SLOW FLOWERS with Debra Prinzing

  You could call Cynthia Alexander, a "chapter two" flower farmer. A passionate gardener, Cynthia has spent the past several years reinventing herself from a real estate attorney into someone whose relationship with land is exemplified in a completely different way!  Over the past few years, Cynthia and her husband Bob have been transitioning from the city to the land. Quarry Flower Farm, their 120-acre farm, is located in Celina, Texas, about 40 minutes outside of the Dallas-Ft. Worth urban center.  Earlier this month, I traveled to the Ft. Worth Garden Club to lecture about the “Slow Flowers” movement and to lead a workshop for members of the Garden Club’s floral design group. This was my second visit to the Dallas Ft-Worth area to talk about LOCAL flowers and in both cases, my “credibility” was enhanced thanks to Cynthia. She is a native Texan whose goal is spreading beauty through organic agriculture and the practice of good land stewardship.  Her repertoire of ingredients is impressive! At Quarry Flower Farm, Cynthia grows native Texas shrubs and trees, as well as perennials, annuals, grasses, bulbs, vines and herbs. Her fascination with botanical elements means she has an incredibly diverse list of ingredients for floral fans, everyone from hot floral designers to farm-to-table caterers. Here is the extensive list of flowers, foliage, herbs, branches and ornamental grasses she provided for the Ft. Worth workshop:  Amaranthus 'Red Hopi' Artemisia  Aster Beautyberry Black Bamboo Bois D'Arc apples Broomcorn Cardoon Celosia  Chinaberry foliage, yellow berry Cotinus Cotton Bolls Crepe Myrtle Dianthus Elm Winged branches Garden Roses Geranium scented Gomphrena 'Fireworks' Hibiscus 'Jamaican Red' Juniper silver berry Lambs ears Lantana  Liatris Love In A Puff vine, pod Magnolia Marigold Myrtle branches Peppers Perilla green Persimmon branches Pittosporum  Poke Privet  Purple Hyacinth Bean pods Pyracantha orange berry Rattanvine Rosehips Rush Sage Salvia Leucantha Sansieveria  Sedum  Sunflower Maximillian Tritonia Vinca  Yellow wildflower Zinnia    Cynthia first came to my rescue in February 2012 when I taught an eco-floral design course at the Dallas Arboretum. I had contacted her through the ASCFG directory, asking for help. Cynthia showed up with a bevy of flowering bulb varieties and spring branches – much to the delight of the Dallas floral design students. After all, it was FEBRUARY, for goodness sake’s. She saved the day! The same thing happened when I encouraged the Ft. Worth Garden Club to source LOCAL Texas leaves, branches and flowers from a real flower farmer. Cynthia is a gem. And you’ll find her personal story fascinating. I mean really….how many people leave a successful, 30-year career as an attorney in order to dig in the dirt and grow cut flowers? For that reason alone, I adore this gifted woman. Enjoy our conversation and listen for all of Cynthia’s advice about her second career – as a cut flower farmer.  In addition to the flower fields at Quarry Flower Farm, Cynthia and Bob cherish their unique location and beautiful pond (a former gravel quarry). They nurture a native habitat that attracts many birds, butterflies and critters.  They have used green-building practices, sourcing materials from an English-style oak timber-frame barn (circa 1835), from the Mohawk Valley in New York, which they have re-erected beside the quarry pond.    Cynthia hosts garden club tours, bridal parties and U-pick guests by appointment during the spring growing season. Check her web site for details. Other Resources mentioned in our interview: The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008), by Lynn Byczynski  Cynthia mentioned that her inspiration began by spending time with Pamela and Frank Arnosky, owners of Texas Specialty Cut Flowers.

American Flower Farming Update with Lane DeVries, Chairman of the California Cut Flower Commission (Episode 112) Today’s interview is with Lane DeVries, a fourth generation flower farmer who grew up in his family’s business in Holland until he came to the US in 1983, at the age of 23. I’ve gotten to know Lane in the past few years while partnering with him on projects for the California Cut Flower Commission, the advocacy agency that promotes that state’s 225 flower farms. His farm, The Sun Valley Group, based in Arcata and Oxnard, is the state’s largest (in fact, it’s the country’s largest). Lane and I recently met in Portland, at the Field-to-Vase Dinner, a very special gathering of flower farmers, florists, flower retailers and wholesalers and the media, held on October 8th. I co-hosted the event with the CCFC and our goal was to convene floral industry leaders to discuss new initiatives in the American Grown Flower Movement. The underlying message: partnering with your would-be competitors is a good idea when it comes to changing how consumers connect with domestic flowers. My podcast interview with Lane took place via Skype, a few days after that dinner. Please enjoy our conversation and meet a man who lives and breathes cut flowers. I love that Lane, in spite of all of his professional success, continues to eagerly seek out the next new thing. He sees old flowers in a new way and improves on customer favorites with new hybridizing methods. He is a visionary and I credit Lane with his amazing leadership moving his own flower farming community into an important dialogue about American grown flowers. The next time you see a blue-and-yellow license plate-style CA-Grown label on a bouquet of flowers at the supermarket, you’ll have people like Lane DeVries to thank. Highlights of Lane’s long career in the U.S. cut flower industry are chronicled in Amy Stewart’s 2007 book, Flower Confidential: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful – and you can read an excerpt of that story here, courtesy of Amy and Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (c) 2007 and 2008. All Rights Reserved.  (Photos (c) Linda Blue, courtesy of the California Cut Flower Commission)

Today we're going to talk about eating flowers. Yes, flowers as food. I once had a big-time New York editor say to me: Why should I care about how flowers are grown, anyway? After all, we don't eat them! As a response to that challenge, I wish I had been able to pull out "Cooking with Flowers," the most eye-satisfying book I've ever seen. It was created by Miche Bacher, an herbalist, chef, and founder of the custom confectionary studio Mali B Sweets. To WIN a free copy of "Cooking with Flowers," courtesy of Quirk Books, listen to to my interview with Miche and make a comment below about the best edible flower tip you learned. I will draw a winner at random on Tuesday, October 22nd at 5 p.m. Pacific. I learned about this beautiful cookbook from Mari Malcolm, an editor at Amazon who absolutely loves "Cooking with Flowers." Mari showed me the book's beautiful cover on her phone screen during a lunch we had together this past spring. I keep ordering this delectable book and then giving it away as a gift to my flower lover-friends. And now, it is my great pleasure to spend this episode of Slow Flowers in a floral-focused conversation with Miche. In her introduction, Miche writes: "Flowers add color, complexity, and what I like to call the magical 'what's in it' factor to your food. They are full of nutrients and often offer health benefits, too. You don't have to be a master gardener or a trained chef to cook with flowers - once you start looking, you'll realize edible blossoms are all around you, and it really is a breeze to use them." She is definitely a chef whose work begins in the garden. Through "Cooking with Flowers," I've gained new inspiration for another important reason to appreciate local flowers. I know you will learn much from my conversation with Miche, as we discuss her favorite culinary ingredients, including the lowly dandelion.     Here are some links we discussed in the interview: Mali B's Edible Flower Chocolate Collection: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center LINK to Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products:  Click here for MORE about COOKING WITH FLOWERS, including exclusive recipes that Miche couldn't fit into the book. You'll also find bonus recipes for the medicinal and cosmetic use of flowers, salves, oils, and teas for healing; download recipe cards and read a Q&A with this talented woman.     

CORRECTED AUDIO INCLUDED HERE~ Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua, is a Brooklyn floral designer who has planted her own flower farm (Episode 110)   I first learned about Sarah Ryhanen when I read an article about The Little Flower School of Brooklyn, a ve...

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: Fun with Flowers and J Schwanke (Episode 109) The name J Schwanke is synonymous with flowers and floral design and I'm pleased to introduce you to this energetic and super-talented guy. J is the owner and CEO of uBloom.com, a web site devoted to everything flowers - and the platform for J's weekly web-based flower television show, "Fun with Flowers and J." He has been promoting American Grown flowers for so much longer than I have - and I credit J for pioneering the message that I've also embraced as my personal cause. It's wonderful to have someone out there already trumpeting the message - and to join together in promoting the Slow Flowers movement. Since I come from the gardening and DIY floral world and J is very well known in the professional floral world, I didn't really know who he was during the years I was reporting and writing The 50 Mile Bouquet book. I first met J on my computer screen when I watched one of his California Grown Experience videos, which he produced in 2010-2011 as a series of online tours of California flower farms and related businesses such a floral wholesalers. That's when J's telegenetic personality, passion for flowers, and ability to draw out people and their stories impressed me. "Who is this guy, anyway?" I thought. Through our mutual friend and colleague Kasey Cronquist, I eventually met J via phone conference calls in which we both participated. Then, earlier this year, J and his partner Kelly James Blank surprised me by attending one of my presentations at EPCOT's International Flower & Garden Festival in Orlando. That was pretty serendipitious - and it led to an evening of conversation, cocktails and dinner together - talking about our favorite subject: Flowers (former Garden Design magazine editor Sarah Kinbar was also with us - and that was such a treat to be together!) The California Grown Experience is featured on uBloom.com, the first Web-Based TV Show about Flowers, which J created in 2006 - and which continues to air today. Every Monday, J releases a new "FUN with Flowers" episode.  You can find a collection of more than 500 how-to videos and flower farm documentaries on the site, including a new series called the "Florida Fresh Flower and Foliage Tour." Previews of all J's shows are included free on the site; viewers can purchase downloads for $1-$2 or subscribe to uBloom for $30 a year to receive complete access to the entire archive.  J has lived his entire life surrounded by flowers, in fact, his mother gave birth to him a flower convention she and his father were running. A fourth-generation florist and foremost expert in cut flowers and foliage, J received the prestigious Tommy Bright Award, lifetime achievement recognition for flower communication. and the Crystal Rose Award, denoting him a “Living Legend” in the world of flowers. J is a member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and the American Institute of Flower Designers (AIFD). He is a Certified Flower Designer (CFD) and a designated Professional Flower Communicator International (PFCI). His deep source of energy has sent J around the globe to give presentations, demonstrations and hands-on workshops in all 50 States, Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe. I invite you to listen in on our conversation and meet J, too. Then, mosey on over to uBloom.com to learn about all of its features, sign up for J's free newsletter and learn more about the extensive content offered there.  One of J's newest ventures, which we discuss on the podcast, is the Professional Resource Guide. This is a free directory that lets professionals and DIY floral designers find WHERE TO BUY the many products and supplies featured on uBloom.com. Here is the link to that excellent new resource.   

