1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:03,680 Hello again, 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,760 and welcome back to the slow flowers podcast with Deborah printing. 3 00:00:07,910 --> 00:00:11,120 This is episode 576. 4 00:00:11,630 --> 00:00:16,320 This is the weekly podcast about slow flowers and the people who grow 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:17,400 and design with them. 6 00:00:17,790 --> 00:00:22,160 It's all about making a conscious choice and I invite you to join the 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,680 conversation and the creative community. 8 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:29,360 As we discuss the vital topics of saving our domestic flower farms and 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,960 supporting a floral industry that relies on a safe, seasonal, 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,400 and local supply of flowers and foliage. 11 00:00:35,750 --> 00:00:38,680 This show is brought to you by slow flowers.com. 12 00:00:38,980 --> 00:00:43,800 The free online directory to more than 850 Flos shops and 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:48,640 studios who design with local seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,680 farms that grow those blooms is the conscious choice for buying and sending 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,800 flowers. And thank you to our lead sponsor. Farm grow flowers, 16 00:00:57,390 --> 00:01:01,960 farm grow flowers delivers iconic burlap wrap bouquets and lush abundant 17 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,760 arrangements to customers across the us supporting us flower farms 18 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,400 by purchasing more than 10 million of us grown fresh and seasonal 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:16,280 flowers and foliage annually. Discover more@farmgrowflowers.com. 20 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,520 Thank you to Longfield gardens, 21 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,960 which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. 22 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,720 Their online store offers plants for every region and every season from 23 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,760 tulips and daffodils to dahlias caladiums and Amarillo's check out the full 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,440 catalog@longfieldgardens.com while 25 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,000 today's episode has been a longtime coming. 26 00:01:41,310 --> 00:01:46,000 I first met Rita and Mike Williams owners of Wilmore farms, 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,720 flowers based in meadow, Georgia. 28 00:01:48,110 --> 00:01:53,080 When the low country flower growers invited me to speak at their Southern flower 29 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,680 symposium back in August of 2018, 30 00:01:56,180 --> 00:02:00,040 the conference took place in Charleston, South Carolina and Rita, 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,840 and Mike arrived by motorcycle a more than a 150 mile trip. 32 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,800 So that impressed me in let me know they were the cool kids. 33 00:02:07,190 --> 00:02:11,600 Theirs is a family owned agricultural enterprise rooted deep in history. 34 00:02:12,010 --> 00:02:16,320 Wilmore farms is based on land that has been on Rita's side for nine 35 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,640 generations. You'll hear more about that in our conversation, 36 00:02:19,650 --> 00:02:24,200 as well as how what's started as a hobby farm has grown into a 37 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:29,040 diversified, viable and sustainable operation day in and day out. 38 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,160 Wilmore farms, always tags, slow flower society on social media, 39 00:02:33,510 --> 00:02:37,680 ensuring that we stop and check out their beautiful flowers that they grow and 40 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,520 sell. It gives me a good sense about what they're doing, 41 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:45,400 and I always feel connected to these long time slow flowers members launched in 42 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:46,240 2015. 43 00:02:46,450 --> 00:02:51,280 Wilmore farms takes its name from Mike's surname Williams and Rita's 44 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,560 maiden name Morgan with four children. 45 00:02:53,630 --> 00:02:57,920 This is truly a multi-generational project that you'll find inspiring. 46 00:02:58,250 --> 00:03:00,640 We recorded this conversation in mid August, 47 00:03:00,660 --> 00:03:05,400 and I loved seeing rows of all the delicious blooms on our virtual tour, 48 00:03:05,690 --> 00:03:09,120 as well as some of the farming techniques and efficiencies they have developed 49 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,120 through trial and error. 50 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,480 Let's jump right in and get started and meet Rita and Mike Williams. 51 00:03:22,450 --> 00:03:23,280 Hi everybody. 52 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:28,040 I am so excited to introduce Rita and Mike Williams of Wilmore 53 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,840 farms. And they're gonna give us a little tour today, 54 00:03:31,010 --> 00:03:35,920 so I'm gonna turn it over to Rita and Mike they're in their you're in your golf 55 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:36,753 cart, right? 56 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:37,733 Yes. 57 00:03:37,830 --> 00:03:41,200 Okay. Well welcome. And thanks so much for joining me. 58 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,840 We haven't seen each other in person since like when was I in the south 2017 or 59 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:46,490 so. 60 00:03:46,490 --> 00:03:50,240 Uh, yes. Over at, um, in South Carolina at, um, 61 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,640 the low country growers, their symposium. 62 00:03:53,020 --> 00:03:55,880 Yes. The Southern flower symposium that, 63 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,800 and you guys rode your MI your motorcycle bike there, right? 64 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:00,680 yes, we did. . 65 00:04:01,470 --> 00:04:02,880 I was so impressed with that. 66 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:04,153 . 67 00:04:04,870 --> 00:04:07,520 Okay. Well, give everyone a little introduction. 68 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,640 You said you had a little bit of a disclaimer, 69 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,760 which I think every flower farmer who's listening to this will love you more for 70 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:15,960 what you wanna say. cause you teased it. 71 00:04:16,370 --> 00:04:19,400 Um, well I'm Rita Williams and my husband Mike Williams, 72 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:24,120 and along with our four children, we are Wilmore farms, flowers. Um, 73 00:04:24,460 --> 00:04:26,240 and so before we start the farm tour, 74 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,480 I always say this when people visit the farm is no judgment. 75 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,400 You can't pass any judgment. Um, we, um, 76 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:38,200 have four children and life just happens to us. Um, uh, 77 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,240 we didn't go into any debt, um, for, with the flower farm. 78 00:04:42,490 --> 00:04:47,200 So because of that, we just used what was here. This is my grandparents' farm. 79 00:04:47,300 --> 00:04:52,160 And so we still use a lot of their old, um, equipment and gates and, 80 00:04:52,490 --> 00:04:56,600 um, and we just make due with what we have. So, um, it's not pretty at all. 81 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,720 um, but it's functional and it works for us, but I just wanted to, 82 00:05:01,810 --> 00:05:02,960 to throw that out there. 83 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,640 okay. Well, does she do that all the time, Mike? 84 00:05:07,420 --> 00:05:08,253 Yes. 85 00:05:09,510 --> 00:05:14,040 It's sort of the corresponding to me as a gardener, the corresponding, uh, 86 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,680 apology is, it looks so great last week, 87 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,360 but I just haven't had time to weed this week. So. 88 00:05:20,510 --> 00:05:21,160 Yeah. 89 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,640 Well I guess like you said, everybody can say that, I. 90 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,360 Guess. Well, and the other thing I need to say before we start is, um, 91 00:05:27,530 --> 00:05:32,360 we cut and made bouquets for whole foods today. And so the fields are, um, 92 00:05:32,420 --> 00:05:35,920 are not as abundant as they were this morning. Um, but, um, 93 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,000 well we have got things in all different stages. 94 00:05:38,090 --> 00:05:42,080 So the flower farmers that are out there will, will understand for sure. 95 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,520 Absolutely. We don't wanna see color in the field. We wanna see money in your, 96 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:46,560 in your wallet. That's. 97 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:47,000 Right. That's. 98 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,120 Right. Yes. We do have color in the cooler so we can show you. 99 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:50,200 Yeah. We'll show you the cooler. 100 00:05:50,770 --> 00:05:53,000 OK. So tell me where met is, 101 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,200 is that how you pronounce it met Georgia where you are in Georgia? 102 00:05:57,570 --> 00:06:01,800 Um, we are we're, um, uh, Southeast Georgia. Um, 103 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,480 we're about an hour or so from Savannah. Okay. West of Savannah. 104 00:06:05,750 --> 00:06:08,480 Okay. Okay, great. Um, well, 105 00:06:08,940 --> 00:06:12,280 are you gonna drive around or what can you show us from where you. 106 00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:13,920 Are? Probably let, we'll probably walk. 107 00:06:14,270 --> 00:06:15,103 Okay. Walk. 108 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:16,880 Think, um. 109 00:06:17,140 --> 00:06:21,760 Now we recording, we're recording this at 7:00 PM your time. Correct. What, 110 00:06:21,830 --> 00:06:23,360 what's the weather like right now? 111 00:06:23,730 --> 00:06:26,800 So we're actually believe it or not in a, um, 112 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,440 a little cold spell for us, um, which is kind of ridiculous. Um, 113 00:06:32,130 --> 00:06:36,480 uh, we were, um, low eighties in the, in the mornings have been sixties. 114 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,400 So right now thinking mid seventies, probably. Um, 115 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,320 so it's actually very pleasant, which is not typical for us. 116 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,280 It's pleasant for mid-August for sure. 117 00:06:45,820 --> 00:06:49,480 Yes. And pleasant for the farmers and the flowers probably. Yeah. 118 00:06:49,930 --> 00:06:54,600 So I hope I am video and I'm having kind of some issues as far as showing you 119 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,360 what I wanna show you. Okay. Do you see the white, um, uh. 120 00:06:58,460 --> 00:06:59,480 Row cover there? Blue. 121 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:00,140 There? 122 00:07:00,140 --> 00:07:00,960 Yes. Yes. 123 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,800 Okay. So let, let me, um, talk about this and, 124 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:08,520 and I will actually send a little video for the show notes. Um, we use, um, 125 00:07:08,930 --> 00:07:13,640 uh, this, um, biodegradable mulch, um, as a weed barrier. Um, 126 00:07:13,660 --> 00:07:16,800 and, um, we use it behind the tractor and, um, 127 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,480 it has been so wonderful for us. Um, not everything gets planted in it. Um, 128 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,840 but most everything does, um, um, sunflowers. Um, 129 00:07:24,870 --> 00:07:27,040 a lot of times we don't just because, um, 130 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,080 we grow so many sunflowers and we're in a hurry, 131 00:07:29,220 --> 00:07:32,960 but the things that are gonna last longer, um, not our one hit wonders, 132 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,160 what we call them, um, gets planted in that. 133 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,040 And that has really saved our labor tremendously. 134 00:07:38,710 --> 00:07:42,520 I've never heard of biodegradable row cover, is it, um, 135 00:07:42,810 --> 00:07:47,080 is it kind of just like a, a plastic type of material, but it, it breaks down. 136 00:07:47,330 --> 00:07:51,920 It is it's corn based. And so when you get through with, um, cutting, um, 137 00:07:51,970 --> 00:07:55,760 or harvesting that row, you just take the tiller and you till it into the soil. 138 00:07:56,130 --> 00:07:59,240 Um, and, um, wow. It's just, it's wonderful. It, 139 00:07:59,410 --> 00:08:03,000 we tried doing the landscape fabric method and, um, 140 00:08:03,130 --> 00:08:06,040 we about got a divorce over it. , um, I mean, 141 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,760 it just really was not good for us. Um, it's so hot here and, 142 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:15,560 um, that was a problem. And then, um, uh, uh, 143 00:08:16,190 --> 00:08:20,800 what was it? Fire ants were the problem and then having to, to, um, bring it up. 144 00:08:20,890 --> 00:08:25,640 Um, anyway, so it did not work for us. I know a lot of farmers really like it, 145 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:26,920 but it did not work for us. 146 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,720 Right, right. So tell me what the one hit wonders are. Like, 147 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,040 what crops would go in that. 148 00:08:32,450 --> 00:08:36,120 So sunflowers for instance. Um, okay. Um, we can start walking. That would, 149 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,000 and so great. This will be, um, 150 00:08:38,180 --> 00:08:42,400 our sunflowers that we'll be cutting on in the next two to three weeks. Um, 151 00:08:42,410 --> 00:08:45,000 we grow our sunflowers really close together to, 152 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,000 to actually keep them from getting those huge heads out. 153 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,560 Some sunflowers usually do mm-hmm um, 154 00:08:50,650 --> 00:08:53,040 because we found in our bouquets, um, 155 00:08:53,060 --> 00:08:57,640 the really big sunflowers took up the whole bouquet sleeve and 156 00:08:57,730 --> 00:09:01,800 it was hard to get the other flowers that we wanted to end that. So, um, 157 00:09:01,810 --> 00:09:04,640 we grown 'em very close together and we just get, um, 158 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,120 about three to four inch diameter, um, 159 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,040 faces and they just work really well in our bouquets. 160 00:09:10,730 --> 00:09:15,400 So those lush green rows of the sunflowers that are like maybe 12, 161 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:20,360 15 inches tall, the, those are in the, the white mulch, 162 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:21,240 the, or the. 163 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,000 The, these right here are not in the mulch. Okay. But, okay. 164 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:25,480 But there. 165 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,400 Is an, we will show you some in a, in a little bit. Okay. We, 166 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:33,160 we are actually planting more and more, even the sunflowers in mulch, um, 167 00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:36,640 wow. This summer. So these particular group is not, 168 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,640 but we have some more that we'll show you later that are okay. 169 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,840 So we're pretty much in our lower field, 170 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,720 which I don't know how much you can see. 171 00:09:44,950 --> 00:09:46,960 I can see all of it. It's gorgeous. Okay. 172 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,680 Wow. I'm trying to kind of hold it up, but I'm, it's. 173 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:52,440 You're good. Sorry. Until your arm gets tired. Let's. 174 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,720 anyway, we'll, we'll walk down there and saying about most, 175 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:59,080 most everything we're plant and have been for the last, uh, 176 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:01,770 I don't know, month or two. 177 00:10:02,020 --> 00:10:05,130 So we got like some Soia right here and it's in the white mulch. 178 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:06,450 Mm-hmm wow. 179 00:10:06,690 --> 00:10:08,490 Actually we miss some Soia. Can you see that Deborah? 180 00:10:08,710 --> 00:10:09,770 Yes, I can. Yeah. 181 00:10:09,770 --> 00:10:11,290 You see that? See that and then poke. 182 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,650 Yeah. Do you just poke holes in that material and then. 183 00:10:14,650 --> 00:10:18,980 Just, yeah, you can poke holes. It's very thin. So, um. 184 00:10:19,450 --> 00:10:20,900 Easy to plant in then. Huh? 185 00:10:20,930 --> 00:10:25,340 It's thin. It's kind of interesting because as thin as it is, 186 00:10:25,340 --> 00:10:29,620 you would think that it would not be able to be pulled behind a tractor. 187 00:10:30,190 --> 00:10:32,060 So like, I don't know. Can you see it up close? 188 00:10:32,410 --> 00:10:34,380 Yeah. Oh, I see. So you're saying it, you, 189 00:10:34,380 --> 00:10:36,860 you would think because it's thin it might tear. 190 00:10:36,860 --> 00:10:38,700 Yeah. Like, do you, can you see my finger? 191 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:39,740 Yes, I can. 192 00:10:39,740 --> 00:10:42,860 Yeah. You can like, like, wow. You see that? Yeah. 193 00:10:42,860 --> 00:10:43,300 Just. 194 00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:46,300 Pop. It's very thin when you're planting in it, 195 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:50,500 but you can pull it behind a tractor with no trouble. Wow. 196 00:10:50,500 --> 00:10:50,860 That's. 197 00:10:50,860 --> 00:10:53,860 Great. And it, um, it pulls real tight. Well, 198 00:10:53,860 --> 00:10:57,780 like the one we just showed you mm-hmm it pulls real tight and it 199 00:10:57,780 --> 00:10:59,020 makes a nice bed space. 200 00:10:59,750 --> 00:11:03,560 Yeah. So keep, keep all those weeds out. That's that's truly amazing. 201 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,320 Can you just mention where you buy it? Is it, 202 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:08,600 is it easy to find? 203 00:11:09,090 --> 00:11:12,860 Oh yeah. So you can get it. I get it from, um, 204 00:11:12,980 --> 00:11:14,460 Barry hill irrigation. 205 00:11:14,770 --> 00:11:15,600 Okay. 206 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,740 Now I don't, I think there's other suppliers of it, 207 00:11:18,740 --> 00:11:22,060 but that's where I get it from. And it's just, um, 208 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:28,300 you have to buy it as a what's the actual, I wanna say biotech, 209 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,300 but I don't know if, I don't know if it's bio or not. I wanna say it's biotech, 210 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,300 but it's black on the bottom and white on the top. 211 00:11:35,330 --> 00:11:39,180 Mm-hmm you can buy it solid black if you wish as well. 212 00:11:39,180 --> 00:11:41,950 But obviously for warmer climates, 213 00:11:42,460 --> 00:11:44,670 it's better to the white on the top. Yeah. 214 00:11:44,990 --> 00:11:47,990 Maybe I'll, I'll get the, I'll get the link from, from you. 215 00:11:47,990 --> 00:11:49,350 And we'll add it to the show notes. 216 00:11:49,350 --> 00:11:51,550 Too. Just yes. And you can get it like in three foot, 217 00:11:51,550 --> 00:11:53,360 four foot and five foot widths, I think. 218 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,240 Like how much acreage do you guys have? 219 00:11:55,430 --> 00:11:59,860 Yeah. About an acre and a half. It looks not much really. It. 220 00:11:59,860 --> 00:12:01,780 Looks so much, it looks so vast. 221 00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:04,900 um, I'm. 222 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:07,100 Sure you're like, no, no more an acre and a half. 223 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:12,100 Is enough. We are kinda at that point for sure. Well, so this is just a row. 224 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:14,580 Let's see. I can't tell if I'm showing you, 225 00:12:14,870 --> 00:12:18,100 so we've got a row of cosmos mm-hmm that we're just starting to 226 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:21,980 cut on again, we cut so much today for whole foods that, um. 227 00:12:22,810 --> 00:12:23,643 That's amazing. 228 00:12:23,790 --> 00:12:25,420 Am I showing it to you? Yes. 229 00:12:25,420 --> 00:12:30,300 I see that pretty cosmos. Yeah. And like Salia, we're gorgeous. And then, uh, 230 00:12:30,300 --> 00:12:32,260 what do you have behind there? Is that, um. 231 00:12:32,380 --> 00:12:34,220 Um, so that's AUM. Oh. 232 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:35,113 AUM. Okay. 233 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,660 And that's just getting started for us. Um, in the past, 234 00:12:38,660 --> 00:12:43,220 we haven't had a whole lot of luck Withum um, but um, 235 00:12:43,220 --> 00:12:46,180 this year, are you seeing it? 236 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,780 Yes. It's such a vivid beautiful, like lavender blue. I love it. 237 00:12:50,830 --> 00:12:54,780 It is. And you know, you have so few lavender colors, um, 238 00:12:54,780 --> 00:12:57,180 of flowers that it's just nice when you have it. 239 00:12:57,350 --> 00:12:58,940 Um, so what do you think is your, 240 00:12:58,940 --> 00:13:02,180 what do you think it's the secret to maybe having success this year? 241 00:13:02,650 --> 00:13:06,700 Well, we planted it in the, the biodegradable, um, fabric. Um, 242 00:13:06,700 --> 00:13:08,780 mm-hmm and so I think that helped. 243 00:13:08,780 --> 00:13:12,580 And then we planted a little later. A lot of times we would normally plant it, 244 00:13:12,580 --> 00:13:16,860 um, like in April and this time we planted it, um, a little later. 245 00:13:16,870 --> 00:13:19,060 So I think that helped. Mm. Um, 246 00:13:19,390 --> 00:13:22,140 we have some more Soia this is probably one of my favorite. 247 00:13:22,140 --> 00:13:26,300 This is the Kramer's burgundy. Oh, wow. It has such a nice color to it. 248 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,420 And you're getting such long stems on it. Geez. 249 00:13:31,250 --> 00:13:34,020 Yeah. They, they, they kind of get crazy for sure. 250 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:35,580 yeah, that. 251 00:13:35,580 --> 00:13:37,020 One. Yeah. Which sets up feather. 252 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,740 And so this role is the mirror goals that we hammered today. Um, 253 00:13:40,740 --> 00:13:42,100 we grow a lot of mirror goals. 254 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:47,020 They're great for the grocery store bouquets sunflowers me gold 255 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,420 and, um, Soia are our big, big three for the market or the, 256 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,660 the grocery store bouquets. And Zia's we grow a lot of Xenias too. 257 00:13:55,970 --> 00:13:57,580 Yeah. And, you know, um, 258 00:13:57,790 --> 00:14:01,740 there's something I learned from you when we met at the, uh, 259 00:14:02,060 --> 00:14:06,060 Southern flower symposium. I don't know what the context was, but I've, 260 00:14:06,060 --> 00:14:10,220 I've never forgotten it. And you were talking about Rebecca, 261 00:14:10,220 --> 00:14:14,260 a tri Loba being a great flower because it, 262 00:14:14,350 --> 00:14:18,460 it allows you to, or kind of, it kind of becomes the matrix for, 263 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:19,460 for a bouquet. 264 00:14:19,460 --> 00:14:22,300 Yes. Yes. And actually you're seeing our trio, but right now, 265 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,220 and it is on its way out. Um, we've been what a great, 266 00:14:26,220 --> 00:14:28,740 so for about a month now, and, um, 267 00:14:29,070 --> 00:14:32,460 we probably have maybe two more weeks left that we can harvest some from, 268 00:14:32,460 --> 00:14:36,540 but it is, so it is so great. It's my favorite filler for the summer, for sure. 269 00:14:36,950 --> 00:14:39,620 So, so far we've seen all your lot, 270 00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:43,380 all annual field crops, right. Is. 271 00:14:43,380 --> 00:14:44,300 That that's the. 272 00:14:44,300 --> 00:14:45,030 Core of. 273 00:14:45,030 --> 00:14:48,740 Of Wilmar besides Sal lo um, it's a perennial for us. Oh. 274 00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:49,110 It is. 275 00:14:49,110 --> 00:14:53,960 Oh, it is. Yep. It is. Um, and I'll have to say that is one mistake. 276 00:14:54,060 --> 00:14:59,040 And so any flower farmer that's out there and you're just starting make sure to 277 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,920 get onto the perennial game early. Um, 278 00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:06,880 had we known that we would be where we're at when we started we 279 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,120 would've invested, um, in, in perennials a lot earlier, 280 00:15:10,250 --> 00:15:15,000 so that's something that I regret. Um, but I hope that each year we can add, 281 00:15:15,090 --> 00:15:17,920 um, more and more, um, to our perennials mm-hmm. 282 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,040 well, yeah. I mean, it's just like your labor, uh, 283 00:15:22,780 --> 00:15:25,760 you know, you save your labor savings to have perennials. 284 00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:29,320 Oh, yes, yes, definitely. Mm-hmm um, show 'em our. 285 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:29,900 Phones. 286 00:15:29,900 --> 00:15:34,320 Yes. So let's see, we'll come here to the deer fence. Um, so when we, 287 00:15:35,530 --> 00:15:40,360 so, you know, when we first started out, um, we were a hobby farm. It, 288 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:41,480 we truly were, were, 289 00:15:41,530 --> 00:15:45,480 we wanted our children to learn how to work and how to go to market and talk to 290 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,360 adults and make change and that sort of thing. Um, 291 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,040 we had no idea that this would actually become a source of revenue and actually 292 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,880 one of our children wants to do this for a living. Um, 293 00:15:54,930 --> 00:15:59,080 so we had no idea how that was gonna happen. Um, but when we started, um, 294 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:00,840 getting kind of serious about it, 295 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,440 we knew we needed to protect things a little better. So we put up a deer fence. 296 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:08,760 This is from deer busters. Um, uh, wow. I'll let me, 297 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,080 let Mike talk about it, cuz he knows I'll I'll record you. 298 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:16,560 Just, well it's I mean like she says from deer busters, the, 299 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,320 the particular one we have is a seven and a half foot, 300 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,600 which is kind of the minimum for deer protection. Um, but you can get, 301 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,240 'em an eight foot, you can get 'em shorter than seven and a half two. Sure. 302 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,960 But it's seven and a half is probably as low as you'd want to go. 303 00:16:30,060 --> 00:16:35,000 And we've got almost our entire 304 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,800 operation surrounded with the deer fence. We do have one, 305 00:16:38,890 --> 00:16:43,040 we call it our top field and it's not fenced currently, but it will be fenced. 306 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,600 I hope this winter. Um, so that's a big investment. 307 00:16:47,790 --> 00:16:52,040 I mean, it was pretty easy to put up and it's been durable. 308 00:16:52,650 --> 00:16:53,483 Um. 309 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:58,160 And, and, and then the grand scheme of pricing, it was relatively cheap. 310 00:16:58,220 --> 00:17:03,200 Yes. For high fence. It's, it's very cheap compared to other high fence methods. 311 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:03,680 Mm-hmm. 312 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,280 so is it, um, the, is the post metal and then the, the mesh, it. 313 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,680 Is the post, the post actually, um, fits into a sleeve. 314 00:17:13,130 --> 00:17:17,080 So you actually pound sleeves into the ground and then you put the post into the 315 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,200 sleeve. So you actually could pull this post out. 316 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,520 I could pull this post outta the ground if I wanted to. Right. 317 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,480 But it sits down in a two foot sleeve. 318 00:17:24,050 --> 00:17:24,480 So you, 319 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:29,440 you put all those sleeves in the perimeter line that you wanted first. 320 00:17:29,710 --> 00:17:32,680 Yeah. So you, everything else. So put the sleeves in with, uh, sledgehammer. 321 00:17:32,750 --> 00:17:35,680 That's really the hardest part of it is putting the sleeves in. Yeah. 322 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,880 So you put the sleeve in and then you just put the feed, 323 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:39,960 the post and then the fence, 324 00:17:40,030 --> 00:17:44,320 I mean a good portion of this I did on my own, but wow. 325 00:17:44,730 --> 00:17:47,960 Um, but you can, with two people, you can do a, 326 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,720 you can do a pretty big section in a pretty short period of time. It's, 327 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:52,840 it's pretty easy to put up. 328 00:17:53,850 --> 00:17:58,520 So when you mentioned wanting to kind of making that transition from hobby to 329 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,600 Sirius, when was that? Like, how, how did that, what inspired that to happen? 330 00:18:03,170 --> 00:18:05,280 Uh, I mean, obviously your flowers are beautiful, 331 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:09,400 so people responded positively, but how long ago did that? Well. 332 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,440 I think it was just more of like the, like she said, 333 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,280 we kind of did it the really honest, honestly, the first year it was literally, 334 00:18:17,050 --> 00:18:21,080 we threw seed in the ground. like, it was really that, like, 335 00:18:21,710 --> 00:18:23,400 I think we tore up the ground a little bit, 336 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,440 but we threw seed in the ground and then yeah. 337 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:26,400 Technical. Right. . 338 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:27,140 Right. 339 00:18:27,140 --> 00:18:32,040 And then a couple months later we had flowers and we were kinda like, okay, 340 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:32,873 what do we do now? 341 00:18:33,050 --> 00:18:35,920 We didn't have anything else playing behind it cuz we didn't even, you know, 342 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,800 we weren't thinking that far ahead. Mm-hmm so we, 343 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,920 I called a florist friend of mine and said, Hey, we have flowers, 344 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:46,240 you'd be interested, buy him. And she said, yes. And we thankfully and. 345 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,240 We, and actually, you know, her Deborah, um, 346 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:50,800 Christy Halsey with colonial house of flowers. 347 00:18:51,010 --> 00:18:51,770 Oh yeah. 348 00:18:51,770 --> 00:18:56,080 Christy actually bought actually, uh, bought our very first flowers we ever did. 349 00:18:56,150 --> 00:18:58,800 Yeah. So anyway, so that was, oh. 350 00:18:58,800 --> 00:18:59,580 Wow. 351 00:18:59,580 --> 00:19:02,280 And then the next year it was kind of like, okay, 352 00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:08,140 let's see what we can do. Um, we still didn't. 353 00:19:08,830 --> 00:19:12,780 So like we didn't have a cooler, we didn't have, um, 354 00:19:13,110 --> 00:19:14,620 we didn't really have anything mm-hmm I mean, 355 00:19:14,620 --> 00:19:17,060 so we were just like, what section do we wanna try to do? 356 00:19:17,060 --> 00:19:19,620 And what flowers do we wanna try to grow? 357 00:19:19,670 --> 00:19:21,860 We still didn't really know about se succession planning. 358 00:19:22,390 --> 00:19:27,340 So we still were kind of like, you know, we just learning as we go sort of sure. 359 00:19:27,340 --> 00:19:31,620 Yeah. Hands on. Like you created your own system to teach yourself. 360 00:19:31,660 --> 00:19:35,540 Basically doing, basically we had been to a couple of the, the as, uh, 361 00:19:35,750 --> 00:19:39,500 as CFG conferences mm-hmm um, 362 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:44,860 and so that, and with some help from some other people, we just, 363 00:19:45,670 --> 00:19:49,820 it kind of, so it literally we've grown from a land perspective. 364 00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:54,900 We've actually, I think we've gone. I think we've increased. 365 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:56,980 I think now five times, I think this winter, 366 00:19:57,010 --> 00:19:59,500 I think was our fifth time mm-hmm wow. 367 00:19:59,500 --> 00:20:04,420 So we've just added on and added on and added on we've added irrigation, 368 00:20:04,420 --> 00:20:06,900 added irrigation added, you know, we got off, we finally got a, 369 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:09,660 well just for our irrigation. Um, 370 00:20:10,260 --> 00:20:15,260 we've added some tunnels and, and it's just kind of grown and grown. 371 00:20:15,260 --> 00:20:16,780 I mean, we took into, 372 00:20:17,390 --> 00:20:20,980 we got into whole foods that was kind of a process to get into whole foods, 373 00:20:20,980 --> 00:20:23,540 but we did that, uh, what, three years ago? 374 00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:25,133 19. 375 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:25,900 And. 376 00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:28,020 Before, before COVID then yes. 377 00:20:28,020 --> 00:20:33,020 Yes. Right. But I will tell you COVID actually helped us. 378 00:20:33,230 --> 00:20:37,900 Um, our sales went through the roof, um, and I think it was because, 379 00:20:38,670 --> 00:20:40,100 or at least my take on it, 380 00:20:40,110 --> 00:20:45,060 flowers were a fairly inexpensive way for people to feel good. Yeah. 381 00:20:45,060 --> 00:20:48,480 And they were stuck in their homes and they needed something to make them feel 382 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:49,720 good. Mm-hmm um, 383 00:20:49,860 --> 00:20:53,120 and so we really saw a huge increase in ourselves, um, 384 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:54,640 during the two years of COVID. 385 00:20:55,670 --> 00:20:59,800 Well, I've heard that from other people too. And it's, it seems like it hasn't. 386 00:20:59,950 --> 00:21:03,120 I mean, I guessing that it hasn't slumped off since. 387 00:21:03,330 --> 00:21:04,800 No, not no, no, not. 388 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,520 Really. Mm-hmm and the, as far as like the stores are concerned, 389 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,160 we could do more stores right now. We're, we're actually in the, 390 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,160 we're sort of in the process right now of just there she is out like. 391 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:19,520 How problem to. 392 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:20,920 Expand, how big we want it to be. 393 00:21:21,630 --> 00:21:22,120 Well. 394 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:24,720 Cause we don't know, um. 395 00:21:25,270 --> 00:21:26,160 It's a risk. We. 396 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,320 All know where to go right now because the, the whole foods, again, 397 00:21:29,740 --> 00:21:33,240 for where we're at, we've got a good opportunity to, to do as kind of, 398 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,680 as much as we wanna bite off. And we're just trying to decide what it, 399 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:36,600 what that actually is. 400 00:21:37,310 --> 00:21:40,160 Mike, what, what market is that? That, I mean, 401 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,600 or is there a distribution center near you? How, how are you? 402 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,720 There is a, well, there is a distribution center. So, um, 403 00:21:46,930 --> 00:21:49,840 we currently are delivering to Savannah that's our store. 