In mid-July, I had the pleasure of attending the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) Regional Conference in New Jersey. This two-day conference was jam-packed with tours, educational classes, and opportunities to meet other cut flower growers in my region. A few weeks ago, I shared part one of my experience at the conference, taking you along on a tour of Kube Pak’s wholesale warehouse. As promised, I am sharing part two of my field trip to the conference today by taking you along with me on a tour of Moonshot Farm.
Moonshot Farm, a beacon of sustainability, is owned and operated by Rebecca Kutzer-Rice and Mark Rice. In 2019, after a decade in NYC, they moved to East Windsor, New Jersey, to start their dream farm. While not yet USDA organic certified, they grow their flowers using bee-friendly, sustainable practices. Their commitment to the environment is evident in their zero-waste, plastic-free packaging and the addition of geothermal heat to one of their greenhouses in 2022, enabling year-round flower growth with a minimal carbon footprint. They offer flowers 52 weeks a year at farmers markets, their farmstand, and through their CSA.
Rebecca and Mark were gracious hosts, and I felt honored to be allowed to tour their lovely farm. I was impressed with their openness in discussing the challenges of running a flower farm. Their honesty was refreshing in the current world of only showing the best and most beautiful side of farming on social media. They were open and honest about the struggles they encountered since opening their farm, and their sincere account was much appreciated by the audience, who could easily relate to the challenges of farming. Farming is hard, and it was nice to commiserate with other farmers and know that we all struggle at times.
We were taken behind the scenes to see how they run their farm operation, following the processing of the flowers from the field and greenhouse to the customer. They graciously allowed us to peek into their greenhouses, coolers, seed-starting, and flower-processing areas. We were also given a tour of their perennial and annual fields. Mark showed us some of his favorite tools and farm equipment while discussing their use on the farm (I was particularly fascinated by the vacuum seeder!). He also discussed soil health, their use of nematodes in detail, and their new plans for composting.
Rebecca gave us loads of helpful information about grants and what it’s like to grow flowers year-round. I was completely enamored with one of their greenhouses, planted with numerous varieties of lisianthus. My heart skipped a beat as I strolled through row upon row of their frilly petaled blooms in various colors. It may have convinced me to try growing this gorgeous flower on our farm next season.
I also enjoyed learning how they grow their lilies in crates to save space and extend the season. Both Rebecca and Mark were terrific hosts, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet them and tour their beautiful farm.
While the Moonshot Farm and Kube Pak tours completed day one of the ASCFG regional conference, day two included more learning opportunities. Day two began with a buffet-style breakfast, which gave us another chance to mingle with fellow members. I was thrilled to catch up with some of my flower farmer friends from the Hudson Valley and meet farmers I’d previously only been conversing with on social media. After breakfast, we all filed into the conference room for a day of seminars by fellow farmers and industry leaders.
Jennifer and Scott Joray of Eastern River Farm presented the first class on regenerative farming. I was fascinated by their mission to use regenerative agriculture to restore soil health, and I hope to incorporate some of these methods here at Whistling Bee Farm. Next, Dr. Alicain Carlson of Syngenta Flowers gave a presentation on growing dahlias from unrooted cuttings to produce virus and disease-free material. Joy Longfellow from Johnny’s Selected Seeds then shared the results of their overwintering experiments to extend the season. Michelle Elston of Roots Cut Flower Farm shared a report on her cockscomb celosia trial. After lunch, we were treated to a presentation on implementing efficient tools and techniques by Jenny Marks of Trademarks Flower Farm. Meeting and learning from Jenny, whom I’d admired and followed on social media for years, was extraordinary. I look forward to implementing some of her techniques here on the farm. Next up was Ko Klaver from Botanical Trading Company, who educated us on the science of flower bulb forcing for season extension. I would love to try his methods someday! Dave Dowling of Ball ColorLink finished the presentation lineup with an overview of the best foliage and fillers to grow. After his overview, I got a new “must-grow” list and an armload of catalogs and educational materials to peruse!
I am grateful to have attended the ASCFG regional conference, where I was given many opportunities to grow and learn. I met so many amazing people, toured two incredible flower operations, and learned many tips and techniques that I can’t wait to implement on our farm. I hope you enjoyed this field trip with me, and I look forward to taking you along on many more in the future.
THISTLE BE THE DAY 