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: Farmgirl Flowers & Christina Stembel (Episode 108) If the term "imitation is the highest form of flattery," then my friend Christina Stembel has been over-flattered, multiple times. The creator of Farmgirl Flowers in San Francisco, Christina has poured considerable heart, soul and personal resources into developing her innovative floral design business. Customers and the media have responded enthusiastically (see Martha Stewart Living). And her reward in part has been the explosion of copycat businesses, not just in the Bay Area but in other major cities around the country. That's the downside of being a successful and creative business like Farmgirl Flowers. But  to me, the upside for Christina is that no one can imitate her personality or character. People can try, but they never will be the original. Christina is an original. She shares her story in our interview, but you can read a little background here: I'm Christina, also known as the farm girl behind Farmgirl Flowers. I grew up on a farm in Northern Indiana, and while I set my sights on leaving the farm for big dreams in New York City, I now appreciate more than ever my farm upbringing. Ten years ago, after moving around a bit, I settled in the Bay Area and, like so many others, decided to make it home. In the past, ahem, years, I've had the privilege of working in many industries, mostly in hospitality and event planning. Pretty quickly, I noticed an exorbitant amount of money was spent on flowers. So, I started doing my own arrangements and realized tremendous savings along the way. Now, being the overly curious individual that I am, I wanted to know just why do flowers cost so much? I started researching the reasons and came to some pretty startling conclusions. The flower industry has gone through a very tumultuous time in the past 20 years, and is pretty much in the same boat as the industries that numerous documentaries have been made about in recent years (ie: textiles, coffee, technology, etc). What used to be a big domestic business is now being whittled away due to imports. I had no idea that 75% of our flowers were being shipped in from other countries. It just didn't make sense to me when over 75% of the domestic supply is grown right here in California. I don't want to bore you with more stats - hopefully you see where this is headed. The bottom line is that local farmers are going out of business left and right because they can't compete with the prices of flowers imported from South America and other countries. And, normal people like me can't afford to send flowers to friends and loved ones because it ends up costing an absurd amount of money. Not to mention all of the environmental damage caused by flying flowers across the globe – they have to be shipped in chemicals just to make it to your door. And, another huge source of waste is having so many choices of flower arrangements. As a result of this approach, a huge percentage of flowers end up as waste, and are never even sold! We're making our landfills so beautiful, but, really, isn't there a better way? I thought so, and devised a plan to fix the problems that have caused the inflated prices and high environmental impact, which is how Farmgirl Flowers was born! What's that saying about being able to take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl?   Click on the "Why we're different" page at Farmgirl Flowers where you will see a chart comparing the LOCAL bouquets Christina and her staff design with wire services, aka "the competition." It's amazing when you look at these very different business models side-by-side. Here's a link to the Podcast Episode 101, in which Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers and I joined Sunset Magazine's Kathy Brenzel to discuss the Local Flower Movement.  The Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing is edited and engineered by the very talented Hannah Holtgeerts of HH Creates.

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: American Grown flowers from a California Point of View (Episode 107)   I'm so pleased to introduce you to Kasey Cronquist. I truly value Kasey's leadership, counsel and friendship. He is the CEO and Ambassador of the California Cut Flower Commission, the largest organization of its kind promoting American Flowers. And he is a kindred spirit who is supremely passionate about saving our homegrown flower farms and preserving the agricultural way of life as a part of our country's vibrant landscape. Kasey and I first met by phone in 2010 when I called him for a quote to include in an article for the Los Angeles Times. I was writing about organic flowers for Valentine's Day and Kasey sure set me straight, changing the focus from organic (and possibly imported flowers) to a locally grown priority.  He pointed out: "We believe California flowers are the green alternative, whether we stick a label on them or not.” It was the beginning of my own evolution as an American flower advocate. Since joining the CCFC in 2007, Kasey has spearheaded an aggressive public affairs program targeting lawmakers at the state and federal level. He is a dynamic spokesman for flower farming both among his home state constituents and nationally and is a master at social media communications. Kasey understands the power of blogging, tweeting, posting and using visual social media platforms and he has brought flower farming into the modern era in that regard. More than all his talents, though, I've mostly been impressed with Kasey's community-building gestures to bring together small and large flower growers across America with a united voice.  In March 2012, I wrote a post called "Meet the Ambassador of Local Flowers," profiling Kasey for The 50 Mile Bouquet blog. You can read this extensive interview here in which Kasey shares many inspiring ideas about the American cut flower industry. One quote of his particularly impressed me: “We can’t move that ball, but we can create market demand for local flowers. We leaned into the CA Grown campaign and now California’s flower farmers are the single largest licensee of that agricultural program — out of all the other commodity crops in the state. The future is in educating people to buy local, to buy U.S.-grown flowers.” Read Kasey Cronquist's Field Position blog at Americasflowers.org FB page: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaGrownFlowers Twitter: @kaseycronquist and @cagrown    

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: Local Color Flowers (Episode 106) Today's interview will introduce you to Ellen Frost, a Baltimore-based floral designer who is committed to using only 100% locally-grown flowers in her work. I am so impressed with her business philosophy and her contagious enthusiasm for using flowers from farmers she knows and supports.    Our Mission Local Color Flowers is a Baltimore-based floral design business. We create personalized arrangements and bouquets from fresh, seasonal, and sustainable flowers cultivated by local specialty growers. We are committed to responsible use of resources, supporting the local economy and promoting neighboring farms. We provide our clients an environmentally and socially conscious alternative when purchasing flowers. Our Vision Local Color Flowers seeks to create and support a sustainable community; where people choose local products and services; where flower farms and farm families are thriving; where there is a diverse, strong local economy; and where people are connected to the living world around them. Our Passion We love flowers. We love our clients, growers, and partners. We are social entrepeneurs motivated by our relationships and the connections we create. We want our clients to know where their flowers were grown. We want our growers to know how our clients appreciate their products. We want all of our partners to know how we're green. We want to share our joy and values through our flowers. IMPORTANT LINKS: Local Color Flowers' web site   Vote here for LoCoFlo on Martha Stewart American Made contest.                    

Meet a Young Flower Farmer (Episode 105) Earlier this year I met Janell Patterson, a young cut flower grower who launched Flower Forest Farm, a micro-agriculture endeavor that's part of Seattle Tilth's farm incubator program called Seattle Tilth Farm Works. Located about 40 minutes southeast of Seattle in Auburn, where there are still patches of agricultural land that the developers have missed, Janell and several other new farmers at the are learning the art and science of growing through hands-on efforts. Tilth instructors provide extensive small farm business training and support. Here is some of the curriculum: This program provides:  A comprehensive educational program covering farming, business planning, operations and marketing  On-site mentorship from experienced farmers Hands-on experience growing food on 1/4 acre plots Access to farmland, equipment, water and other necessary farming inputs Assistance in creating marketing channels for products Each participants' time and sweat equity yields food or flowers that supply Tilth's weekly Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions. Janell's Flower Forest Farm is the only flower grower involved and it's wonderful to see her beautiful ingredients supplying CSA customers and local farmers' market shoppers. She manages a one-quarter acre parcel filled with beautiful rows of annuals and gorgeous dahlias. A young mom, Janell brings an eclectic background to her endeavor. She has experience as a professional interior designer and she has been studying horticulture at South Seattle Communit College (which is where I gained my training in horticulture and landscape design). Janell also worked as an environmental volunteer managing a small rural tree nursery with the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa. Fellow garden blogger Filiz Satir and I visited Seattle Tilth Farm Works in July and walked through the fields on a tour with Janell. You'll hear Filiz's voice (and a few of her own questions) on this recording as part of our conversation. See more of my photos below:         Click here to learn more about Tilth's CSA program, including how to order Janell's weekly bouquets. Click here to learn more about Flower Forest Farm's flowers, bunches, bouquets and custom services.