Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

Digging Deep: Climate Change, Soil Health, and its Impact on Agriculture in North America
2023-03-27 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
About the Webinar Series
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers is pleased to announce a four-day educational intensive called Digging Deep: Topics in Cut Flower Farming. This intensive features four 90-minute, Zoom-based presentations given by experts in farming, floral design, and agricultural law. Registrants can attend the virtual live events, have the opportunity to participate in Q and A sessions, and will receive access to the webinar recordings after the events for the duration of 2023. Attendees must register by noon on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Monday’s Event

Climate Change, Soil Health, and its Impact on Agriculture in North America
Sarah A. Isbell, Research Scientist for PASA Sustainable Agriculture
Monday, March 27, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern

Description
Join Sarah A. Isbell as she presents her work for Pasa Sustainable Agriculture’s Soil Health Benchmark Study. Sarah recently earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from Penn State University where her research focused on cover cropping and reducing tillage in organic grain cropping systems, nitrogen management, and soil ecology. Sarah has also worked as a farm-based educator in Massachusetts, grown vegetables in New York’s Hudson Valley, and spent a summer researching soils and agro-silvo-pastoral systems in Sardinia, Italy. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Dickinson College.
Sponsored by:

Registration

H-2A for Cut Flower Growers: Could it Work for You?
2023-03-20 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Lori Whitten, the founder of Poetry Flower Farm, and her team have significant experience in H2A legislation. ASCFG members are invited to join this complimentary webinar to go over compliance with H2A legislation and a strategy for small flower farms to form a cooperative that allows them to share employee labor. They will discuss the H-2A temporary seasonal non-immigrant visa program to include: Criteria to qualify for the program, and what Joint Employment means and how small farm operations could share the cost, benefits and liabilities of the program. They will then segue into a brief compliance overview and provide a contact to answer questions for those already using the program. Then we will wrap up with a live Question and Answer Session. The webinar will be recorded and available for viewing in the ASCFG Members Only learning portal after the event.

Ask an Expert: Selling Flowers to Florists
2023-03-13 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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 owner of Hillen Homestead, an urban cut flower farm in Baltimore City now in its 10th season. Hillen Homestead sells primarily to local florists in the DC/Baltimore region and grows a wide range of annuals, perennials, woodies, and more using sustainable practices. Maya is passionate about building community and relationships with neighbors, customers, fellow growers, and anyone walking by who stops to chat at the farm. Maya has presented at many conferences and garden clubs, including the Pennsylvania Alliance of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Future Harvest, Just Food, and Garden Clubs of America, and she loves sharing tangible and specific information that will help other growers.
Ellen Frost is the renowned florist of Local Color Flowers shop 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.

Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Sponsored by

Manipulating Light Quality and Duration to Improve the Greenhouse Production of Specialty Cut Flowers
2023-03-07 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Part of the ASCFG Research and the Flower Farmer Webinar Series!
Dr. Roberto Lopez, Michigan State University
Caleb Spall, Michigan State University
Event Details
A recent recipient of an ASCFG Grant, this project seeks to determine the ideal lighting conditions, in both the intensity and duration of lights, for growing flowers in greenhouse settings. In response to the growing market for specialty cut flowers throughout North America, crop growth and management in greenhouses can help meet the year-round demand for flowers. Dr. Lopez and Mr. Spall will discuss the exciting outcomes of their research and answer questions from audience members.
Presenter Biography
Dr. Roberto Lopez
Dr. Roberto Lopez is an associate professor and controlled environment/floriculture extension specialist with a 45% research, 30% teaching, and 25% extension appointment in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. His research focuses on propagation and production of young and finish plants (floriculture, leafy green, and culinary herb crops) in greenhouses, growth rooms/containers, warehouse-based plant factories, and vertical farms. The primary objective of his research is to determine how light (quantity, quality, and duration), substrate and air temperature, and carbon dioxide in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) production influences crop timing, rooting, yield, quality, flavor, nutrition, and subsequent performance.
About the Research and the Flower Farmer Webinar Series
The goal of this webinar series is to connect ASCFG members with the latest research in cut flowers and to inspire new ideas for crop, farm, and business management. During these online events, recent recipients of the Research Foundation’s Competitive Grants will share synopses of their research, along with the exciting applications of the results, before a short Q and A session with attendees.
Can’t attend a presentation? Don’t worry – the webinar will be recorded and be accessible in the ASCFG Members Only portal after the event.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Reminder: ASCFG Grower Grant Applications Due
2023-03-01
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers periodically awards funding to cut flower growers for on-farm research. Results of the research should benefit specialty cut flower growers in the field or greenhouse. The program is open only to current ASCFG members who have grown cut flowers commercially for at least three years.

