A boom for blooms

Colorful dahlias and delphiniums draw people in to buy the veggies, herbs, and jams that Berry Ridge Farm offers for sale at the Alexandria Farmers Market under the Big Ole statue every Saturday in season. 

But that is not the only reason Berry Ridge Farm sells cut flowers. 

“One gentleman bought flowers for his sister-in-law’s birthday,” says the farm’s Ron Branch. “She was in her 70s and told him nobody had ever given her flowers before. Flowers bring smiles to people’s faces.” 

Originally, Ron and Ann Branch added flowers to their local foods mix when their twin sons wanted to grow them for a 4-H project. The boys bloomed into adults off the farm, but the flowers stayed planted. 

Pretty with a purpose

Flowers sustain pollinators, improving food crop yields. They can emit scents that turn pests away. They play a role in tourism—sunflower fields make the perfect Minnesota road trip photo op, for example—and diversify a farm’s income. 

Flowers even make an appearance in the culinary scene. Peppery petals may top a chef’s creation, sunflower seeds make tasty snacking, and many flowering plants make healthy seed oils. 

“They sell,” says Robin Trott, University of Minnesota Extension horticulture educator in Douglas County who also farms cut flowers with her husband Doug in Starbuck, Minnesota. “You do not need to be near a big city. People in small towns love a table-top arrangement or gift bouquet.” 

For these reasons and more, Extension research and education on flower production grew in 2024. Trott reached more than 350 people through six Flower Farmer Stories webinars, covering topics from variety selection to marketing. Ron Branch was one of the growers sharing his story to help others learn if growing flowers might be for them. 

Flour and flowers 

Another guest of Trott’s Flower Farmer Stories series was Jenny Bredeken of Full Circle Farm in Starbuck. She returned to her family’s fifth-generation farm with her husband, Roscoe Fowler, after years living and baking in Hawaii. They now grow specialty grains. 

Bredeken has fresh-milled flour in her blood, but flower farming “just kind of happened,” she says. “Maybe we should pick one thing, but there is a lot of value in doing something that brings you joy.” 

Flowers, however, require a new skill set. Trott teaches how to plant in succession so that there is always something blooming, and how to use cooling technology to keep blooms fresh for the market and their final destination. 

Even a mistake can have a silver lining. Bredeken once had a field of sunflowers “popping” all at once and put an ad on Facebook to have people come pick them. Suddenly, Full Circle Farm was a you-pick operation and Bredeken a freshly minted social media maven. 

Flower subscriptions offer stable sales. Bredeken offers build-your-own-bouquet events and sells “bloom buckets” to La Ferme, a farm-to-table restaurant in Alexandria that puts a little floral spray on each table. 

Trott provides a reality check for those considering this life. “Flowers alone may not be able to provide enough income or benefits so, like most farmers, you may be working hard on and off the farm.” 

Research reveals a rosy outlook 

Mary Rogers, Extension horticultural entomologist, was just “flower curious” several years ago. But she wondered, “What would happen if fruit and vegetable growers integrated more flowering plants? Would this new venture benefit growers financially, help manage pests, and increase pollinator habitat?” 

R Roots Garden in north Minneapolis is one of the farms participating in Rogers’ study. On a warm summer evening in 2024, the Twin Cities Metro Growers Network, as well as other partners and neighbors, were convened there by Lia Spaniolo, Hennepin County Extension educator for urban agriculture and small farms.

Rogers, along with R Roots grower Queen Frye and Spaniolo, presented to the community on cut-flower research and companion planting of flowers with vegetables to fend off pests. Some research questions remain, but the benefits for plant and soil health are apparent. 

“You can see all this activity—it’s like rush hour for the bees,” says Frye. “And my greens are bigger, greener. My tomatoes are certainly larger than before. The flowers are here, I understand more about them, and I will continue to include them.”