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The Future of Floristry: Rita Feldmann of The Sustainable Floristry Network

The Flower Podcast

Release Date: 04/09/2024

Looking Back and Moving Forward in Flower Farming with Lisa Mason Ziegler of The Gardener's Workshop show art Looking Back and Moving Forward in Flower Farming with Lisa Mason Ziegler of The Gardener's Workshop

The Flower Podcast

Lisa Mason Ziegler, cut-flower farmer, author, educator and founder of The Gardener’s Workshop is returning to The Flower Podcast. Since 1998, she has cultivated her three-acre urban farm in Southeastern Virginia, producing thousands of flower stems weekly for florists, supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and her members-only on-farm market. Lisa has authored several books, including Cool Flowers, and she is the creator of Flower Farming School Online, which has expanded to include courses for both flower farmers and florists, in addition to starting two podcasts, Field and Garden and Seed...

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Selling to Florists with Sarah Jo Eversole of Everbloom Fields show art Selling to Florists with Sarah Jo Eversole of Everbloom Fields

The Flower Podcast

My guest this week is Sarah Jo Eversole, owner of Everbloom Fields in Lancaster, TX. It might be a micro flower farm, but she produces not only exceptional quality blooms but high volume as well. She shares many of her experiences as a grower especially decisions on what to grow to be more profitable. There’s a wealth of growing and business tips in this episode, and it’s our hope that you’re inspired and encouraged that no matter the size of your business, it’s yours and has every opportunity to succeed.  Learn more about Sarah Jo and all of our past guests by visiting Subscribe...

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Mindshift:  Serving Not Selling with Charlotte Smith show art Mindshift: Serving Not Selling with Charlotte Smith

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I’m excited to share that Charlotte Smith is our guest again on The Flower Podcast. Charlotte teaches farmers the skills they need to make money on their farms and live calm, balanced lives through mindset coaching. Going against what most of us have been taught, Charlotte coaches in 13 countries to build successful profitable farms while also getting out from feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. In 2016, Charlotte was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in the World in Food and Agriculture by the non-profit, Food Tank and she is giving us a little dose of her coaching...

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Replay: Growing Dahlias with Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias show art Replay: Growing Dahlias with Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias

The Flower Podcast

Ready to talk Dahlias? This week my guest is Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias. Known for her award winning dahlia hybrids and her book, Dahlia Breeding for the farmer florist and the home gardener, Kristine is sharing her flower journey along with numerous tips and insights on her hybridizing process, cover crops, soil testing and more. She is the president of the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society and travels with her blooms to local and national dahlia shows and today we get to step into the world of dahlias with Kristine. So get your notebooks ready, we’re talking dahlias, now on The...

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Replay: Lights, Camera, Flower with Kimberlee Mitchell, Botanica Floral show art Replay: Lights, Camera, Flower with Kimberlee Mitchell, Botanica Floral

The Flower Podcast

I’m in Ecuador this week so we’re replaying our episode with my guest Kimberlee Mitchell owner of  Botanica Floral located in Atlanta, Ga. She has been a part of the floral community for over 20 years and has been fortunate to grow her business to include 5 star hotels and work within the film industry. Kimberlee has been working on many major films including the recently released new HBO movie of Father of the Bride as well as several TV series many of which can be found on Netflix. We had a great chat about how she buys her flowers for her hotels and movies, she also shares tips for...

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Growing Your Flower Dream:  Natalie Geehr of The Farmer Florist show art Growing Your Flower Dream: Natalie Geehr of The Farmer Florist

The Flower Podcast

My guest this week is Natalie Geehr and her business is theflowerfarmer.com located in Fresno, California. She grows in her backyard in addition to the 1/4 acre that she leases. Her big dream has allowed her to grow into doing weddings and events. Community has been an important part of her journey with growing flowers which let her to become one of the founding members of the San Joaquin Flower Collective that supplies local florists and shoppers with flowers that are grown in their own town. Learn more about Natalie Geehr and all of our past guests by visiting Subscribe on your favorite...

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Growing Sweet Peas with Marryn Mathis: The Farmhouse Flower Farm show art Growing Sweet Peas with Marryn Mathis: The Farmhouse Flower Farm

The Flower Podcast

We’re excited to have Marryn Mathis from The Farmhouse Flower Farm on The Flower Podcast this week. She shares how she’s grown and adapted her business to work with her family schedule while maximizing her product reach. Dahlias and Sweet Peas have become two of her main crops. Today, with the launch of her new book, we’re diving into growing sweet peas again. Hopefully we cover some challenges that will help you with producing this iconic cut flower. Learn more about Marryn, plus all of our past guests by visiting Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. We are available on Apple...

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The Flower Podcast

We're excited to share this NEW and second episode with Brenna Estrada!!  Scroll below to connect with her page and listen to her first episode with The Flower Podcast. Home gardeners, flower farmers, and florists are always looking for flowers to help set them apart in their offerings and esthetics. My guest this week found her way to growing cut flowers eventually on Camano Island, Washington. Brenna Estrada and her business Three Brother Blooms takes pride in growing a wide variety of stunning, pollinator-friendly plants. She is passionate about growing several flowers, but especially...

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2019 Replay: Rick Davis of Amaryllis, Inc. show art 2019 Replay: Rick Davis of Amaryllis, Inc.

The Flower Podcast

Rick Davis of Amaryllis Design in Landover, Maryland is our guest this week on The Flower Podcast. Featured in publications such as Town & Country, Southern Accents, and listed as one of the Top Wedding Florists in the nation by Martha Stewart, Rick shares his transformation story that has made Amaryllis a premiere wedding and event company. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and share!! Learn more about Rick and Amaryllis with all of our past guests by visiting Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. We are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, Gaana,...

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Finding the Wellspring Flower Farm in Monroe, Ga. show art Finding the Wellspring Flower Farm in Monroe, Ga.

The Flower Podcast

During a recent visit to the Monroe Blooms Flower Show in Monroe, GA., I met Ashley Blackstone and Samantha Kramer from Wellspring Flower Farm. What stood out were their vibrant flower varieties and color palettes. In this episode, they discuss their farm's growth from a small plot on a horse farm to a flourishing 3-acre operation, with plans to expand further. We explore how they've optimized their space and resources, their success in serving florists across Monroe, Athens, and Atlanta, and their use of platforms like Rooted Farmers. This conversation is filled with insights on business...

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More Episodes

Today we tackle an increasingly critical and sometimes controversial topic within the floral industry: sustainability. Amid growing concerns about environmental impacts, the conversation on how the floral industry can adapt and evolve is more relevant than ever.

Leading the charge is Rita Feldmann, founder of The Sustainable Floristry Network. Rita's floral journey began in her childhood at her family's flower stand in Melbourne, Australia, and her passion for flowers, combined with a solid background in botany, eventually led her to establish a successful wedding and events business. However, it was her pioneering #nofloralfoam campaign in 2017 that marked a significant shift towards sustainable practices in floristry. This initiative laid the groundwork for The Sustainable Floristry Network in 2019, a platform dedicated to educating florists on eco-friendly practices.

In this episode, we discuss Rita's journey from a local flower stand to spearheading sustainability in floristry, including the network's first training program, Foundation in Sustainability. Join us as we explore how sustainability is reshaping the future of floristry with Rita Feldmann. 

Learn more about Rita Feldmann and the Sustainable Floristry Network and all of our past guests by visiting TheFlowerPodcast.com

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Sponsors of The Flower Podcast

ASCFG

Farmer Bailey

Rooted Farmers

The Gardener’s Workshop

Real Flower Business

Accent Decor