Flower farmers seed a growing backyard industry in Erie and northwestern Pennsylvania

Flowers are becoming a popular cash crop in the Erie region.

Small growers are selling flowers raised in backyard micro-farms. There are 18 small flower farms in an informal association of growers in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties.

"We're basically gardeners gone wild," said Kristin Smock, owner of The Bumbling Bee Flower Farm in Conneaut Township.

Planting and picking part-time

Previously an interior designer and now employed by an environmental restoration company, Smock was raised on a fruit farm.

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"Farming has been part of my life. And I've always grown flowers. It's been kind of a natural progression from being a gardener to being a flower farmer," Smock said.

Smock raises flowers on a half-acre of land at her home on Crouch Road, near Albion. She plants about 40 varieties of flowers, including tulips and daffodils in the spring, summer zinnias, sunflowers and cosmos, and fall sunflowers and mums.

Smock sells bouquets by subscription. For $100, subscribers get five fresh bouquets delivered through the summer. She sold 13 subscriptions this year, in her second year of growing.

"I did a very small version last year, with only three subscriptions. I sold out this year, and I honestly didn't expect that," she said.

Smock also sells flowers for weddings and other events. She additionally sells to florists and other designers and at a stand at her home on weekends.

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Tiffany McCurdy, owner of The Petal Patch Flower Farm near Cochranton in Crawford County, is a fifth-year flower farmer and stay-at-home mother of four.

"I always liked gardening, and always grew vegetables," McCurdy said. "One year I told my husband that I was going to start growing flowers, and he just kind of looked at me. I had to keep telling him that flower farming is a real thing and that I wasn't just making this up."

Like other local flower farmers, McCurdy starts seeds indoors as early as January before planting a half-acre at her home. She also planted seeds in a small greenhouse in March.

McCurdy raises a variety of flowers, including dahlias, snapdragons, zinnias, sunflowers and rudbekia, that she sells in subscription bouquets, to local flower shops, on Fresh Flower Fridays at a local boutique and in bouquets at a local grocery store.

"I also do events and have done over 30 weddings this year," McCurdy said. "It's going amazingly well."

Fresh flowers are in demand, growers said, because most flowers sold in the region and across the United States are imported. About 77% of flowers sold in the U.S. in 2019 were brought into the country, according to Agricultural Economic Insights, an agricultural analytics firm.

"They aren't as fresh and don't last as long as flowers grown here," Smock said.

And many customers buy local to support local businesses, said Kelly Dundule, owner of Bella's Blooms on Old Zuck Road in Millcreek. A CPA and finance officer for a local business, Dundule began planting flowers for sale this year.

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"There's been a kind of resurgence or renaissance about buying local," Dundule said. "And with flowers, the product is fresh and delightful."

Dundule so far has sold mostly through social media and recently began selling flowers at Ember + Forge coffeeshop at 401 State St. in Erie. Dundule started small, planting just a quarter-acre this year. She lives on the 40-acre former farm where she grew up and plans to expand plantings.

"It's been successful, and I'm hooked," Dundule said.

Growing relationships

The local growers are part of an informal network of small flower farmers started by Laura Salamonsen of Union City. Salamonsen began growing flowers in 2017 to seed what someday will be her retirement farm. In researching what to grow and where to one day sell her blooms, she visited Cleveland Plant & Flower in Erie.

Salamonsen now manages the Erie location, which imports flowers and other plants to sell to florists and other customers across the country. She also buys from local flower farms.

"I was seeing a gap between flower farms. No one knew about each other. There was a gap, too, between local growers and florists," Salamonsen said. "I invited flower farmers here to see our coolers, get an idea what flowers we provide to florists, and decide if they want to go into the business of wholesale and how that works."

The group of growers took root. They continue to share expertise and advice.

"Everyone is incredibly supportive of each other," said Smock, who sells to other growers in need of particular flowers for wedding or florist orders. "It's great to have other growers in your backyard, close to the lake and familiar with the weather here, when to start seeds and how to get water to the field when it's dry."

Interest in a particular flower and advice from other growers seeded Dundule's new business.

"I've always loved flowers, have done some landscaping and have grown vegetables from seed," she said. "But what really sparked it was that over the winter, I wanted to grow a particular flower, ranunculus. I looked up how to grow them and found YouTube videos of flower farmers. It hadn't dawned on me that was a thing you could do."

Local growers, including Smock, provided advice and encouragement.

"I met Kristin virtually on Facebook, and right from the beginning she was willing to share information," Dundule said. "It's totally different from other industries that aren't willing to share any secrets with others doing what they are doing."

There is more than enough demand to sustain all of the local growers, Dundule said.

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"Flowers are an important part of all of life's milestones, from birth to dance recitals, proms, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and funerals. The constant demand is an opportunity for all of us to provide more of that market," Dundule said.

Most growers are still planting and will sell through fall. Some allow the public to pick flowers by appointment. Some also sell dried flowers and seasonal wreaths. McCurdy, of The Petal Patch, also offers flower arranging classes.

"I love flower farming. It's a great way to spend time outside, and the kiddos even lend a hand here and there," McCurdy said.

Salamonsen looks forward to selling flowers when she retires from Cleveland Plant & Flower, but for now just enjoys planting seeds and watching them grow and bloom at her Arbuckle Farm.

"Flowers have taken me somewhere pretty awesome," she said. "Even just within my family, with the females coming out and gardening together, it's been amazing."

Other small flower farms in Erie County include: Wildewood Flowers and Beaks & Blooms, both in North East; Rose & Grace Floral, Erie; and Love Blossoms Flower Farm in Harborcreek.

2nd annual Flower Festival

Port Farms, at 2055 Stone Quarry Road in Waterford, includes a large, five-acre flower farm.

The public is invited to pick flowers "by the bucket or bloom" during the farm's Flower Festival beginning Aug. 6. Hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 11.

Ticket prices start at $11.95 and are available online at portfarms.com.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNmyers.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Small flower farmers seed a growing Erie region industry