404 00:21:50,110 --> 00:21:50,900 Okay. 405 00:21:50,900 --> 00:21:52,680 But we are going to, 406 00:21:54,110 --> 00:21:56,160 I think test the waters with a couple, 407 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,120 another couple stores coming up actually this month. 408 00:21:59,460 --> 00:22:00,220 Wow. 409 00:22:00,220 --> 00:22:04,560 And so again, we have to decide if, if we get, 410 00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:07,760 I think if we go beyond like three or four stores, 411 00:22:08,330 --> 00:22:12,800 we will just go to the distribution center. So the cause otherwise is about, 412 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:14,440 it's about three hours from us. 413 00:22:15,340 --> 00:22:19,000 And, um, cause otherwise you're, you're individually delivering too. We're. 414 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,960 Just delivering right now. Correct. We're just delivering to the store. Yeah. 415 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:23,760 And then if we, these other stores we're gonna do, 416 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:25,200 we're gonna deliver straight to the store. 417 00:22:25,350 --> 00:22:29,600 It's great that you can take 10 stores of material to it, 418 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,880 but there's also, you gotta worry about the packaging. 419 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,120 There's there's other things involved with it. Mm-hmm and, 420 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:38,600 and I'm, and I'm not saying we're not gonna do that. We just haven't decided 421 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,400 we've kind of crossed a lot of barriers this year with, 422 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,920 with kind of the labor thing. And we've figured out some more stuff, 423 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,400 I think this year. Um, 424 00:22:50,380 --> 00:22:55,360 but we still don't really know what we want our next step 425 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:56,360 to be, I guess mm-hmm . 426 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:56,880 Mm-hmm. 427 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,440 and I really like the fact that we can have a relationship with 428 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,080 the stores when you deliver to the stores. Um, uh, 429 00:23:04,290 --> 00:23:08,600 we just have we've we've met the staff there and they are really champion 430 00:23:08,630 --> 00:23:10,720 supporters, cheerleaders for our product. 431 00:23:10,940 --> 00:23:13,880 And if we went to the distribution center, then we would, 432 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,920 we would lose a little of that. Um, mm-hmm. 433 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:17,800 , you'd be more like just a, another commodity. 434 00:23:18,390 --> 00:23:21,800 Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, so again, it, 435 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:25,680 one day it might be the best bet just for, from a, 436 00:23:26,270 --> 00:23:30,200 a business decision. But for right now, I just really like being able to, 437 00:23:30,930 --> 00:23:33,520 to, uh, to have that one on one with the store. 438 00:23:34,170 --> 00:23:35,000 So, um, 439 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,800 let's just talk about how that happened because prior to branching out 440 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,600 into wholesale, you were primarily selling at your local farmer's market, 441 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:44,200 is that correct? 442 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,440 Correct. So, um, so again, I'll have to brag on, um, 443 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,280 we get a better something to look at in the back um, 444 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:52,960 we're walking around. 445 00:23:53,310 --> 00:23:53,600 I. 446 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,520 Love it. Um, uh, so this, this is a row of, um, 447 00:23:58,450 --> 00:24:00,840 of, uh, Flamingo, feather, um. 448 00:24:00,930 --> 00:24:01,280 Oh. 449 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:06,160 Wow. Um, we use this, um, as our, um, um, kind of our, 450 00:24:06,650 --> 00:24:09,760 it just adds such, um, interest to bouquets, um. 451 00:24:10,060 --> 00:24:12,960 The dark, the dark stem. Yeah. It's gorgeous. 452 00:24:13,330 --> 00:24:14,600 To it. Um. 453 00:24:14,810 --> 00:24:18,600 It looks tropical in a way, you know, it has exotic mind. Yeah. 454 00:24:18,970 --> 00:24:22,320 Um, but back to what you were asking. So, um, David Gerald, 455 00:24:22,490 --> 00:24:25,160 he is the flower guy at whole foods in Savannah. 456 00:24:25,340 --> 00:24:28,240 And he had seen us at precise farmer's market, 457 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:33,160 which is the farmer's market in Savannah. And he reached out and said, 458 00:24:33,310 --> 00:24:36,920 I really would like to have your flowers in our store. And, um, 459 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:41,880 I'll be honest had da David not been such a supporter and pushing us 460 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:46,640 through the process we may have given up. Um, um, 461 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,480 it just, it's just, it's just a lot, um, 462 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:53,840 which is which now looking back, it makes me feel good, um, 463 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:58,240 about our product, the fact that it could meet all of their requirements. 464 00:24:58,730 --> 00:25:00,600 Um, right. And, um, 465 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,680 it also makes me feel good about the food that I buy when I go to whole foods, 466 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,520 because I know what that pro what those products have had to go through, um, 467 00:25:07,610 --> 00:25:10,600 to be allowed to be sold in their store. Mm-hmm um, 468 00:25:11,170 --> 00:25:12,003 so for anybody. 469 00:25:12,210 --> 00:25:14,480 So, yeah. So for anybody who's interested, like, 470 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,880 what were the biggest hurdles that you had to, uh. 471 00:25:17,130 --> 00:25:21,960 Um, it is just a paperwork nightmare, um, and, um, just stay the course, 472 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,080 just stay with it. Um, I've heard there's a, 473 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:29,360 a flower farmer in Atlanta that's reached out to me and it sounds like the 474 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,920 processes has gotten better that it streamlined some. Um, 475 00:25:32,970 --> 00:25:35,640 so I do hope that that's the case. Um, yeah, 476 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,160 we actually did it before Amazon bought 'em so maybe, yeah, we, 477 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,240 we did it before Amazon, um, bought whole foods. So, um, so anyway, 478 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,280 I hear that it's better, but my advice to anybody is it's worth it. Um, 479 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,320 you know, just hang in there and, um, you know, just keep trudging along and, 480 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:55,000 and really make a, uh, a, um, a contact at the store. Um, 481 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,960 again, you know, David was just such a cheerleader for us and, um, you know, 482 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,720 he just made sure that we, um, you know, stayed, um, on task, 483 00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:05,080 you know, and got in there. 484 00:26:05,590 --> 00:26:09,640 Well sort of like everything, it boils down to relationships and yeah. 485 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,280 Yeah. You know, and you know, that's live right. You know? 486 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,000 Yeah. Yeah. Um, 487 00:26:14,090 --> 00:26:18,640 so are you are still selling at farmer's market then for like closer to home? 488 00:26:18,810 --> 00:26:21,960 We, every week we do states for farmers' market. Um, 489 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,400 let me get to a different section. Uh, 490 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,160 every week we do state states for farmers' market, um, 491 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,560 which is about 30 miles per month. That's our closest market. Okay. 492 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,880 And then we try two to three times a month to go down to fury and Savannah. 493 00:26:35,330 --> 00:26:38,040 Um, we've just got such a good customer base down there. 494 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:42,520 I hate not to go down there to, um, we just made some good relationships. Um, 495 00:26:42,740 --> 00:26:43,520 and so. 496 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:45,720 They're wait, they're waiting for you. And if you don't come, 497 00:26:45,950 --> 00:26:47,560 they start messaging you, right? 498 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:50,640 Yes, they do. They do. And faithfully, I can say, Hey, 499 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,840 I just delivered the whole foods swing by there. . 500 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,080 Mm-hmm , mm-hmm, , isn't that amazing. 501 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:56,080 But it's still not the same. 502 00:26:56,450 --> 00:26:58,960 No, but that's so interesting that like, they, 503 00:26:59,180 --> 00:27:03,400 the fact that you're at whole foods is not taking away from the customers who 504 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,080 wanna come buy it. 505 00:27:05,530 --> 00:27:08,920 Be it not, not be it. Um, and I think people, you know, 506 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,560 you've got your market people who like going to the market, um, you know, 507 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,440 that's just a whole different kind of subculture of Firo mm-hmm . 508 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:19,160 Um, and, um, and, you know, I think they, like just, it's a, 509 00:27:20,350 --> 00:27:23,760 I mean, they love our product, but it is more an experience, you know, 510 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,800 that's what they do on Saturday mornings, you know? Yeah. Um, 511 00:27:26,980 --> 00:27:28,680 and which I think's wonderful. You know? 512 00:27:29,490 --> 00:27:32,800 So how many of your children are now involved? Um, 513 00:27:33,030 --> 00:27:36,720 I know you've told me that one of your, I think your daughters does all, 514 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:38,880 all your social media, so well. 515 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:39,280 She did. 516 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:40,520 Congratulations to that. 517 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,600 Well, well, unfortunately I've lost her. 518 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,680 We actually just took her to university of Georgia on Friday. Oh, wow. And so, 519 00:27:47,130 --> 00:27:51,440 so she is, she has spread her wings and she has flown. Okay. 520 00:27:51,860 --> 00:27:56,760 And, uh, so I'm, I'm pretty devastated over that. Um, happy for her sad for me. 521 00:27:57,210 --> 00:28:00,760 Um, and so it will be me again on social media. So you will see, 522 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:02,320 there'll probably be a drop off . 