American Grown Flowers

A 107 Year Old Tradition

The 2019 First Ladies Luncheon is a little over just three short months away and the Certified American Grown Organization is currently looking for volunteers to be on this year’s design team.

I have the honor or serving as this year’s lead designer along with my co-lead, Christi Lopez of Bergerons Flowers. Together we will be leading a team of 30 volunteers from around the country in creating beautiful floral decor for the 108th First Ladies Luncheon!

I thought it would be a good time to do a look back on last year’s luncheon to give everyone a sneak peek into what goes on behind the scenes to produce this event. My hope is that you may want to apply to join me in Washington, D.C. this May to experience the beauty of American Grown Flowers!

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But first, a little history about the First Ladies Luncheon…

Founded in 1908, the Congressional Club was created to provide a non-partisan setting for friendships among the spouses of members of the House and Senate in Washington, D.C. One of the many activities and events they host throughout the year is their Annual First Ladies Luncheon, which is a luncheon that honors the First Lady and the charity of her choice. Spouses of current and former Members of Congress, the President’s Administration, and the Supreme Court, business leaders, philanthropists and friends of the Congressional Club, gather in Washington, D.C., for a celebration of bi-partisan community service. Considered one of Washington’s most exciting and historic events, this tradition fosters friendships among our nation’s leaders.

Now About the Flowers…

For the past three years, Certified American Grown Organization has been the sponsor for all of the flowers that are used for this event. Twenty certified American grown flower and foliage farms from across the United States came together for this annual event to showcase the beauty that is grown in our country in May. From the West coast to the East coast, 18,000 stems of flowers and foliages were brought in to create beautiful floral decor that represented last year’s unique theme.

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Who is Certified American Grown? CAG is an organization that is made up of flower farmers from across the United States that are committed to guaranteeing the public that their flowers have been grown in the U.S. Certified American Grown is the only third party organization in the floral industry that guarantees that the bouquet or bunch of flowers that you are purchasing is actually homegrown. Since its launch in 2014, Certified American Grown has been able to communicate the domestic origins of the flowers and foliages. They have also been able to create a brand that stands for high quality, variety and farm freshness that people are looking for. 

As a florist who goes to the flower markets looking for American grown flowers, the logo that the Certified American Grown organization has branded themselves with has been so helpful to me as a consumer in this industry. It makes it easy to pick out domestic flowers at the market in a whole ocean of imported flowers and I know that not only is my money supporting an American flower farm but I can also feel confident that my flowers are of the highest quality!

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Back to the Luncheon…

For the 2018 luncheon, the theme was “Limitless Horizons” with a focus on the great state of Arizona. This theme was chosen by the 2018 chair of the Congressional Club, whose home state is Arizona. With a focus on the Red Rock of Sedona, orange and turquoise tones were chosen to showcase Arizona’s beautiful natural landscapes. Color was used throughout the floral arrangements including vibrant purples, oranges, yellows, pinks, and reds. Texture was also highlighted with unique foliages and potted plants including succulents.

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Now About the Experience of Volunteering…

We are looking for professional floral designers, farmers and/or floral industry peers to join us in designing and executing this year’s luncheon. As you can see this is a large job with a lot of parts so a strong team is vital to the success of this event. As a volunteer you will be asked to help in a variety of different tasks including receiving flowers and dry goods, unpacking and organizing work rooms, processing all of the donated flowers, prepping for the design portion, executing all designs, and finally installing on the day of the luncheon.

Here is our talented team of designers, farmers, and industry peers from last year’s luncheon:

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Besides getting to design for such a beautiful event, you will also be able to spend 3.5 days networking with your peers. In the first year I volunteered for the luncheon, I was greeted with a room full of other floral designers, some who I knew and some who I knew of. It was such a valuable experience to spend those days working side by side, learning about each other and about how we can all help in furthering the American Grown message. We got to talk “shop”, bonding over our experiences of being business owners. I left feeling refreshed and renewed about my company and my journey, ready to take on a new wedding season back home.

I was also greeted by some of America’s most talented flower farmers, who had come to aid in the design process but also to meet professional floral designers, like myself, who may be interested in buying their beautiful flowers in the future. Leaving D.C. that year, I left with a handful of new contacts which has aided me in growing my own company.

