Alex Smith outlines why we need to smell the local flowers
It’s easy to overlook flowers as an agricultural product. Often we think about them as either a nice addition to a garden or a commodity you find at the grocery store. (Or if you live in Skagit, the reason for a month of traffic a year).
But pulling back the curtain a bit, you’ll find an US$ 8.5 billion global industry. And even in a state like Washington with a large agricultural presence, roughly 80% of its flowers are imported, often from South America, via massive auctions in major cities.
Fair trade flowers?
As Annika McIntosh of Hazel Floral https://hazel-landscapesandedibles.com puts it, “You might purchase Fair Trade coffee, grass-fed beef and local veggies, but if the flowers on your table are also grown by someone who makes a living wage, it makes the same powerful connection between the consumer and the people & soils that produced it.”
And right now it’s especially important to work with local farmers. That US$ 8.5 billion number was from 2019. In 2020 we’re likely to see that global market hit hard as weddings and events are cancelled or modified.
For farmers who don’t sell direct to the public, there are still ways to support them and access their beautiful flowers. Local florist Pozie by Natalie offers bouquets and arrangements of locally grown flowers, and flowers are available through farmers markets, farm stands, and through CSA add-ons.
Good for the Planet
Supporting our local farmers is important. After all, keeping money in the community will be key to the economic growth that will some day return us to some semblance of normalcy. But it’s not just about the farmers or the economy.
It’s also about showing you care by getting the best quality flowers for your loved ones and for the Planet. Says Celeste Monke of Free Range Flowers https://freerangeflowershop.com, “Like local veggies from small farms, our flowers are fresh, healthy, seasonal and human-powered. An investment in local flowers is an investment in your local economy, local farm and local ecosystem: we plant for insects, birds, people and climate. I encourage anyone able to bring fresh flowers inside and see what happens.” Celeste offers weekly shares of flowers either at Cosmos Bistro or on her farm south of Lynden.
Sarah Robinson of Spring Time Farm https://springtimefarm.com elaborates: “Our flowers are not drenched in the poisons that many large commercial operations use to the detriment of their employees and our Planet, and also have a longer vase life than ‘flown’ flowers as they have travelled a far shorter distance.”
If you’ve ever smelled a fresh rose or a lilac, or seen the vibrancy of a ranunculus just as it fully opens, you know it doesn’t compare to more conventionally available flowers.
And that’s what you get by purchasing local flowers: the most dazzling colours and intoxicating aromas that are the whole reason we buy flowers in the first place.
Source: http://eatlocalfirst.org
