moonshot Farm, 415 Imlaystown Road, East Windsor, NJ, 08520, United States
The ASCFG Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Directors have combined forces to host a joint Regional Conference, which will take place in East Windsor, New Jersey. This event will begin with a morning tour at Moonshot Farm and an afternoon tour of Kube-Pak. The second day will feature presentations on cut flower topics and plenty of time to network with fellow cut flower farmers. A full schedule and registration details will be available in April 2024.

Location: Moonshot Farm and Holiday Inn East Windsor in East Windsor, New Jersey
Date: July 22-23, 2024

Members are invited to attend as many Regional Conferences as they wish to, and will not be limited to their region.
More Information
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Ask an Expert: Drawbacks in Selling Invasives to Florists
2024-07-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Curbing the Spread of Invasive Species in Flower Farming and Floristry
Challenges and Solutions for Growers and Florists
Invasive species are causing problems across farms, gardens, waterways, wildlife habitats, and landscapes. They are often foraged or grown by flower farmers and used in designs by florists. Sometimes this is intentional, while other times it results from a lack of knowledge about which species are invasive, how they spread, and why they are dangerous. Flower farmers and florists have the power to either contribute to the spread of invasive species or help prevent it.

In this webinar, Ellen will address the thorny subject of invasive species: what they are, the damage they can cause, how they spread, and why many farmers and florists continue to use them. She will also cover the economic impact of moving away from using invasives and what farmers and florists can do to stop their spread. Ellen will share her own journey to become educated about invasives and explain the strategies she uses to find alternatives for her designs.
Ellen Frost is the renowned florist of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, MD, and co-contributor of The Cut Flower Quarterly column, “The Farmer and The Florist.” She is passionate about using local flowers in her work and in 2016, she was awarded the Allan M Armitage Award for Leadership by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. She has been featured on The Flower Podcast, the Slow Flowers Society, and much more.
Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: How Intellectual Property Can Protect and Grow Your Flower Business
2024-06-10 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join us for the June 2024 Ask an Expert session on intellectual property!
Jenny Jonak of Dragon Song Farm has been an attorney for 27 years. She will talk about intellectual property issues that you can use to protect and grow your flower business. Briefly, intellectual property refers to the creative work or processes you put into your business. Jenny will go over the different types of intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights), how you can use each for your flower business, and how to incorporate IP protection in flower farming contracts and other legal documents.
Sponsored by:

Reminder: The Cut Flower Quarterly Submission Deadline
2024-05-15
The Cut Flower Quarterly is the only periodical dedicated to informing growers about the production, postharvest care, and marketing of cut flowers. Are you contributing an article or a feature to the next issue? Or do you wish to purchase an advertisement or sponsor an event? All submissions for the Summer Issue are due on May 15, 2024.

Vendors and suppliers are welcome to explore our different advertising and sponsorship options.

Have a question? Contact us at operations@ascfg.org.

Ask an Expert: Using the Paperpot Planting System for Specialty Cut Flowers
2024-05-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join the ASCFG for the May 2024 Ask an Expert session led by Julia Keel of Full Keel Farm!
Julia will present on using the Paperpot system for cut flowers on her farm in Florida. After adopting the Paperpot trays in 2020, she estimates that about 85% of Full Keel Farm’s 2024 crops will be planted using this system. For this webinar, she will specifically address crop selection and spacing, timing of transplanting, bed prep and weed management, and the overall benefits and drawbacks of the system. Julia will also share detailed information about the cost per plant, time for transplanting and weeding, and more. By sharing in detail how Full Keel Farm converted from using all landscape fabric to almost entirely Paperpot-planted crops, attendees will be able to evaluate the potential of this system for their own operations while maintaining realistic expectations for using this tool.
Full Keel Farm is a small, family farm owned by Julia & Earl Keel. The flower farm developed out of Julia and Earl’s love for growing, decades working in and around agriculture, and their desire to build a small farm at our home in north central Florida. After meeting at a research station on a large Florida cattle ranch, they started growing vegetables together in a small garden. In the spring of 2017, inspired by the Slow Flowers movement, they added two 50-ft beds of cosmos and zinnias into the vegetable garden, and quickly decided to transition to growing flowers.
Sponsored by:

