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Strength in numbers! Meet flower farmers who represented YOU and the American-grown floral industry in Washington, D.C. last week — they’re from Washington state, Oregon, California, Alaska, Virginia, Texas, Maryland & Pennsylvania!!!
Today’s guest, Bill Frymoyer, chief advocate for American-grown flowers in Washington, D.C.
My birthday falls during the last week of February and as has been the case since 2014, it’s also coincided with the annual “fly in” for America’s flower farmers to land in Washington, D.C.
You’ve heard me talk about this experience before and today is no exception. The Fly In began as an initiative of the California Cut Flower Commission seven years ago, led by CEO Kasey Cronquist.
In 2013, CCFC invited flower farmers from other states to join the effort.
I applaud that spirit of inclusion, one that significantly boosted the impact and presence of America’s flower farms beyond the California delegation.
Today, the Fly-in is still led by CCFC, but its scope is now much broader. Certified American Grown Flowers is now the “cause” with an inclusive, national message about flower farming and other key issues important to everyone in the Slow Flowers community.
On February 28th (ahem, my birthday!) we launched The Slow Flowers Community on Facebook. Please join!
Before we get started, I want to announce the launch of The Slow Flowers Community on Facebook. I was inspired to establish a virtual place where members of Slowflowers.com and those who have yet to join the Slowflowers.com directory can meet each other. You’ll be introduced to kindred spirits; you’ll talk “shop,” encourage others and receive encouragement yourself. Our focus will be creating brand awareness for your own Slow Flowers endeavors – from the field to the studio and beyond. This is a closed community, so just follow this link to request to join.
Tony Ortiz of Joseph and Sons in Santa Paula, Calif., past Slow Flowers Podcast guest, and I were happy to deliver American grown flowers to decorate the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus hearings. Farmer-florist Andrea Gagnon of LynnVale Studios designed the bouquet.
Floral detail. Andrea combine her own *early* Virginia cut flowers with stems from California farms represented in DC last week.
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