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Lastly, seeing all of the flowers and foliages that came in from across the United States from Certified American grown flower farms was breath taking to say the least! Some of the product I had never seen before never mind worked with, so it was such a valuable experience for me to see more product in person, get to design with it, and then have the contact information from those farms for me to source from when I got home. Because of this volunteer experience I have been able to add to my resource list, buying and using from more American flower farms throughout the year.

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So what do you say? Want to join me in Washington, D.C. this May to design for our First Lady of the United States?

If you are curious what 18,000 stems of flowers looks like then this is an opportunity for you! If you want to meet new friends and contacts to help grow your company then sign up today!

Applications will be accepted until Monday, March 4, 2019.

Head over to American Grown Flowers
for more information and to apply!

I hope to see you in May!

-Mary Kate

Photographer: Kirsten Smith Photography

Thanksgiving Class 2018

The Local Bouquet was definitely feeling thankful this past Thanksgiving! We held our annual Thanksgiving Centerpiece class and partnered with Weatherlow Farms in Westport, Massachusetts for the second year in a row! This year we set up in Weatherlow’s newly constructed farm store, which served as the perfect backdrop for our cozy class. Surrounded by the last of Phoebe’s beautiful flowers and yummy food, made right at Weatherlow Farm, the night was the perfect kickoff to the Thanksgiving holiday. With vibrant Fall tones of pink and orange, lush greens, and fun dried accessories, these centerpieces made the perfect addition to our attendees tables!

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Meet the Farmer

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I am excited to wrap up the 2017 season with one last "Meet the Farmer" blog post. This week I am featuring the talented farmer, Anna Jane Kocon.  Anna Jane has been part of The Local Bouquet family since the beginning, when I first started this company back in 2013. I was one of her first weekly customers when she began her company, Little State Flower Co. in 2014, so my relationship with Anna has always held a special place in my heart. We have watched each other build our companies, supporting one another along the way as female entrepreneurs and as people who believe in the local flower movement. 

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Anna Jane and I first met at a farmer-florist pot luck dinner one chilly winter evening at a fellow flower farmer's home. At the time, Anna Jane was in the very beginning stages of starting her company. I remember this young and spunky chick who shared the same locally grown mission as me and who clearly had a great work and business ethic. I could tell from our first encounter that this girl was solid and that somehow our paths would cross again soon. Business cards were exchanged and we went on our separate ways that evening. 

A few months later, Anna Jane called to re-introduce herself and initiate what would become a beautiful and supportive business relationship. Anna shared more with me about her new company, Little State Flower Co., her mission to grow some of the best blooms in our little state of Rhode Island and her vision to provide floral designers like me with fresh and season blooms.

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What did you want to be when you were growing up? A veterinarian, everyone knows I love the fuzzy creatures of the world!

Why flowers? Flower farming combines art and farming on a daily basis. Our products are based on aesthetic….color, shape, texture, etc. AND we work primarily with florists and designers who are working to achieve a certain theme or vibe in their projects. So there is a lot of creative conversations that go on with my clients.

How did you come up with the name of your company? It took a very long time to come up with our company name. We were searching for something that was very local Rhode Island, with no specific gender, definitely not too whimsical and with a nod toward nautical. Also, we do not own a farm, we work several leased parcels so calling it a ‘farm’ did not make sense to us either...Hence choosing ‘company’ rather than farm.

When did you start Little State Flower Co.? Founded November 2014, first season selling was 2015

How many years experience did you have before you started this company? For about 10 years I farmed along with teaching adjunct drawing and art history at the Community College of Rhode Island, before I started Little State Flower Co.

How many acres are you currently growing on? We are currently farming 5 acres. 

How many different crops? I am not totally sure. It can change depending on the time of year...and now we have planted large amounts of perennials so I am not totally sure....probably close to 100-120? 

How big is your team? I have two field employees and one florist that work for me. Also my husband is heavily involved in equipment and structure maintenance etc.  and we have periodic helpers that pop in and out for specific jobs or when we need more sets of hands involved...such as dahlia digging/processing and putting up greenhouses.