Ask an Expert: Not Your Grandma's Dried Flowers
2024-04-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Let’s liberate cut flower farmers of this world from tedious rubber banding of bunches and climbing on ladders!
Emily Patrick of Carolina Flowers will show you how to create high quality, colorfast, intact dried flowers quickly and efficiently. Emily has prepared and sold dried flowers for over five years and will share her hard won tips, like how to avoid common dried flower pitfalls such as shattering, mice, storage pile ups, and more. This webinar will also help attendees figure out which crops match which drying techniques; what time of year best fits the farm’s workflow for harvesting and processing dried flower crops; and how to efficiently build out a dried flower space.

Emily shares the following: “On our farm, we dry and harvest every flower we grow, eliminating waste and creating a winter value-added opportunity, wreaths and dried flower bundles. We’ve also launched a dried flower wedding line. Our process uses highly efficient shelving and screens to eliminate bunching and the need for ladders, to minimize labor, to reduce drying time to a matter of 3-5 days, to save space through high-density shelving, and to increase profit margins.”
By the end of the webinar, attendees will have a sense of what size dried flower program fits into their existing farm, and whether online sales might be a good fit for them. Let’s explore the complex pricing of dried florals and make some money!
Sponsored by:
http://www.a-roo.com

Analyzing Cut Flower Profitability through the Enterprise Budget Analysis Process
2024-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Part of the Flowers are Serious Business webinar series, “Analyzing Cut Flower Profitability through the Enterprise Budget Analysis Process” is an exciting opportunity to learn how to evaluate your profitability and how to translate that information into action. Please note that this webinar series is only available for ASCFG members. If you are interested in learning more about membership options and benefits, please contact our Operations Director Linda Twining at membership@ascfg.org.

Presenter: Jenny Marks of Trademarks Flower Farm
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern

What attendees will learn…
Do you know which flowers are actually making money for your farm business and which ones are costing you? Jenny Marks of Trademarks Flower Farm will present on calculating and analyzing cut flower profitability through the enterprise budget analysis process, an essential process for a fiscally healthy business. Farmers will learn how to keep crop sales and expense records, the step-by-step enterprise budget analysis process, and techniques for improving cut flower profitability.
Register Today!

Legal Issues for Cut Flower Farmers
2024-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Part of the Flowers are Serious Business webinar series, “Legal Issues for Cut Flower Farmers” is an exciting opportunity to expand your knowledge about legal issues cut flower farmers face as business owners. Please note that this webinar series is only available for ASCFG members. If you are interested in learning more about membership options and benefits, please contact our Operations Director Linda Twining at membership@ascfg.org.

Presenter: Jenny Jonak of Dragon Song Farm
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern

What you will learn…
Jenny Jonak of Dragon Song Farm has been an attorney for 27 years. She will talk about legal issues that affect flower farmers so that you can run your business professionally and minimize liability. Topics include whether you should incorporate or form an LLC, and the advantages and disadvantages of how you structure your business; and how to use contracts, releases and waivers in your flower sales, CSA subscriptions and wedding/event work. Jenny will include some introductory forms and will talk about how best to adapt them to your business practices.
Register Today!

Ask an Expert: Develop and Manage A La Carte Weddings
2024-03-11 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Join Jennifer and Scott Joray from Eastern River Farm for the March 2024 Ask an Expert session!
Jennifer and Scott are the wife and husband team behind Eastern River Farm and during this webinar, they will share their personal system for managing a la carte weddings on their farm, including how they market, book, style, charge, deliver and/or package, and work pick-up processes for our a la carte menu flowers. This system has been developed and refined over the last five seasons, and the Jorays are generously sharing lessons learned and actionable practices.
Established in 2018, Eastern River Farm is a regenerative specialty cut flower farm in Pittston, ME, that specializes in weddings and special events design. ERF uses zero harmful chemicals on their family farm.
Sponsored by:
