Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School
Flowers are a crop that can be profitably grown on a small plot of land. Successful operations require savvy marketing, astute pricing and efficient methods of production. The Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School is a two-day workshop designed to help new and beginning growers learn the ins and outs of producing and marketing cut flowers.
The workshop will be held on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on February 15 and 16. Registration costs $300 and includes lunches and refreshments.
The school will be taught by experienced growers: Jeanie McKewan of Brightflower Nursery, Mary Jo and Andrew Borchardt of Five Green Acres, and Hans and Lisa Larsen of Sunborn Gardens.
Past participants in this program greatly value learning from fellow flower farmers. “The grower-teachers’ time-tested, practical experience was most useful to me,” said beginning flower grower Mary Kluz. “I found it easy to picture myself putting some of the practices into use because I could relate to the teachers who are ‘in the trenches’ with me.”
The instructors will cover a range of topics including variety selection, seed starting, planting and harvest schedules and methods, post-harvest handling, pest management, tools and equipment, and direct marketing. There will be opportunities to network with other growers and handle small tools. The program emphasizes organic and sustainable production practices.
The Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School is sponsored by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and is open to the public. For more information, contact John Hendrickson at (608) 265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu, or visit the CIAS website.