Exploring Sales Outlets for Your Cut Flower Farm
There are so many different sales outlets for a cut flower farm, truly allowing you to run your business in a way that fits your lifestyle and business goals. In this blog, I am going to share the different sales outlets we have experience with. Each offers unique benefits and challenges, so it’s all about finding what works best for you and your business goals.
Summer Subscription Bouquets
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are a fantastic way to create a steady, predictable income. They can be structured as weekly or bi-weekly bouquets that customers can pick up or have delivered during the growing season, (or whatever works best for you and your customers! There are so many options here). You can also offer prepaid subscription options for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or birthdays.
Benefits:
Recurring revenue that aids in budgeting.
Revenue during the off-season.
Prepaid bouquets mean no waste or unsold arrangements.
Provides a planned schedule, making it easier to balance other commitments.
Cons:
Less flexibility as you have a set delivery schedule and bouquet quantity to fulfill.
Farmer's Markets
Booth at the Nolensville Farmer’s Market
Farmer's markets are ideal for connecting with your local community and showcasing your flowers. They’re particularly great for growers who prefer flexibility over-commitment to a set schedule.
Benefits:
Flexible inventory—sell what you have without pressure to meet preorders.
Built-in marketing from the market itself.
Opportunity to meet other local businesses and network.
Cons:
Knowing how much to bring to market can be a challenge until you are familiar with the specific market demand.
Florists
Building relationships with local florists can be a profitable way to sell in bulk. Florists often value high-quality, locally grown flowers, and local growers are often able to provide offerings that are harder for florists to source.
Benefits:
Sell large quantities with less time spent arranging.
Regular delivery schedules provide consistency.
Focus on fewer flower varieties, making production simpler.
Cons:
Need to provide florists with inventory lists to order from.
U-Pick and Events
Sunflower UPick at Menkveld Farm
Hosting events or offering U-Pick days focuses on the experience rather than the flowers themselves. These are perfect for farmers who enjoy connecting with their community and are happy to focus on growing flowers and less on the actual harvesting and arranging of them.
Benefits:
Flexible scheduling on your terms.
Reduced time spent harvesting and arranging flowers.
Opportunities to host unique events like date nights, bouquet workshops, or painting sessions.
Cons:
There are extra considerations to be made when opening up your fields to the general public (restrooms, insurance, permits, etc).
Lavender Field used for Outdoor Photo Sessions
Photography
Renting your flower fields to photographers is a creative way to generate revenue without harvesting. It also boosts awareness of your farm.
Benefits:
No time spent harvesting or arranging flowers.
Great marketing opportunity for your farm.
Minimal maintenance required.
Cons:
Weather can impact the schedule.
Need to leave flowers unharvested for background, which can be good or bad depending on specific business needs.
Dried Flowers
Drying flowers is an excellent way to extend your season and reduce waste. These can be sold as bouquets or crafted into products like wreaths.
Dried Lavender Bouquet
Benefits:
Income during the winter months when you are not growing flowers in the field.
Extends the life of your flowers if you have more than needed for fresh arrangements.
Cons:
Dried flowers need to be stored longer than fresh flowers.
Tubers, Bulbs, and Plants
Selling tubers, bulbs, and plants is another great off-season revenue stream. Many growers also find this helps offset the cost of their own planting supplies.
Benefits:
Provides revenue outside the growing season.
Opportunity to buy in bulk and resell at retail prices.
Helps offset costs for your own farm.
Cons:
There me be licensing requirements for selling tubers, bulbs, and plants.
You may need to package and ship orders.
Plan appropriately for shipping costs.
Each of these sales outlets can bring value to your business, depending on your goals, time, and preferences. Start small, experiment, and refine as you go—your flower farm’s potential is blooming!