Application Materials: Learn more about the application process and materials here.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2023
Questions? If you have any questions, please email them to mail@ascfg.org.

Comparison of Dahlia Cultivars for Specialty Cut Flower Production in the Northeastern United States
2023-02-21 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Part of the ASCFG Research and the Flower Farmer Webinar Series!
Dr. Stephanie Burnett, University of Maine
Dr. Bryan Peterson, University of Maine
Event Details
Join Drs. Burnett and Peterson as they discuss their project, which evaluated a wide range of commercially popular, field-grown dahlias to compare the postharvest life of a cold-sensitive crop in Northern climates that have a limited growing season. The researchers will discuss the exciting outcomes of their research and answer questions from audience members.
Presenter Biography
Dr. Stephanie Burnett
Dr. Stephanie Burnett is an Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Maine. Her research primarily focuses on production issues for greenhouse and flower growers. She teaches the floriculture courses at the University of Maine (Herbaceous Landscape Plants and Greenhouse Management) along with Introduction to Horticulture.
About the Research and the Flower Farmer Webinar Series
The goal of this webinar series is to connect ASCFG members with the latest research in cut flowers and to inspire new ideas for crop, farm, and business management. During these online events, recent recipients of the Research Foundation’s Competitive Grants will share synopses of their research, along with the exciting applications of the results, before a short Q and A session with attendees.
Can’t attend a presentation? Don’t worry – the webinar will be recorded and be accessible in the ASCFG Members Only portal after the event.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Ask an Expert: Find and Keep Farm Employees, Part II of II
2023-02-20 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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 can expect to hear from four different farmers about their experiences, which will segue into a question and answer session.
Meet the participating farmers!

Jennifer Joray of Eastern River Farm
Seth and Kelci Wright of Firm Root Farm
Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm
Michelle Elston of Roots Flower Farm

Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Reminder: The Cut Flower Quarterly Submission Deadline
2023-02-15
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 Spring Issue are due on February 15, 2023. Vendors and suppliers are welcome to explore our different advertising and sponsorship options.

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

Reminder: Dave Dowling Scholarship Applications Due
2023-02-01
The ASCFG is dedicated to advancing the domestic cut flower industry by encouraging young people to consider cut flower production as a career. To foster this goal, every year the ASCFG will award $1,000 each to two students interested in becoming cut flower growers thanks to the Dave Dowling Scholarship. Successful applicants will receive one-year ASCFG memberships and accompanying benefits.
The program is open to students working toward a two- or four-year degree, or a graduate degree, in horticulture or floriculture. Applicants must have at least one full year of studies remaining before finishing the degree. Previous applicants not awarded a scholarship may apply again if they still meet all requirements. Part-time students may be considered if they have taken at least 9 credits per year for at least one year, are planning to enroll in at least 9 credits for the coming year, and are enrolled in a program leading to a horticulture or floriculture degree.

Application Materials: You can access application materials and information here.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2023.
Questions? If you have any questions, you are encouraged to email them to mail@ascfg.org.

What You’ll See in ’23: An ASCFG Supplier Showcase, Part II
2023-01-23 15:00 - 18:00 UTC | Zoom
Part II of II Webinars
The ASCFG is delighted to announce an opportunity to connect with agricultural and cut flower vendors in the upcoming Zoom-based webinars, “What You’ll See in ‘23.” ASCFG members are invited to attend the complimentary webinars, during which vendors will discuss current and forthcoming products, tools, and other useful resources. Please see the schedule below for more details!

