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June | 2021 a wholesale distributer because we are far more streamlined in our ability to move freight and cut unneeded costs out of the distribution channel." Dahlson wants to position Mayesh as a resource for florists in search of domestic product, adding, "We are committed to sourcing from local growers and we want to be part of helping farmers make a living and get their product to market." Fellow wholesale florists are also banking on florists to ask for more local options. In Carpinteria, Calif., Joost Bongaerts, owner of Florabundance, provides the "Certified American Grown" logo on his company's website so that customers can identify domestic flowers and foliage offerings. He says 70 percent of the flowers sold between February and November are from farms in California or elsewhere in the U.S. "Flower growers will be more visible as demand for local flowers goes up," he states. "If there is more demand, we want to be there. Overall, 80 percent of flowers are still imported, but we want to be big supporters of locally grown." Florasource KC, based in Overland Park, Kan., is an independently owned boutique flower wholesaler that, like many wholesalers, is diversifying to serve a wide range of customers. Andrea K. Grist, business manager and executive floral designer, says there is an opportunity to bring locally grown product to the market, but it takes good communication between the flower farmers and the wholesale buyers. "We're trying to find growers and open a dialogue with them, being forthcoming about the fact that there has to be room for us to make money, too," she explains. "I know there's a benefit to the farmers if we can offer exclusivity and purchase their entire crops, such as peonies." As the lines continue to blur between who is a grower, who is a wholesaler and who is a designer—and every hybrid version imaginable—it's clear that those who are willing to adapt and use a creative approach to flower sourcing will succeed. e phrase "American grown" was once synonymous with "California grown" because the majority (up to 80 percent) of domestic cut flower production was based there. Now, however, with the proliferation of farmer-florists all across North America and regional greenhouse growers moving toward year-round production, florists are increasingly able to meet demand for local flowers on a year-round basis. Ellen Frost, owner of Baltimore-based Local Color Flowers, believes that it's possible to base a studio business around a year-round local sourcing philosophy. Local Color Flowers buys from a wide array of growers within a 100-mile radius, a practice Frost shares in an online course called "Growing Your Business with Local Flower Sourcing." "Everybody can do a little bit of local sourcing, and that will add up to what we consider big steps forward in the industry," she explains. David Dahlson, Mayesh's flower specialist, has long worked with domestic growers, large and small. "What was old is new again," he points out. "If we can act as a medium that connects people who want U.S.-grown flowers and people who are growing flowers in the U.S., that's where we see the opportunity."

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