523 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,040 We'll share the love back. 524 00:28:05,630 --> 00:28:10,200 When it comes to social media. Um, uh, so I had, so Mary Jen's gone, 525 00:28:10,450 --> 00:28:15,080 um, and, um, and she did my market. She did one of my markets for me too. 526 00:28:15,090 --> 00:28:19,400 So that's another kind of hole that I've happened to try to fill. Right. Um, 527 00:28:19,540 --> 00:28:24,200 and then we have another daughter, Josie who's 16 and Josie who Josie is, 528 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,080 who will take over the flowers. Um, that's what she wants to do for her, um, 529 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:32,440 for her living, um, and, um, in her, in adulthood. And, um, 530 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,080 I wish she could be here with us today. Um, but, um, 531 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,920 as children are busy with school and activities, she's not here. Um, but, um, 532 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,600 she knows so much, it's amazing that a 16 year old, I mean, she runs it like, 533 00:28:44,630 --> 00:28:48,360 I mean, I mean, she truly can, she knows when to plant where to plant, 534 00:28:48,430 --> 00:28:51,520 when to harvest what to harvest, what bouquets need to be made. 535 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,120 Like she can run it from start to finish. 536 00:28:53,310 --> 00:28:56,680 Sounds like she kind of learned it along with you and Mike, like, you. 537 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,480 Know, she did, she did. Um, she, um, she's been with it every step of the way. 538 00:29:01,010 --> 00:29:05,440 Um, and then our son is 14 and, um, he, he, 539 00:29:05,540 --> 00:29:08,040 him and his dad are kind of the muscle mm-hmm . Um, 540 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:09,960 they do the tractor work and, um, 541 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,640 driving tea post and putting up fence and all the things that I just don't wanna 542 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,640 do. , that's great. Um, and, uh, 543 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:23,520 Mason doesn't, he does it, him and Morgan. Um, who's my baby, she's 12. 544 00:29:23,610 --> 00:29:27,920 Um, they, they work because they want to earn some money. Yeah. They, 545 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,880 they don't do it because they, they have no desire to, to, 546 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:32,640 to be flower farmers mm-hmm , but, um, 547 00:29:32,790 --> 00:29:35,960 it's a good way for them to earn money. Um, sure. 548 00:29:36,810 --> 00:29:39,640 It kind of achieved what your original goal was, was to create a family. 549 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:45,080 Business. Yep, yep. It, it actually has. Yes. Um, so we're very blessed. 550 00:29:45,130 --> 00:29:48,760 Um, and then this year I found two Hispanic ladies, um, 551 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:52,880 that are helping me that, um, have just been wonderful. Um, 552 00:29:52,890 --> 00:29:57,080 we really had some, um, some labor issues and, um, 553 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:01,960 it was never stable. Um, and this year, um, it is stable and, 554 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:04,520 um, they've learned so much and they enjoy the flowers. 555 00:30:04,540 --> 00:30:06,920 And so I've been real blessed. Um, 556 00:30:07,290 --> 00:30:10,000 it really is our first year of having stable labor help. 557 00:30:10,020 --> 00:30:14,520 And, wow, that's amazing. And is that, is that also because, 558 00:30:14,770 --> 00:30:19,200 um, do one of you work off farm? I can't remember exactly. 559 00:30:19,410 --> 00:30:21,680 Um, yes. Um, Mike, um, 560 00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:25,960 has a landscape company and so he really is, um, 561 00:30:26,630 --> 00:30:30,360 just after evenings and weekends, um, help, um, 562 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,800 cuz he's full time and um, I'm, I'm a nurse by education and stopped nursing, 563 00:30:34,930 --> 00:30:39,160 um, uh, a year and a half ago. Um wow. And, um, 564 00:30:39,390 --> 00:30:43,640 that has been nice to be able to focus because I've never really been able to 565 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,880 focus on the flowers prior to that. Oh. 566 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:46,240 I had no. 567 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,400 Idea even with that, I, I still needed more help . 568 00:30:50,250 --> 00:30:53,880 So, so I'm just curious, you mentioned this was at your grandparents' farm. How, 569 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,200 how long have you lived there? Did you, um, 570 00:30:56,340 --> 00:30:59,440 was this sort of something that you ha you lived, 571 00:30:59,660 --> 00:31:01,960 you lived there before you had kids or did the, 572 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,400 having a growing family kind of prompt you to move there? 573 00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:07,960 Well, when we got married, we knew we wanted to move here. Um, 574 00:31:08,060 --> 00:31:12,160 and so this land's real special. So my ancestor, um, 575 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,240 John Deel, he re uh, 576 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:18,920 acquired this land and our piece of land is part of his original, um, 577 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:23,520 that he secured as a land grant from the queen of England in the early 17 578 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:24,100 hundreds. 579 00:31:24,100 --> 00:31:24,740 Wow. 580 00:31:24,740 --> 00:31:28,600 And, um, it has, um, the land has continued in our family. Um, 581 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:33,200 and my children are the ninth generation, um, from him, um, on land. 582 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:34,360 Oh, oh my goodness. 583 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:38,200 That's and so that's really, really special to me, um, that, um, um, 584 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,520 we've been able to maintain the, it in the family for that long. 585 00:31:41,940 --> 00:31:46,440 And other people, other people have other generations that have farmed, 586 00:31:46,610 --> 00:31:49,720 it sounds like, uh, at the, on the land, 587 00:31:50,220 --> 00:31:53,880 was it mainly to just feed their, their families or was it. 588 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,320 More well, my, my grandfather prior to that, yes. Um, and then my grandfather, 589 00:31:57,490 --> 00:31:59,080 um, he earned his living as a farmer. 590 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:03,880 He grew tobacco and cotton and soybeans and peanuts. Wow. Um, and then, um, 591 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:05,840 once he passed away, um, um, 592 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,440 we've continued to rent out the farmland to a local farmer. Um, 593 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:14,200 and so the bulk of our land is, um, in traditional row crops. Wow. Um, and, 594 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:18,040 um, we have cut out this, I don't know, probably all of this together. 595 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:19,360 They were not growing on all of it, 596 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,160 but this little area where we could grow on it is probably three acres. Yeah. 597 00:32:23,850 --> 00:32:26,880 Um, and, uh, for us, you know, for the flowers. 598 00:32:27,300 --> 00:32:32,200 Wow. Well, so interesting that, that you have, um, well, 599 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,640 obviously Mike's skills at a, 600 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,600 as a landscape designer or a landscape installer in that business probably 601 00:32:39,310 --> 00:32:42,440 came in quite handy. You can grow anything too, Mike, right. 602 00:32:42,610 --> 00:32:46,000 He, well, he has a degree in horticulture from the university of Georgia. So, 603 00:32:46,170 --> 00:32:49,080 um, he already knew like, like he had, 604 00:32:49,210 --> 00:32:52,800 he had some knowledge coming into it and then especially his knowledge of 605 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,160 irrigation, um, and tractor, we had a tractor, which is huge. 606 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,240 A lot of people don't have tractors when they start off. 607 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,200 So we had equipment already. And so all of those were just kind of bonuses, 608 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:03,240 you know? Oh my goodness. 609 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:06,680 Get started. Oh my gosh. And, and then, uh, 610 00:33:06,820 --> 00:33:10,360 the design that you do with the, 611 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:14,560 the floral design does, do you think that that's like your inner creative, 612 00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:19,440 uh, tapping your inner creative artists that you hadn't been able to do when you 613 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,520 were nursing? Or is it just something that, you know, 614 00:33:22,980 --> 00:33:24,440 you guys figured out together? 615 00:33:24,830 --> 00:33:28,960 Well, I'll be honest with you. The bouquets are assembly line bouquets. 616 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:33,000 I am not a designer. I have no desire to be a designer. Um, 617 00:33:33,210 --> 00:33:37,160 my love is growing flowers. Mm-hmm um, and, um, 618 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,000 so our bouquets are not, um, 619 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,800 there's not mean like it's about a minute that a bouquet, you know, 620 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,440 from start to finish. And what I have found is if you have good flowers, 621 00:33:48,450 --> 00:33:51,040 it really doesn't matter, you know? Um, 622 00:33:51,060 --> 00:33:54,880 and either the person's gonna buy your bouquet and they're just gonna flop it in 623 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:59,480 a base because they don't care or they're gonna spend their time themselves 624 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,800 designing how they want the bouquet to look at home. 625 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,600 Mm-hmm mm-hmm . And so we have found that, um, 626 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,120 we just end up getting frustrated at ourselves and each other, if, 627 00:34:08,130 --> 00:34:12,800 if we really try to design anything. Um, and so interesting. 628 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,800 So definitely that, that is different for us, 629 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,080 cuz I know a lot of flower farmers are, you know, they, 630 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,640 they have the design element, they do weddings, they, um, do events. 631 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,520 And at this point I have no desire to, to expand that way. 632 00:34:26,610 --> 00:34:30,400 Mm. That is so interesting Rita because, uh, you know, 633 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:35,000 that saying like the flower's so beautiful, it arranges itself, you're kind of, 634 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,280 you're kind of proving that like yeah, yeah. You come up with us. It's true. 635 00:34:38,370 --> 00:34:39,760 It really is. And you know, 636 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,880 for the longest time our children made the bouquets mm-hmm um, uh, 637 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,440 Josie still makes the bouquets now, 638 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:48,120 but the other ones have gotten so busy that they're not able to help me. Um, 639 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,560 but you know, years ago, I mean there was little kids making those bouquets, 640 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:53,600 you know, so it really is all about the flowers. 641 00:34:54,130 --> 00:34:55,600 Oh my goodness. I love it. 642 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,560 So that means your recipe is constantly changing because. 643 00:34:58,560 --> 00:34:59,393 It is so. 644 00:34:59,750 --> 00:35:01,040 What's available. Right. 645 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,520 Right. Like for instance, this morning when we made for whole foods, you know, 646 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,880 after we finished cutting, I looked in the cooler and what we had. 647 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,920 And so then it was three of this, two of this, you know, it is, 648 00:35:09,930 --> 00:35:13,600 it changes from the volume of what we have, um, and, 649 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,520 and somewhat the colors, but, you know, our bouquets are just really, 650 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:21,520 really colorful and they always have been, um, and full of sunflowers. 651 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:26,080 We've become, become known for that. Um, so, um, you know, yeah, 652 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:30,040 it does change based on the volume of, of flour that I have. Um, 653 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,320 but we really don't, 654 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,200 don't do a lot in regards to certain pallets and that sort of thing. 655 00:35:35,670 --> 00:35:40,080 Well, it, I think think vivid is, is definitely your palette because yeah. 656 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:41,020 , you know, 657 00:35:41,020 --> 00:35:45,040 you know what people are drawn to and if you're going more retail yep. 658 00:35:45,470 --> 00:35:50,200 Then pastels kind of don't have a, I suppose you have a few pastels tucked in. 659 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:50,480 I. 660 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,600 Do, especially in the spring, um, the spring, 661 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,720 we definitely have the lighter colors, but summer is just full of color. 662 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:57,360 And then as we go into the fall, 663 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,320 we'll have a lot of just the oranges and rust and burgundies, mm-hmm, 664 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,160 that just, you know, mm-hmm, just, you know, um, 665 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,760 it's nice to see how the season changed naturally. 666 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,440 Yeah. Now, do you, are you guys growing Dalia at all? 667 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:10,993 . 668 00:36:11,050 --> 00:36:13,320 Or is that a, a, a bad question? . 669 00:36:14,090 --> 00:36:17,200 So I'll tell you that is that's my nemesis. Um. 670 00:36:17,930 --> 00:36:20,480 No, really guilt. Right? We said that no guilt. 671 00:36:21,010 --> 00:36:23,640 Um, every year we try. Okay. Um, 672 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:28,320 and I can get a hundred or so nice blooms, but I want like thousands. 673 00:36:28,620 --> 00:36:29,220 Yes. 674 00:36:29,220 --> 00:36:33,880 And, um, I have not found the recipe yet for us here. 675 00:36:34,030 --> 00:36:38,400 Okay. Um, I have tried to do it counter seasonal, like a lot of people do. 676 00:36:38,810 --> 00:36:42,960 Um, and that did not work because we still do get cold here, you know? Yeah. 677 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,880 And I didn't have a way to protect them. We've tried growing them under lights. 678 00:36:47,090 --> 00:36:49,800 Um, we've tried growing 'em with shade cloth. Um, 679 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,920 this year we are just growing 'em out in the full sun and just trying to keep 680 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:58,840 them alive through our heat and see what happens. Come, come, um, 681 00:36:58,840 --> 00:36:59,470 fall. 682 00:36:59,470 --> 00:37:01,320 When things maybe cool off a little bit. 683 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:04,360 Yep. Yeah. But they hate our heat. They hate it. Mm. 684 00:37:05,350 --> 00:37:08,760 Yeah. And I remember that when, when we were at that conference, um, 685 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,280 our mutual friend, uh, 686 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:14,360 Rita and Andrews came from cuts of color and we were all blown away about how 687 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,000 she's growing winter dahs, but she has. 688 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:17,873 She's amazing. 689 00:37:18,060 --> 00:37:22,640 She has the structures. She's got, um, a different setup than you. 690 00:37:22,780 --> 00:37:26,760 Yep. Yep. And she's amazing. Like Rita's my life goal, you know? Um, 691 00:37:26,980 --> 00:37:30,960 and whenever we get together, we laugh, we call each other. We're do Rita's. Um, 692 00:37:31,100 --> 00:37:35,640 and, um, I remember that she, she has been such a mentor to me. Um, 693 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:38,360 especially in the beginning, like she would text me and say, Reed, 694 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:41,760 I'm doing this today. Are you doing this today? Um, that's. 695 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:42,120 Lovely. 696 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:43,960 She, um, she, she, 697 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,400 what you see today really is on the back of R Anders. 698 00:37:47,810 --> 00:37:52,120 Ah, well, we had, we had her, um, guest, uh, 699 00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:57,200 present at the SL flowers member meetup, um, this past spring. 700 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:01,960 And it was specifically to tell people about her winter growing processes. 701 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:03,320 So I'll just send you a link to that. 702 00:38:03,570 --> 00:38:05,000 Oh, that would be great. That would be great. 703 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,760 I know you never have time to get on those meetings with us, but uh, . 704 00:38:09,070 --> 00:38:10,640 This is I'm going, I'm gonna. 705 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,840 . No, no, this is, this is the next best thing. Well, um, what, 706 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,800 the reason I brought up the Dahlia is I was just kind of curious what your end 707 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,880 of season crops are. Is it, 708 00:38:19,890 --> 00:38:23,240 is it just that the sunflowers and solo just, uh, 709 00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:25,640 keep going until we do we get, have a frost? 710 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:29,760 We, we do. We, we, we keep planting. Um, we try to make it to Thanksgiving. 711 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:32,680 Sometimes a frost will get us prior to some Thanksgiving. 712 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:36,760 Sometimes a hurricane will get us prior to Thanksgiving. Um, but we do plant, 713 00:38:36,850 --> 00:38:39,240 um, with that, with the end goal of Thanksgiving. 714 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:43,680 And it really is just our summer. We, um, sunflowers, we do switch. Um, 715 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:45,240 actually we can show you these right here. 716 00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:49,560 So this is our first group that will be the pro cut reds. Okay. 717 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,160 And then the ones behind it will be the Mullan rouges. Um, so. 718 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,320 You're kind going into the darker colors. Yeah. 719 00:38:55,380 --> 00:38:58,240 Now our customers love those. You put a couple of those in, 720 00:38:58,240 --> 00:39:02,320 with the nice Vincents choice and that is some kind of bouquet. Um, 721 00:39:02,380 --> 00:39:06,080 and then of course we'll still have Zia's, we'll have gunna, um, 722 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:10,800 we'll have basil, we'll have mahogany hibiscus. Um, I've got it started, um, 723 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:15,080 up in the upper field right now. It's a great filler and our bouquets. Um, 724 00:39:15,610 --> 00:39:17,960 so it's just, we shift it's essentially the same flower. 725 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:19,560 We just shift to darker colors. 726 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,320 Mm-hmm and these sunflowers are planted in the fabric. 727 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:23,153 Can you see that? 728 00:39:23,420 --> 00:39:24,480 Yes. Oh, it's. 729 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:28,960 Yes. It's and actually most, most everything in this lower section. 730 00:39:30,090 --> 00:39:32,600 Um, that's great. Almost everything is planted in the fabric. 731 00:39:33,210 --> 00:39:35,880 So, um, when you talked about the close, uh, 732 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:40,720 placement of the seeds or of the, of the flowers, 733 00:39:40,780 --> 00:39:43,400 how, how many inches apart are the sunflowers? 734 00:39:43,490 --> 00:39:48,080 So right now we've got all of our sunflowers on, uh, 735 00:39:48,540 --> 00:39:49,600 six inch spacing. 736 00:39:49,750 --> 00:39:50,920 Okay. Wow. 737 00:39:50,940 --> 00:39:54,800 And, and like, so like these are Xena and they've been chopped off. 738 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:56,000 Like we've already pruned them. 739 00:39:56,070 --> 00:40:00,360 Mm-hmm but these will be really pushing strong here in the next 740 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:01,193 couple weeks. 741 00:40:01,450 --> 00:40:03,760 So we got, so you'll get the next flush then. 742 00:40:04,060 --> 00:40:07,640 The next flush we've been cutting on an area in the top field, 743 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,960 which we might make it up there, but, um, the top field we've been, 744 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,520 we've been working on it now for about a month. 745 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:18,990 So here's some gum Freea now this is not in fabric, but it's, 746 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:23,470 it is weeded pretty well. Um, it's great. Can you see it? Okay. 747 00:40:23,540 --> 00:40:27,550 Yeah. It's beautiful. That's a great color too. So that, 748 00:40:27,550 --> 00:40:30,510 is it still on a six inch grid, even though you, you don't, these. 749 00:40:30,510 --> 00:40:35,510 Are all six inch. Yep. We pretty much have everything. Um, that's love. 750 00:40:35,510 --> 00:40:40,270 I mean, that's worked pretty good for us, uh, so far, so yeah, it's kind of the, 751 00:40:40,270 --> 00:40:42,030 if it's not broke, you don't fix it kind of thing. 752 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,950 So I noticed that you have some structures way in the distance. 753 00:40:45,950 --> 00:40:48,590 Are those just hoop houses or high tunnels? 754 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,430 Uh, yeah, so up there. Yeah. 755 00:40:51,430 --> 00:40:51,750 Mm-hmm. 756 00:40:51,750 --> 00:40:52,870 can you see those? 757 00:40:53,220 --> 00:40:54,070 I can. Yeah. 758 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:59,110 So we've got three smaller ones and one big one and the big 759 00:40:59,110 --> 00:41:03,630 one right now is kind of our main area for our, we call 'em our babies, 760 00:41:03,630 --> 00:41:08,110 but all of our transplants. Okay. So we see them and then they go in there. 761 00:41:08,110 --> 00:41:10,630 So that we'll go up there in a second, but it's full of, 762 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:12,990 of stuff that needs to be planted. 763 00:41:14,060 --> 00:41:14,893 Yeah. That be. 764 00:41:15,290 --> 00:41:18,430 The other three are just kind of a mess right now. 765 00:41:18,430 --> 00:41:21,510 We've gotta get 'em cleaned up for fall mm-hmm . Cause we, 766 00:41:21,510 --> 00:41:24,830 we use our tunnels BA mainly just for season extension. 767 00:41:25,170 --> 00:41:25,590 Got. 768 00:41:25,590 --> 00:41:27,990 It. So, um, we're not really. 769 00:41:28,500 --> 00:41:29,280 You'll. 770 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,070 We have grown in them in the summer, but. 771 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,000 Probably gets too hot. Right. 772 00:41:35,470 --> 00:41:39,280 It's mainly the, it's mainly the season extension stuff. 773 00:41:39,890 --> 00:41:44,000 Ah, that's great. Well, before we wrap up, why don't you hop in your, um, 774 00:41:44,530 --> 00:41:47,240 in your cart and take us over there or if, 775 00:41:47,250 --> 00:41:49,440 if you don't have time that's okay too. Yeah. 776 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:50,400 Yeah, no, we can walk up there. 777 00:41:50,950 --> 00:41:55,560 Sure. That, oh, so this is another, um, this one actually is, um, 778 00:41:55,950 --> 00:42:00,560 Flamingo, feather. It's another Salia instead of having the purple tips, 779 00:42:00,610 --> 00:42:05,480 it has the white and then as it gets older, it, um, goes to like a blush color. 780 00:42:05,660 --> 00:42:10,560 Yes. Um, another really good, um, filler for, or accent flower for us. 781 00:42:10,700 --> 00:42:14,160 I'm, I'm shocked at how tall those stems are or that is amazing. 782 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:18,400 Yeah. They, they, those feathers get, they, they, when we're cutting them, 783 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:21,520 they're usually in the four foot range or, 784 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:23,600 or better be four to five foot probably. 785 00:42:24,140 --> 00:42:26,440 And these were sunflowers we planted last week. 786 00:42:26,630 --> 00:42:28,800 Yeah. Those would be last week sunflowers. 787 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:32,280 And then just other areas that we're about to turn up or we've turned up and we 788 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:33,280 gotta keep working on them. 789 00:42:33,620 --> 00:42:35,480 Wow. So Mike, 790 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:39,720 you come home from landscaping and put in a couple extra hours. Uh . 791 00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:41,720 And read, it keeps right up with you. . 792 00:42:42,110 --> 00:42:46,520 Yeah. I mean, usually in the evenings, I, I just do whatever I gotta do, 793 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:50,080 you know, mm-hmm sometimes it's what, whatever. I mean, 794 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:51,200 sometimes I help withou. Okay. 795 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:55,370 Sometimes it's tractor work sometimes it's like spreading compost. 796 00:42:55,370 --> 00:42:57,570 We're about to walk up to a big pile of compost right now. . 797 00:42:57,740 --> 00:43:01,610 So that's something else that some people may want to know. So, um, 798 00:43:02,210 --> 00:43:06,850 every bed before we pull the plastic on, or before we plan in it, it gets, um, 799 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:11,410 a layer of compost. Um, and then, um, a, um, 800 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:15,130 a fertilizer, just a, just an application of a general fertilizer. 801 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:16,170 Okay. So. 802 00:43:16,170 --> 00:43:17,930 And then after that, we really do not. 803 00:43:17,930 --> 00:43:21,010 Fertilize. It's an organic, this is organic compost. It's, 804 00:43:21,010 --> 00:43:25,490 it's certified organic. And the fertilizer we use is, is organic as well. 805 00:43:26,030 --> 00:43:29,090 Are you are, is one more farms, uh, certified organic. 806 00:43:29,300 --> 00:43:31,170 We are not certified organic, but we, 807 00:43:31,460 --> 00:43:35,250 we try to use armory rated chemicals. 808 00:43:35,820 --> 00:43:39,730 So we use, um, like the ne oils and sure. 809 00:43:39,730 --> 00:43:44,210 Just anything that's, that's more of the, um, 810 00:43:45,070 --> 00:43:48,450 you know, approved yeah. Armory rated, but no, we are not certified organic. 811 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:50,490 I said we're regulated by whole foods. 812 00:43:50,490 --> 00:43:52,250 Mm-hmm as far as what we can use. 813 00:43:52,350 --> 00:43:55,810 And so we have to follow recommended list. 814 00:43:56,540 --> 00:43:58,650 It sounds like they didn't require it though. And, 815 00:43:58,650 --> 00:44:03,010 and I think from what I've learned from other flower farmers is just, um, 816 00:44:03,860 --> 00:44:06,570 it doesn't necessarily, you know, 817 00:44:06,910 --> 00:44:09,650 add up because the there's so, 818 00:44:09,660 --> 00:44:14,610 so many other regulations for certified organic that are E maybe easier 819 00:44:14,610 --> 00:44:17,770 for food growers than flower growers. And you're so diversified. 820 00:44:18,210 --> 00:44:22,930 Right? Yeah. I mean, we certainly try to use, I mean, 821 00:44:22,930 --> 00:44:27,050 we try to use the practices of it, but mm-hmm yeah. It's uh, well, 822 00:44:27,630 --> 00:44:30,930 you know, it's a long process to get certified, so I don't know if we, 823 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:31,833 we ever will or not. 824 00:44:32,020 --> 00:44:32,520 You know, 825 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:36,640 we don't grow anything edible and what we found that's important to the customer 826 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:37,520 is that it's local. 827 00:44:37,990 --> 00:44:40,000 Yeah. I was just gonna say, 828 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:44,760 your brand already has an excellent reputation and your customers know you're 829 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:49,040 local and they, they know your affiliated with whole foods. 830 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:53,680 So they've got this sort of sense that you're doing good things and, uh, I, 831 00:44:54,230 --> 00:44:58,160 I applaud you for it. I mean, I think just trying to maintain, 832 00:44:59,260 --> 00:45:01,480 you know, those practices is hard enough. 833 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:04,720 yeah, yeah. Yep. So these are some of the babies. 834 00:45:04,720 --> 00:45:05,760 Can you see these okay. 835 00:45:06,110 --> 00:45:07,480 Yeah. What. 836 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:10,880 Are they? There's some mayor goals and Sotia and wow. 837 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:15,280 Basil and gumph and sunflower. 838 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:18,120 Oh ahead. No, no, I was just gonna say it's like, you use what you have. 839 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:19,840 You have, um, pallets. 840 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,320 Yeah. Yeah. They're sitting on pallets and buckets. I'm impressed. I mean, 841 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:26,680 it's not, it's not the greatest looking thing, but, uh. 842 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,920 Structure's beautiful and it's doing the job. That's wonderful. 843 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:35,160 Doing the job. This is an old trailer but the good thing, 844 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:38,000 the good thing about this trailer is we have a lot of, a lot of, uh, 845 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,480 seed trays on it. We can move it quickly. So Hey. 846 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:42,880 You just haul it out to the field, to, to transplant. 847 00:45:44,110 --> 00:45:45,740 So Deborah, this is Josie. 848 00:45:45,740 --> 00:45:47,460 That's Josie. That's our say. 849 00:45:47,460 --> 00:45:52,180 Hi to Deborah. Hi Josie, the future, the future generation. I love it. 850 00:45:52,180 --> 00:45:54,220 She's the future. She's the future. She's not, 851 00:45:54,220 --> 00:45:58,700 she doesn't really like this kind of thing, but she is the future. So, ah, okay. 852 00:45:58,700 --> 00:46:01,420 So maybe, maybe one day you'll be talking to her on your podcast. 853 00:46:01,570 --> 00:46:05,660 I would love it. I would love it. Let let's plan on that. Okay. I'm serious. 854 00:46:05,660 --> 00:46:10,620 That's so inspiring. Little, did you know when you had this idea that it was, 855 00:46:11,810 --> 00:46:16,780 I was just gonna blow up and be such a amazing change in your lives to have this 856 00:46:16,780 --> 00:46:17,860 beautiful flower farm? 857 00:46:17,860 --> 00:46:20,780 Yeah. Yep, yep. You're right. So, um, 858 00:46:20,780 --> 00:46:23,300 we'll walk you over to the barn real quick in the cooler. 859 00:46:23,820 --> 00:46:28,060 Great. That sounds great. And then we'll, we'll, uh, we'll say goodbye. 860 00:46:28,750 --> 00:46:32,740 Um, for sure. When we, uh, post this, um, interview, 861 00:46:32,770 --> 00:46:37,020 I'll get some extra photos from your feed, your, 862 00:46:37,020 --> 00:46:41,940 your flowers are packaged so beautifully and you're using like a 863 00:46:41,940 --> 00:46:45,580 branding on like a, a, a label or a sticker to brand. 864 00:46:45,580 --> 00:46:49,940 New. Yeah. We've got a, we've got a stamp on there that we've used. And uh, 865 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:52,070 so now we, 866 00:46:52,070 --> 00:46:55,310 we kind of started that several years ago and we started it and people are sort 867 00:46:55,310 --> 00:46:56,990 of just used to it now. 868 00:46:57,820 --> 00:47:01,630 I love it. So I love the business name and obviously it's a play on Williams. 869 00:47:01,630 --> 00:47:02,310 Right. 870 00:47:02,310 --> 00:47:06,350 Right, right. For the yeah. Williams and Morgan mm-hmm Morgan is, 871 00:47:06,350 --> 00:47:10,070 is Re's maiden name and one of our children's name Morgan. Oh. 872 00:47:10,070 --> 00:47:10,310 Yeah. 873 00:47:10,310 --> 00:47:13,710 This is our, this is our old barn. Can you see it? Okay. 874 00:47:13,860 --> 00:47:17,950 Mm-hmm that we've kind of, uh, 875 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,550 rebuild and changed and added. 876 00:47:21,250 --> 00:47:25,220 And this serves as our main 877 00:47:25,930 --> 00:47:27,700 like processing facility. 878 00:47:28,130 --> 00:47:30,460 Okay. So this is where you're making your bouquets. 879 00:47:30,710 --> 00:47:35,260 It is. And so it's about 150 years old. Wow. 880 00:47:35,430 --> 00:47:38,340 Um, it was about to fall down when we moved out here. 881 00:47:39,270 --> 00:47:44,250 And so we've had to do a fair amount of 882 00:47:44,250 --> 00:47:47,890 work. I know it still looks rough, but from where it's come from. 883 00:47:48,050 --> 00:47:49,530 It's come a long ways. Hey. 884 00:47:49,670 --> 00:47:53,490 You, you, you used what you had back to that story. Is this, um, 885 00:47:54,220 --> 00:47:56,770 is this your cooler then on the outside? Or do you have, oh. 886 00:47:56,770 --> 00:48:00,050 You have a, so there's one cooler here. Can you see that one? Yeah, 887 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:02,450 that was our very first cooler. I got it out of an, 888 00:48:02,450 --> 00:48:04,410 all of us subway that they had torn down. 889 00:48:04,980 --> 00:48:07,170 Oh my goodness. Perfect price, right? 890 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:10,650 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So we got, so we used it and, uh, 891 00:48:10,990 --> 00:48:15,410 and it was fine for us for the first, uh, couple years. And then, 892 00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:16,930 I don't know. Can you see. 893 00:48:17,340 --> 00:48:19,890 Oh, wow. That's gorgeous inside you guys. 894 00:48:20,980 --> 00:48:23,930 So this is kind of the structure, there's the tables. 895 00:48:25,140 --> 00:48:28,570 So we truly, it's like an assembly line when we make bouquets. Yep. 896 00:48:28,570 --> 00:48:31,330 But buckets on the tables and we just go at it. 897 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:35,770 I have a little whiteboard over on the wall and that's where the recipe of the 898 00:48:35,770 --> 00:48:37,450 day gets written. And, um. 899 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:39,290 That's wonderful. That's, that's what. 900 00:48:39,290 --> 00:48:39,890 We do. 901 00:48:39,890 --> 00:48:44,250 I love all the old windows, but you have the cafe lights. So I could, 902 00:48:44,250 --> 00:48:47,410 I could imagine you could throw a, a great workshop or party in there. If you, 903 00:48:47,470 --> 00:48:48,130 you went that. 904 00:48:48,130 --> 00:48:50,850 Route. We actually had, my sister actually got married in here. 905 00:48:51,300 --> 00:48:53,130 Oh my goodness. I bet it was so dreamy. 906 00:48:53,130 --> 00:48:57,450 It was kinda funny. Yeah. Um, so this is the back of an old truck. 907 00:48:57,450 --> 00:49:01,650 That's an old like reefer truck and we're not affiliated with that company. 908 00:49:02,450 --> 00:49:05,330 but we just haven't, we haven't, we're gonna paint it one day, 909 00:49:05,330 --> 00:49:05,840 but anyway. 910 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:09,450 You're gonna put the Wilmar Wilmore logo up there pretty soon. Right? Yeah. 911 00:49:09,450 --> 00:49:12,890 We'll have something, but we kind of built on this section this year, 912 00:49:13,130 --> 00:49:15,490 actually this winter, and we put this cooler, 913 00:49:15,490 --> 00:49:18,010 used to be on the other side of the barn, but it was kind of a hassle. 914 00:49:18,740 --> 00:49:20,210 So now we've put it here. 915 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:22,930 Yeah. You're like walk right in from the production. 916 00:49:22,930 --> 00:49:26,730 Area. Yeah. You can walk right in from the production, which is very handy. 917 00:49:27,230 --> 00:49:28,130 And then, uh. 918 00:49:28,540 --> 00:49:29,530 So practical. So. 919 00:49:29,530 --> 00:49:32,370 The, the cooler is on, but I'll try to take you in here. 920 00:49:32,540 --> 00:49:33,290 Oh, that's okay. 921 00:49:33,290 --> 00:49:36,650 We'll just love to take a peek and all these babies are going out the door 922 00:49:36,810 --> 00:49:37,650 tomorrow. It looks like. So. 923 00:49:37,650 --> 00:49:39,410 There's some of our bouquets for whole foods. 