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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 59 Aerial view of Rose Story Farm; Carpinteria, Calif. designs and event work. Four fl ower farmers joined the discussion to share their sourcing advice for fl orists. From anecdotal response, Tucci believes that a desire to source fl owers locally will only increase. "If we teach our customers and clients about what is available locally, and if it's important to them, perhaps we can shift our décor plans to envelop what's local." She's quick to note that this doesn't mean abandoning allegiances to conventional fl oral wholesalers. "Some of the wholesalers I work with have savvy websites, and they list exactly what farms or regions their fl owers are coming from, so we're able to fi lter and buy local through our traditional outlets. I hope more wholesalers get in tune with that." Gina resher, AIFD, CFD, EMC, owner of From e Ground Up Floral in Kent, Wash., co-hosted the AIFD "From Farm to Florist" webinar in which she interviewed Brad Siebe, general manager of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned wholesale cooperative where resher frequently shops. "My business has shifted quite a bit," she shares. "Along with having more time because there weren't a lot of events last year, I started growing [cut fl owers] myself. I've also been supporting hyper-local farms that tend to have more unusual off erings or specialize in certain crops. I tell my wedding and event customers that I strive for 87 percent locally grown or hyper-local fl owers." When resher purchases from conventional Seattle-area wholesalers like Mayesh Wholesale Florist, she does so for product selection and customer service. As noted, many larger wholesale fl orists are expanding or revising their focus on local sourcing. At Mayesh, CEO Patrick Dahlson says that supplying locally grown fl owers helped save his company and other wholesalers last year, especially when COVID initially halted fl ights with off shore product. "When we were forced to shut down due to COVID, growers still had product in the ground," he notes. "Everyone was devastated. Florists who decided to continue operating, whether they knew they could or should, started fi nding supply from local growers in California. When Mayesh rebooted several weeks later, we went with all domestic and helped growers move boatloads of local product." At the same time, Dahlson observed that many studio fl orists continued seeking farm-direct buying opportunities. He understands the appeal of this model but believes, "It's far more eff ective to purchase those very same fl owers through "Last year, we added our roses to farm box distributors and farm stands. In addition, we sold through a couple of local retail outlets. We also marketed direct to consumers. So instead of shipping 20 to 40 bunches to one customer repeatedly throughout the season, we were shipping one or two bunches to hundreds of new clients." — D a ni e l l e D a l l 'Ar mi

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