Behind the Scenes Preparation
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This past week marked my final days on the peony farm. I finished weeding the final peony rows that needed it and the two beds that hold the sweet peas and dahlias. On Wednesday, my host showed me the behind-the-scenes of her operation: what she makes from her CSA’s, wholesale bunches, and pop-up shop, her yearly costs, and how she plans for the following year. It was good to see the bones behind the operation because they helped me understand what profit looks like in flower farming.
I was surprised about how much flower farming, even a micro-farm operation such as the peony farm, makes. There are gross and net payments associated with flower farming. My host takes out the cost of gas and meals for travel relating to her work, subscriptions she uses to help manage her business, taxes (for her retail shop), and any other mandatory costs during the season. When all these costs are accounted for, the remaining balance is about half of the original amount. My site host told me that most flower farmers, at least small ones, break even most seasons. The revenue they garner from their farm equals the costs it uses to manage it. This makes it important to diversify the ways you are selling your flowers, so you make a profit from it.
She also showed me her rough draft of what she wants to plant next year. Since my host mostly grows peonies, a perennial crop, crop planning is not as important as it would be if she had an operation that specialized in annuals, which must be re-planted every year. However, perennials usually take three years to become established, so it’s important to place them exactly where you want them. My host ordered a bunch of irises, foxtail lilies, and some other bulbs to beautify her ranch and to produce plants that she can include with her peony bundles. Farming can be as much about dirty work as it is about planning and researching.
An interesting concept I learned this week was the idea of “paying yourself”. Small flower-farming operations are usually a one-person show, so all the money earned goes directly to the owner. However, as I mentioned before, there are a lot of costs that take away from the original value. The remaining balance is often used for the business itself. It is helpful to track how much time you have spent on the business over the season and to estimate how much you earned if you were being paid at an hourly rate. Then, if you can, you subtract that amount from what you earned and “pay yourself”. This makes it so flower farming is an occupation you can actually make a living off of.
I think this concept helps separate work from life. It operates like any other business, where the profit is hopefully enough to keep the business running and make a living off. I have been wondering if flower farming is doable as a full-time job. It is extremely seasonal, and often the costs equal the income. Maybe it would do better as a side-hustle, rather than a full-time occupation. I am also wondering how I am going to use the things I learned from this internship and continue building on that knowledge while finishing my degree. It is kind of difficult to grow anything in Laramie, Wyoming, especially when you live in a tiny apartment. I love growing things though and want to continue building the skills I need for the flower industry, so my roommate might have to deal with a lot of pots around the apartment for a while.
I am very grateful I spent this summer the way I did. It gave me important insight into what the flower farming industry looks like. I was able to network with many flower farmers and see different operations. Most importantly, it made me realize this is an option for me, career-wise. Starting is going to be difficult. It probably won’t be very profitable for a while, and that’s ok. I have found something I enjoy and am passionate about, and that’s what a job should be.
Submitted by: Emzie Coop
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