924 00:49:39,900 --> 00:49:42,410 Oh my goodness. Those are amazing. 925 00:49:43,390 --> 00:49:45,890 And there's can you see, okay. 926 00:49:46,190 --> 00:49:50,370 Yes. So are you putting yeah. You. 927 00:49:50,370 --> 00:49:53,010 Have right here. We're delivering in the morning. Okay. 928 00:49:53,010 --> 00:49:56,050 And then we've got stuff that we cut today. There's a lot of 929 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,490 sunflowers and ALS. 930 00:50:00,910 --> 00:50:03,570 And you'll make those tomorrow into new bookcase. 931 00:50:03,570 --> 00:50:07,730 Yeah. They'll be, these will be processed for our next thing in a couple days. 932 00:50:08,190 --> 00:50:12,330 Wow. So you built this, you built this from a reefer truck and then did, 933 00:50:12,330 --> 00:50:16,210 did you have to put a CoolBot in it or did it come with a refrigeration? 934 00:50:16,210 --> 00:50:18,850 No, we had to put, so it did have it had this in it, 935 00:50:18,850 --> 00:50:22,650 which is just a normal cooler unit, but we didn't do that. 936 00:50:22,650 --> 00:50:27,090 We just used the cool box of the CoolBot. Is, can you see it? Oh. 937 00:50:27,340 --> 00:50:28,520 Yes, it's fabulous. 938 00:50:28,650 --> 00:50:33,520 So there's the, the AC the window unit and then the cool bot itself. Yeah. 939 00:50:33,570 --> 00:50:37,240 Um, so we had it that's trick. We had it, or we put it in here. 940 00:50:37,430 --> 00:50:38,280 That's amazing. 941 00:50:38,700 --> 00:50:42,400 And it's good. It keeps it'll keep run stuff down to about 40 degrees. 942 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:47,200 We usually keep it between 40 and 42. And, 943 00:50:47,330 --> 00:50:49,940 uh, perfect. Yeah. So that's our cooler. 944 00:50:50,720 --> 00:50:53,220 Wow. What a great tour and visit. Um, 945 00:50:53,450 --> 00:50:56,420 Rita knows that I've been bugging her to do, uh, 946 00:50:56,420 --> 00:51:01,140 record an interview for a while. It's a bonus that you could join us, Mike, 947 00:51:01,140 --> 00:51:03,900 and what a team you guys make. I'm really inspired. 948 00:51:03,900 --> 00:51:08,660 And I know other people will be happy to have a little bit of a 949 00:51:08,790 --> 00:51:13,100 virtual visit to Wilmore farms. It's really, um, 950 00:51:13,100 --> 00:51:15,540 congratulations. I'm really impressed and inspired. 951 00:51:15,730 --> 00:51:20,580 I look forward to hearing what you decide to do as you grow, um, in the future. 952 00:51:20,830 --> 00:51:25,220 Um, we see a lot of people who, um, 953 00:51:27,250 --> 00:51:30,420 I suppose I just wanna say it's hard work. Um, 954 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:35,100 and I think a lot of people don't realize it and then they get very, 955 00:51:35,350 --> 00:51:39,460 um, discouraged. Um, and you know, 956 00:51:39,730 --> 00:51:44,060 it's been six years and we still don't have it figured out . Um, 957 00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:47,140 and so I, I suppose I just wanted to, 958 00:51:47,910 --> 00:51:51,220 if there's the people out there that are listening to this and they're ready to 959 00:51:51,220 --> 00:51:55,260 give up, because they're so discouraged just to encourage them not to, and that, 960 00:51:55,260 --> 00:51:59,580 you know, ever, ever failure that you experience, that's a learning process. 961 00:51:59,650 --> 00:52:02,180 Mm-hmm and you know, to do something different the next time. 962 00:52:02,690 --> 00:52:04,980 That's a good attitude. And, 963 00:52:04,980 --> 00:52:09,820 and also you you've decided what to specialize in you've you've kind of 964 00:52:09,820 --> 00:52:13,820 stayed focused and stayed in your lane. You're not trying to, you know, 965 00:52:13,820 --> 00:52:18,180 try things that maybe like garden roses or something that just wouldn't do well 966 00:52:18,180 --> 00:52:19,220 in your region. Yeah. 967 00:52:19,220 --> 00:52:20,660 Could you imagine . 968 00:52:21,130 --> 00:52:24,220 Yeah, but I know, I know you're gonna crack that. Not with the, 969 00:52:24,220 --> 00:52:27,580 with the dahlias. I'm not sure how, but I wanna hear the story when you, 970 00:52:27,650 --> 00:52:28,580 when you tell me. 971 00:52:28,580 --> 00:52:30,180 Well, I don't up that send. 972 00:52:30,180 --> 00:52:33,020 Me some photos phone okay, good. 973 00:52:33,020 --> 00:52:35,060 We'll get it eventually. But, but for right now, 974 00:52:35,130 --> 00:52:38,740 this what we're doing works for us. 975 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:43,540 And like Rita said, I think the biggest, like with so many people, 976 00:52:43,540 --> 00:52:46,300 especially at the farmer's market, you know, if we had a, 977 00:52:47,130 --> 00:52:52,060 a nickel for every time someone comes and offers to work for free and 978 00:52:52,600 --> 00:52:56,140 all that kind of stuff. I mean, I, you know, I think people, because. 979 00:52:56,140 --> 00:52:57,300 It would be so fun . 980 00:52:57,810 --> 00:53:02,220 Yeah. I think people have the vision sometimes that like, 981 00:53:02,430 --> 00:53:07,140 we just skip around and listen to music all day and the flowers are so CRA, 982 00:53:07,140 --> 00:53:09,980 you know, it's like, and it's kind of like a fantasy world. 983 00:53:09,980 --> 00:53:14,900 And so when you actually have to get into it and realize how hard it is, 984 00:53:15,170 --> 00:53:18,660 it's, it is, it can be discouraging. It can be frustrating, 985 00:53:18,730 --> 00:53:23,420 especially where we live. What's very hot. It's very humid. It's just, 986 00:53:23,420 --> 00:53:26,640 sometimes it's brutal working conditions, 987 00:53:26,780 --> 00:53:31,720 but you gotta keep going and keep, you gotta be persistent. And, uh, 988 00:53:32,550 --> 00:53:35,720 just try to, you're gonna make mistakes, 989 00:53:36,020 --> 00:53:40,280 but we've made millions of mistakes and we continue to make 'em. And the, 990 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:42,120 and I think the worst part about it is, you know, 991 00:53:43,110 --> 00:53:46,960 I've used this analogy a lot where if you build a wall wrong, 992 00:53:47,780 --> 00:53:51,000 you can tear it down and build another wall. When you, 993 00:53:51,110 --> 00:53:54,080 when you in this business and what we do, 994 00:53:54,080 --> 00:53:58,960 sometimes you have to wait a full 12 months to fix what you messed 995 00:53:58,970 --> 00:54:02,280 up. That's and that's really, that's hard, point's hard, 996 00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:05,840 but it's kind of the reality of the business. It's just, it is what it is. 997 00:54:05,850 --> 00:54:07,720 So you just try to, 998 00:54:07,720 --> 00:54:10,680 that's a really good learn from your mistakes and do the best you can and keep 999 00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:14,400 being persistent or be, as we, as we say around here, 1000 00:54:14,730 --> 00:54:17,040 we are pathologically optimistic. 1001 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:20,960 and you make great team. I, I love it. 1002 00:54:21,280 --> 00:54:25,680 Thank you both so much. This has been wonderful. And I really look forward to, 1003 00:54:25,770 --> 00:54:28,840 uh, sharing it with, uh, the SL flowers community and beyond, 1004 00:54:29,260 --> 00:54:31,560 and I hope to visit someday. I would love to. 1005 00:54:34,390 --> 00:54:35,240 Thanks. So 1006 00:54:54,270 --> 00:54:57,080 Thanks so much for joining me today. Visit SL flowers, 1007 00:54:57,080 --> 00:55:02,000 podcast.com to watch the replay video of today's conversation and that terrific 1008 00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:05,680 farm tour look for episode 576. 1009 00:55:05,910 --> 00:55:09,280 I've also grabbed links to some of the resources that Mike discussed, 1010 00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:12,880 including the compostable mulch, sheeting, 1011 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:15,200 the deer fencing and their CoolBot system. 1012 00:55:15,200 --> 00:55:20,000 So you'll wanna check that out as well as follow links to Wilmore farm's 1013 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:24,480 social places. Our next sponsor. Thank you goes to the Gardener's workshop, 1014 00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:29,360 which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and 1015 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:32,800 farmer Flos online. Education is more important than ever, 1016 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:34,640 and you'll want to check out the course 1017 00:55:34,640 --> 00:55:39,000 offerings@thegardensworkshop.com. Hey, 1018 00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:41,120 this coming weekend, if you're available, 1019 00:55:41,120 --> 00:55:46,120 you're invited to join me virtually as I share the story of slow flowers and our 1020 00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:48,200 mission at the Fria summit, 1021 00:55:48,470 --> 00:55:52,160 a virtual three day conference taking place September 23rd, 1022 00:55:52,230 --> 00:55:54,120 24th and 25th. 1023 00:55:54,750 --> 00:55:59,240 Fria stands for Floris recognizing environmental and ECOS sustain 1024 00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:04,240 ideas and applications hosted by hit Gillum and Gregor lurch. 1025 00:56:04,240 --> 00:56:08,920 The first Fria summit will cover presentations from industry leaders on 1026 00:56:08,920 --> 00:56:10,640 sustainability in floristry, 1027 00:56:11,070 --> 00:56:14,640 I'll be presenting a new lecture called walking the talk, 1028 00:56:14,640 --> 00:56:17,760 putting your sustainable values into practice. 1029 00:56:18,220 --> 00:56:20,080 And I'm excited that SL flowers members, 1030 00:56:20,080 --> 00:56:24,760 Susan McCleary and Holly chapel are also part of the speaker lineup. 1031 00:56:25,290 --> 00:56:27,920 They'll present design, demonstrations and lectures, 1032 00:56:28,340 --> 00:56:32,240 and they'll be an international slate of designers offering 15 hours of live 1033 00:56:32,240 --> 00:56:36,880 presentation in all the standard registration is $99 and the full 1034 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:41,680 registration, which includes a bonus session with Gregor. Lurch is $129. 1035 00:56:42,100 --> 00:56:46,720 You can find the registration link in today's show notes or visit Frisia 1036 00:56:46,720 --> 00:56:51,320 summit.com. Our final thank you goes to Johnny's selected seeds, 1037 00:56:51,320 --> 00:56:56,160 an employee-owned company that provides our industry with the best flower herb 1038 00:56:56,160 --> 00:56:59,480 and vegetable seeds supply to farms, large and small, 1039 00:56:59,540 --> 00:57:02,120 and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. 1040 00:57:02,120 --> 00:57:06,800 Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at Johnny's seeds.com. 1041 00:57:07,190 --> 00:57:09,040 Thanks so much for joining us today. 1042 00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:13,920 The slow flowers podcast is a member supported endeavor downloaded more 1043 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:18,680 than 889,000 times by listeners like you, thank you for listening, 1044 00:57:18,680 --> 00:57:20,000 commenting and sharing. 1045 00:57:20,170 --> 00:57:24,760 It means so much as our movement gains more supporters and more passionate 1046 00:57:24,760 --> 00:57:28,680 participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry. 1047 00:57:28,900 --> 00:57:32,080 The momentum is contagious. I know you feel it too. 1048 00:57:32,530 --> 00:57:35,480 If you're new to our weekly show or our long running podcast, 1049 00:57:35,960 --> 00:57:40,800 check out all of our resources@slowflowersociety.com and consider 1050 00:57:40,800 --> 00:57:44,480 making a donation to sustain SL flowers' ongoing advocacy, 1051 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:46,960 education and outreach activities. 1052 00:57:47,220 --> 00:57:50,960 You can find the donate button at slow flowers, podcast.com. 1053 00:57:51,500 --> 00:57:52,640 I'm Debra printing, 1054 00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:56,240 host and producer of the slow flowers show and the slow flowers podcast. 1055 00:57:56,900 --> 00:58:00,720 The slow flowers podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew BNN. 1056 00:58:00,940 --> 00:58:05,320 The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my 1057 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:09,560 guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company, 1058 00:58:09,730 --> 00:58:12,080 or organization. Next week, 1059 00:58:12,080 --> 00:58:15,440 you're invited to join me in putting more slow flowers on the table. 1060 00:58:16,020 --> 00:58:19,520 One stem one base at a time. I'll see you then.