In this episode, we sit down withChloé Roy, seasoned flower farmer, teacher at the Market Gardener Institute, and author of a new book on flower farming. She shares her journey from vegetable farming to building Floramama, a thriving flower farm, and the lessons learned along the way. Chloé discusses the business side of flower farming and sheds light on the hidden environmental and ethical costs of conventional flowers and why local flower farms are part of a growing movement.

Chloé also reflects on scaling back production, prioritizing work-life balance, and her dream of documenting a world tour of flower farms. Whether you're a market gardener or a flower enthusiast, this episode is full of insights to help you grow flowers more profitably and sustainably.

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Timestamps

[06:40 ] The hidden costs of the conventional flower industry and why local flowers matter

[12:12 ] The rise of the small flower farm movement

[18:51 ] Applying bio-intensive market gardening to flower farming

[27:15 ] Challenges in growing Lisianthus and Ranunculus – Trial, error, and success

[32:40 ] Pricing flowers correctly and educating customers on their value

[39:24 ] Market strategies – Selling at farmers' markets, CSAs, and to florists

[45:08 ] Scaling up to a $380K farm operation – Managing a team and business growth

[51:22 ] Scaling back – Shifting focus to seed and bulb production

[56:10 ] Chloé’s dream – A world tour documenting flower farms

[1:10:54 ] Lessons in business planning and work-life balance

[1:24:19 ] Advice for new flower farmers[1:41:07 ] Rapid fire Q&A

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Guest Social Media Links

Floramama:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floramamafermeflorale 

Website: https://www.floramama.ca/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floramama 

JM:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier