Is there anything better than having fresh flowers on your kitchen table? Their beauty is always an inspiration and comfort.
Yet, do you know where your flowers come from?
When you need a #flowerfix or want to give flowers to someone you love, you probably head over to the grocery store or call up your local florist, right?
It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s convenient.
But do you know where grocery stores and florists typically source their flowers? Most of them buy from supersized floral wholesalers that ship in their flowers from other countries.
In fact, more than 80% percent of cut flowers consumed in the United States annually are imported from other countries, such as the Netherlands, Columbia, Ethiopia, Ecuador and Kenya.
Unfortunately, flowers grown to this scale for public demand comes at a cost.
A large percentage of these flowers are grown around the clock in massive equator-centric fields by poorly paid fieldhands (especially women) in less-than-healthy working conditions. Or, the flowers are produced in factory-like greenhouses that rely on earth-destroying chemicals to preserve and prepare the flowers for long-distance shipping.
As a byproduct of cultural conditioning and the marketing of huge commercial floral enterprises, Americans have grown accustomed to expecting availability of certain kinds of flowers at specific times of the year, even if those flowers don't grow naturally in the U.S. during that season. The international cut flower industry fills this demand because they can grow and ship flowers to the U.S. and yield huge profits.
Bonus: Watch this eye-opening video produced by Insider Business about the floral industry in Columbia.
Let’s look at a common bouquet of red roses available on Valentine’s Day.
First, the roses are grown in a climate favorable to roses all year-round, or are grown in temperature-controlled green houses. The plants have been genetically modified to be thornless, uniform and scentless to keep from attracting pests. To appear fresh and prepare for a journey across the ocean, the roses are then:
- dipped in harsh preservatives that diminish their reliance on fresh water,
- pumped full of artificial fragrances and dyes,
- wrapped in plastic,
- and stuffed into a box.
The flowers then sit on a hot plane for hours before arriving in the United States where they are transferred to a truck to be transported to wholesale markets across the country.
Fun fact: During the weeks before the annual Valentine’s Day rush, more than 30 freight planes loaded with imported flowers arrive in the U.S. per day.
The roses you have access to are likely more than a week old by the time your florist can use them, and they don’t even smell like real roses anymore.
Doesn’t make you feel all bright and cheerful, does it?
You might think... “Here honey, I got you this bouquet of flowers, but unfortunately the earth was stripped of its natural resources, people were mistreated, the air was polluted, and yeah, it’s only going to last three days. Enjoy!”
I know, that was dramatic, but you get the point.
Luckily, you have a better option.
In recent years, there has a been a movement of local growers and farmers standing up to do something about this huge problem. They believe in the importance of local flowers.
Up until the early 2010’s most domestically grown cut flowers were produced in California (that's a long way from Oklahoma). However, over the last decade, more and more farmers across the nation are figuring out how to grow gorgeous, sustainable flowers right in their own communities, resulting in exponential benefits to not only local economies and the floral industry, but also to our most precious environmental resources.
Responsibly grown local flowers boost natural ecosystems because they grow flowers in the seasons they were designed to thrive in. And because these farms choose not to use harsh chemicals to grow their flowers, they also help regenerate healthy soils, repopulate beneficial insect populations (such as honeybees and monarch butterflies), preserve and protect heritage plant species, promote the conservation of lands, waterways and wildlife, and so much more.
Remember when I told you the roses you purchased were already a week old? Flowers from a local farm can be fresh in your vase within a couple of days, if not hours, from being harvested. In fact, most farm-fresh flowers will last around 10 days in the vase if harvested correctly!
These growers have a plethora of ways you can access their fresh flowers, whether it be through bouquet subscriptions, on-farm floral services, purchasing from a florist who sources locally (double win!), farmers markets, workshops and classes and so much more. Some farms even sell their flowers online, like we do!
There are now flower farmers in nearly every state in the United States. To find one near you, you can either do a Google search, or explore industry listings, such as this handy resource from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. If you can’t find a local flower farmer, call around to local florists and ask if they source local flowers.
You already love having fresh flowers in your life, but supporting local flowers is icing on the cake. When you buy flowers from a local flower farm, you become a part of this world-changing movement!
It may take awhile to learn what flowers are available in your area during the seasons, but changing your outlook on your purchasing decisions can have a positive impact on everyone. Knowing where the products you buy come from is an incredible thing. Knowing who you buy them from, what they stand for, and how your support makes a positive impact on the world is the best kind of win!
Thank you for choosing to join our family on this grand adventure, as we grow something beautiful, meaningful and good. If we haven't met yet, we are Sara and Teddy Wilson and we own Oklahoma Cut Flower Company in Norman, Oklahoma. We are a micro-farm that grows specialty cut flowers to educate and inspire our local flower-loving community. We are members of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.
You can learn more about us and join our adventures by subscribing to our email list and following us on Instagram and Facebook.
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