Monday, January 23
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET

BallSeed
InFlora
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Leo Berbee Bulb Co.
Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants
Seven Springs Farm Supply
Zabo Plant Inc

Win Prizes from Showcase Vendors!
Each vendor in the showcase has donated an item to be won by attendees. Your donation of $25 or more to the Research Foundation will allow you to be entered into a drawing for a variety of prizes. You do not have to be present to win. All proceeds go to the ASCFG Research Foundation, which fosters and supports original research in cut flower farming topics.

Registration and Donation Information

What You'll See in '23: An ASCFG Supplier Showcase
2023-01-16 15:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Part I of II Webinars
The ASCFG is delighted to announce an opportunity to connect with agricultural and cut flower vendors in the upcoming Zoom-based webinars, “What You’ll See in ‘23.” ASCFG members are invited to attend the complimentary webinars, during which vendors will discuss current and forthcoming products, tools, and other useful resources. Please see the schedule below for more details!
Monday, January 16
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET

American Takii
Botanical Trading Co.
Cubed Laboratories
Sakata Seed
Spring Meadow Nursery
Syngenta
Walters Gardens

Win Prizes from Showcase Vendors!
Each vendor in the showcase has donated an item to be won by attendees. Your donation of $25 or more to the Research Foundation will allow you to be entered into a drawing for a variety of prizes. You do not have to be present to win. All proceeds go to the ASCFG Research Foundation, which fosters and supports original research in cut flower farming topics.

Registration and Donation Information

Ask an Expert: Find and Keep Farm Employees, Part I of II
2023-01-09 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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. Attendees can expect to hear from four different farmers about their experiences, which will segue into a question and answer session.
Meet the participating farmers!

Jennifer Joray of Eastern River Farm
Seth and Kelci Wright of Firm Root Farm
Rebecca Kutzer-Rice of Moonshot Farm
Michelle Elston of Roots Flower Farm

Note: This is Part One of two sessions. The second webinar will occur on February 20, 2023, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Ask an Expert: Developing a Social Media Strategy for Your Farm
2022-12-05 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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 moving onto reviewing different strategies for promotions, sales, and more. We look forward to seeing you!

Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

Ask an Expert: Is Agritourism Right for Your Farm?
2022-11-14 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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 factors before embarking on an agritourism endeavor. We look forward to seeing you!
Melissa Fery is an Associate Professor for the Oregon State University Extension Service serving small farms in the southern Willamette Valley. She has been supporting Oregon agriculture in the areas of soil quality, small-scale livestock and pasture production, and land stewardship for over 20 years. Most recently she has been working with farmers and ranchers to explore agricultural tourism and on-farm marketing to diversify income and aid in farm succession. Melissa and her family live on a small farm where she enjoys a rural lifestyle, growing plants and raising animals. You can reach her at Melissa.Fery@oregonstate.edu.
Audrey Comerford serves as the Agritourism Coordinator for OSU Extension Service in Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties in Oregon. Growing up in the Willamette Valley gave her the opportunity to be familiar with diverse farming activities. Audrey’s efforts strive to bring education and understanding about the benefits of agritourism and farm-direct marketing as an additional revenue source to farmers, tourism groups and government entities. She is part of the OSU College of Agriculture’s Agritourism Working Group and currently collaborates with organizations such as Travel Oregon, Oregon Agritourism Partnership and local tourism offices. She currently lives on a small farm with her husband and raises sheep for fiber. You can reach her at Audrey.Comerford@oregonstate.edu.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event. A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.

ASCFG Farm Tour: River Twist Homestead
2022-10-11 09:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | River Twist Homestead, 5334 River Road, Jamestown, NC, United States
Host Carl and Jan Galloni of River Twist Homestead.
Details:

Limited to 50 attendees. Lunch included.
Registration costs $100.00. Registrations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis and fees are refunded only in case of emergency.
Register here!

