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Accept the Challenge The Slow Flower Movement and a More Sustainable Floral Industry Hi, I’m Sage Devlin The Two Camps My experience working in both “camps” brought me to where I am today. I’m a beginner farmer, working to help change the tide in the floral industry, starting with my community Traditional Slow and Sustainable How it’s been: Traditional Floristry • Think Red rose dozens, pave or round mounds • Flowers being used are often not combinations you would find growing in your garden at the same time • Primarily imported flowers • Wasteful design practices Flown not Grown • Since the 1990’s, 80% of the flowers sold in the US are imported. • In 1991 the Andean Trade Preference Agreement was passed, to disincentivize South American farmers from growing cocaine.. • In 2012 the U.S Columbia trade promotion agreement allows most flowers to be imported from Colombia Duty free. • A version of this law is sill in effect today • Makes it difficult for domestic growers to compete • Imported flower growing operations are not required to follow labor or environmental standards The Environmental Cost • In 2017, 200,000 metric tons of flowers were shipped to from Colombia, burning about 114 million liters of fuel. • Perishable product means more fuel needed to refrigerate it. • And the packaging! • It takes 48 hours for flowers to make it from foreign farms, to US distribution centers, • Add another day or two to get to the customer via warehouse and flower shop Floral Foam This is what the dumpster looked like at the end of each day at floral design school. It is also what a lot of flower shop dumpsters. look like at the end of a busy week #nofloralfoam #noasis • Floral foam is a single use plastic, that does not break down. • Contributing to the growing amount of microplastics found in our waterways • Affecting freshwater and marine wildlife. • Still today, two thirds of florists use floral foam Rita Feldman Sustainable Floristry Network Other Florist Waste • Cellophane • Flower food packets • Fresher flowers, more direct to consumers eliminates the need Home Made Flower Food 1. Hydrating agent 2. Sugar as nourishment 3. Biocide Try this: 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp household bleach 2 tsp lemon or lime juice OR Change the water in your vase every 2 days, and recut stems Slow & Sustainable • Sourcing local flowers • Using flowers that are in season • Refuse to use • Imported Flowers • Single use plastics • Getting creative with mechanics Ranunculus harvested at Hillen Homestead, an urban flower farm located in Baltimore. Refuse to Use • The #nofloralfoam movement was started by Rita Feldmann, the founder of the Sustainable Floristry Network • Frogs, or Kenzans • Chicken wire • Water tubes to be reused • Moss roulade • Eco Fresh Bouquet Wraps • Get creative! Tobey Nelson does huge amazing floral installations, foam free, and shares some of her secrets here Tobey Nelson’s design for the 2017 Whidbey Flower Workshop Tobey Nelson’s Design for the Slow Flowers Summit Slow Flowers • The term “slow” is in reference to the Slow Food movement, the opposite of Fast Food. • In 2013 A “Certified American Grown” taskforce was established, inspiring a flower farming Renaissance • The Slow Flowers movement was started in 2014 by Debora Prinzing in order to reconnect American consumers to their flower sources in the following ways: • Respecting and celebrating seasonality • Sourcing as locally as possible to reduce the carbon footprint • Supporting flower farmers at large by giving them proper credit through labeling and packaging. • Endorse sustainable farming practices to benefit the environment, and people • Eliminate waste and chemical use Photo and Design by Debora Prinzing Winter Here’s a big part of the challenge… • Celebrate that nature is cyclical • Use pods, dried flowers, grasses and evergreen foliage • Each season is more exciting! • If you must buy blooms, be sure they are grown in the US • For Valentine’s day, consider supporting farms by signing your loved one up for a flower share. • Buy plants as gifts instead Finding Local Flowers • Slow Flowers functions as a listing platform for local flowers. You can search by category • Erin Benzakien, of Floret Flower Farm has developed a flower farmer collective which serves as a database of flower farmers. Additionally she shares lots of great gardening and arranging tips on her blog. • Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown is a great resource for all things local, and is a great way to find local farms to support. A greenhouse at Greenstone Fields, a flower farm in Purcellville, run by Barbara Lamborne Support Local Farmers • Look for locally grown flowers at grocery stores, and at wholesale markets • Visit the farmers market • Follow flower farmers on Instagram and see how they are distributing their flowers. • Join a CSA or seasonal flower share On a little farmlette of less than two acres, my sister Abby and I have started what we hope will become a community homestead. I am working on planting flowers on about a half acre, and Abby is raising chickens, starting an ambitious veggie garden, and mushroom growing experiment. We hope to offer community events such as native plant walks, natural dye parties, and flower arranging workshops! We are passionate about sharing our appreciation of nature, and inspiring that sense wonder in our community. For me, in growing flowers, that means getting as many people involved in growing and arranging their own flowers as possible. I think the gravity of the entire sustainable flower movement can be felt when someone physically interacts with nature in a creative and curious way. What We’re Up To… Supporting Far Bungalow We are just starting out, Here’s how to support us. THANK YOU! 1. Farm stand right off Rt. 15 North 2. Join our flower share or CSA. Prepay for 12 weeks of whatever flowers are growing here on the farm. Email me at [email protected] if your interested in signing up. Shares are limited. 3. Follow us on Instagram if you have it, and tell your friends! @far_bungalow_farm Thank you! References • Barnette, Rachel. “Importing Valentine's Day Roses into the U.S.” Flexport, 12 Feb. 2019, www.flexport.com/blog/every-import-has-its- thorn-flowers-data-and-valentines-day/. Historical information reinforcing international flower imports • “Floral Foam Adds to Microplastic Pollution Problem.” ScienceDaily, RMIT University, 10 Dec. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191210111651.htm. The environmental impact of floral foam use • Galazka, Kasia. “What Is In Those Mysterious Flower Food Packets?” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 24 July 2015, www.buzzfeed.com/kasiagalazka/flower-food. • Home made flower food recipe • Graver, Brandon. “Yes, Your Mother Loves the Flowers, but Maybe Not the Cost of Flying Them In.” The International Council on Clean Transportation, 9 May 2018, theicct.org/blog/staff/yes-your-mother-loves-flowers-maybe-not-cost-flying-them. Floral distribution chain • McQuaid, John. “The Secrets Behind Your Flowers.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Feb. 2011, www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-secrets-behind-your-flowers-53128/. Data on floral imports form Colombia • Nelson, Tobey. “Part 2: How to Build Sustainable Large Scale Installations Using Foam Free Mechanics.” Sustainable Floral Design, 7 Jan. 2020, sustainablefloraldesign.com/part-2-how-to-build-sustainable-large-scale-installations-using-foam-free-mechanics- copy/. Information on sustainable floristry practices • Prinzing, Debra. “A Slow Flowers Manifesto.” SlowFlowers Journal, 14 Apr. 2017, slowflowersjournal.com/index.php/2017/04/14/a-slow- flowers-manifesto/. Understanding the Slow flowers movement • “U.S. Imports of Fresh-Cut Flowers Decreased 0.15 Percent through February to $320.74 Million.” US TradeNumbers, Feb. 2020, www.ustradenumbers.com/import/fresh-cut-flowers/. Data and graphs used to demonstrate international flower import rates • Wong, Kristine. “A Flower-Farming Renaissance: America's Slow Flower Movement.” Modern Farmer, 18 Oct. 2018, modernfarmer.com/2016/03/slow-flowers/. Information of the slow flower movement.
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