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What inspires you when you are building your brand? I am super proud and dedicated to growing organically. I am also inspired by the flower movement that is happening in our country right now. I love being part of the resurrection of the US flower farmer. We are working to show florists and designers there is another way to do things. You can, quite literally, think outside the box.

What inspires you as an entrepreneur? Independence and creativity. I love to be in control of my days, my year, and of my money. I am not a control freak, in fact I love delegating. Before LSFCo, I worked for so many other people...I worked the hours they wanted me to, for the pay rate that they were willing to pay me, and did whatever they needed or wanted me to do all within THEIR vision. Though I am very thankful for the invaluable experiences I gained during these times...once I started LSFCo, I realized how little control I had for so many years day in and day out. I now feel I control everything about my life and my company and all within my own creative vision. Obviously there are issues and difficulties with being self employed, but I would say the same about working for someone else too.

What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?“Crawl before you walk, walk before you run” I have taken this to heart and really believe trialing new and different crops before going big with them.

Name the biggest  lesson you’ve learned in running a business? Surround yourself with smart and positive people.  “Heavy wears the crown”  and my crew is a bunch of smart women (and one man…) who keep me laughing and help me stay focused on the positive. Both these things are invaluable to me.  

Name your greatest success (or something you’re most proud of) in your business experience? The accessibility that people feel to my company. I work very hard to market our product and our brand every day through social media. I love to show people how we are building our dream and this has really translated into a story that people are wanting to be a part of.

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Which of your traits are you most proud of? My ability to make something out of nothing or very little...I built this company with my little savings account and a unique vision and I am very proud of that. I have earned every single thing we own now from hard work and a strong vision.

Name a woman or women whom you admire or look up to? Lark Roderigues, the woman who owns the first of my leased land parcels. Lark is also self employed and owns two successful, yet unconventional businesses that I have worked with her on periodically over the years. She has always showed me that there is another way to be in the world. When she offered to lease the 2 acres to start Little State Flower Co,  she looked right at me and said  “I know you can do it. I know you can 100%” and I believed her. Without her giving me the opportunity and encouragement, Little State Flower Co would never have existed.

What does success mean to you? At this point, success is being happy and proud of my project. I feel proud to say I own LSFCo, a business I have built with my own strong back, my own mind and my own money.

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Favorite season for locally grown flowers? Fall...definitely Autumn! Especially in New England. The temperatures cool down and the work starts to shift towards Fall planting and planning for the following season...I love planting planning and conceptualizing all the possibilities of the next season.

If you could only grow one thing for the rest of your life what would it be? Lisianthus. There is just something so remarkable about the strength and toughness of such a seemingly delicate flower. We are growing over 10,000 plants of it in 2018!

What is one thing you couldn’t work without? Food. It takes a lot of food to keep this machine running!

What kind of music pumps you up? I do not listen to music to get pumped up...My days are so busy and complicated I actually listen to music to relax and decompress. I have always leaned towards calming music.

What is one thing you never leave home without? My clippers!!!! One never knows when a cutting opportunity will present itself.

 

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What's one of your biggest dreams for Little State Flower Co. in the coming years? To be able to round out the seasons with flower options for my clients. We are great at Summer and Fall, but definitely need to work on Spring production and that is specifically what the new high tunnels are for.  We are also focusing on early season perennial bulbs such as hyacinth and fritillaria, etc.

Any predictions for floral trends for 2018 for the local flower scene?  In the New England area the color trends have been the same for a long time, whites and greens, blushes, peaches, grey foliages...and then heading towards Fall there is a high demand for burgundy flowers and dark foliages.  I do believe that the flower farming scene is very strong specifically in Rhode Island and I think that a coming trend is that florists and designers are going to start seeking new options from us specifically, local and interesting options that are not offered from the import market for one reason or another or simply do not ship well. I think that WE (local flower farmers) will start creating the local flower trends by simply working with the seasonality of New England.

If you weren’t flower farming anymore, what would you be doing? Probably teaching drawing or painting. I still teach adjunct now at CCRI and I love it.

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Photographer: Maaike Bernstrom

Farm: Little State Flower Co. Portsmouth, Rhode Island