You probably already know that The Flower Collective of CNY was created as a way to connect local flower growers with floral designers, but that is just part of what we hope to do.
Here are some of the goals of the Flower Collective:
To Help local cut flower growers increase their sales.
As flower farmers we are really good at growing flowers. Seed starting? Crop planning? Easy! But actually finding a market for those flowers can be harder.
With our collaborative model, farmers can share infrastructure, materials, and expertise. This allows us to more efficiently reach local buyers, handle transport, and handle logistics. It also makes it easier for wholesale flower buyers to purchase locally grown products. Growers benefit from connections that the Flower Collective has with buyers, and buyers get to shop from farms they might not know otherwise, increasing sales for everybody.
To make farming a viable and profitable career option.
The number of flower farms around the country is growing, especially in Central New York. Despite this, the majority of florists and designers still depend on stems imported from foreign markets. We aim to disrupt the traditional supply chain by connecting flower farmers directly with local florists and designers. This will increase sales for local farms and provide florists with fresh, longer-lasting blooms.
The Flower Collective also connects growers with a community of like-minded farmers. Growers can share the workload so they aren't solely responsible for marketing, selling and distributing their crops - because that's a full time job in itself! By sharing the workload, growers can reduce burnout and open up time to focus on flower production and scaling their business.
Plus, being part of such a strong community enables farmers to share expertise in things like crop-planning, sustainable growing, and troubleshooting. We are each stronger when we work together.
To provide a convenient platform for local buyers to purchase flowers and foliage that are locally grown.
We love using Rooted Farmers as our e-commerce platform! Their platform was designed specifically for the floral industry and they have truly thought of everything. Buyers are able to sort through product by floral-specific paramenters, such a stem length, color, and price per bunch, etc. All of the products listed are from member-growers, which means they are guaranteed to be locally grown and fresh.
To make a more sustainable option for floral purchasing in the area.
Our business model cuts down on environmental impacts by using locally grown flowers that do not have to be shipped across the world. By using one delivery method for multiple farms and florists, we reduce the environmental impact of having flowers delivered. This not only saves on fuel, but also on needless packaging.
Our member farms participate in sustainable growing techniques, which benefits the soil and environment long-term.
Finally, by making it easier to buy and sell local flowers, we are strengthening the local economy, making flower farming a sustainable industry in our area.
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