Attendees will be split into two groups. One will start the day with tours of our fields and high tunnels, including harvest and prep for delivery; seedling transplanting; bed teardown; Earthway Seeder demonstration; and high tunnel do’s and don’ts. Then we’ll move to the seed shed and cooler to learn more about soil blocking and our homemade sifter for peat and compost.
Before lunch, Sammi Price of Just Priceless Florist in High Point will discuss how to prepare flowers for sale to florists. At the same time, the second group will spend time with artist Jan, learning to color wash and hand letter their own farm sign from start to finish, leaving with their own personalized sign. After lunch, the groups will switch activities.

ASCFG Farm Tour: Daveco
2022-10-01 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Daveco., 11711 W. 47th Street S., Clearwater, KS, United States
Hosts Clarence Denton and Lou Lemont of Daveco
Details:

Limited to 32 attendees
Registration costs $50.00. Registrations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis and fees are refunded only in case of emergency.
Register here!

What started in 2016 as a small (15 x 32) hoophouse to grow landscape flowers and plants is now four large tunnels (5000 sq. ft.), and several garden areas growing cut flowers for florists in the Wichita area. Starting small and increasing our production and sales each year has allowed us to grow into our market. All our crops are grown within 50 steps of our processing and cooler area. Efficient flower farming on a small scale through succession planting, and growing in tunnels has helped us triple our sales in three years. We plan to demonstrate the stand-up planter—custom-built for our farm—and other creative ideas to make flower farming a bit easier. Information on tunnels, shade cloth, pests, and supports for our crops will also be discussed.
We have invited several of our florists to visit with our grower attendees. We know they have lots of question to ask of them. They have been a wealth of information for us since we started in 2018. We will have dahlias, sunflowers, celosia, and dusty miller still growing in the tunnels at the time of our tour.
Sponsored by:

Farm Tours in Maryland
2022-09-27 08:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Through a partnership with the University of Maryland Extension, the ASCFG is pleased to announce two additional farm tours in September 2022. Attendees will tour Hertzler’s Cut Flower Farm in Charlotte Hall, MD, and Zekiah Ridge Farm in La Plata, MD. Tickets are $30 per attendee; please see the schedule below.
Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Schedule

Check-in will start at 8:00 a.m. on September 27th, 2022.
8:30 – 10:00: Tour of Hertzler Flower Farm, Jacob Hertzler.
10:00 – 10:30: Travel to Zekiah Ridge Farm (about 15 minutes away).
10:30 – 12:00: Tour of Zekiah Ridge Farm, Cindy Bliss.
12:00 – 12:45: Lunch provided for tour participants.
12:50 – 1:10: Diseases of Cut Flowers. Speaker: Karen Rane, Plant Pathologist, University of Maryland Extension
1:10 – 1:20: Insect Control in Cut Flowers. Speaker: Stanton Gill, Entomologist, University of Maryland Extension
1:20 – 1:45: Weed Control in Cut Flowers. Speaker: Alan Leslie, Extension Educator, University of Maryland Extension – Charles County

Purchase Your Tickets Here!

Ask an Expert: Crop Planning and Succession
2022-09-12 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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 have all the flowers you need and want throughout the season.
Zoom instructions will be emailed to members on the day of the event.
A recording of this session will be archived in Members Only.
Sponsored by:

ASCFG Farm Tour: Fernabelle Acres
2022-09-12 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Fernabelle Acres, 3530 80th Street, Franksville, WI, United States
Host Emily Watson of Fernabelle Acres
Details:

Limited to 75 attendees. Registration closes on Thursday, September 8.
Registration costs $100.00. Registrations taken on a first-come, first-served basis and the fee refunded only in case of emergency.
Register here!

After 12 years of growing on a half an acre, Fernabelle Acres is building towards 8 acres for this year with the possibility for much more. Come and join us on our new farm and see the adventure happening in real time. This is our second season on the new farm and we are in the process of scaling up rapidly.
I worked with the FSA to get funding for a 36-acre farm field. I’ll talk a little bit about the process of finding the farm and working with the FSA for financing. Then we’ll break up into groups and tour the farm where we will discuss some of the decisions we have made and the growing pains we have experienced. Joe Schmitt will be on hand to share some of his favorite time- and labor-saving tips and tools. Afterwards we will have an optional social hour. We’ll provide light refreshments and you bring your camp chair.
Sponsored by:
