The Shadow
PHENIX, Va. – Across Virginia, farmers markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs are increasingly offering homegrown bouquets alongside fresh produce. Virginia Cooperative Extension agents see this as a budding opportunity for local growers.
Cut flowers generated over $3.3 billion in U.S. sales in 2023 with nearly 60 percent being imported, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite seasonal constraints, Virginia growers contributed $133 million in sales — about 4 percent of national sales in 2023. With growing demand for seasonal, locally grown “slow flowers,” Extension sees potential to reduce imports and improve profitability for local growers.
“Cut-flower farming is a great market to enter if you don’t have a lot of start-up capital or space,” said Scot Ferguson, Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Hanover County. “We recommend soil testing for fertility management, but floriculture doesn’t require the expensive and stringent water testing that food crops do for safety.”
Ferguson and Erin Small, an agriculture and natural resources agent in Prince Edward County, are helping flower farmers find their footing in a market that offers flexibility, diversity, and real growth potential — especially for beginner farmers, smaller acreage operations, and existing producers looking to diversify.
While cut flowers can be a valuable addition for those already selling at farmers markets or roadside stands, growers face many challenges, including Virginia’s hot, humid climate, where powdery mildew and unpredictable rainfall are concerns.
Additionally, Ferguson said, “There are so many flower cultivars by different brands, it can be difficult to know exactly what to grow.”
Recognizing the need for deeper support within Virginia’s growing flower farming community, Small launched the Cut Flower 360 Discussion Group in 2024 — the state’s only forum focused on cut flowers. Each month, members tour growing operations, meet with wholesalers, and learn from business experts who offer insights tailored to producers.
“It’s not just about learning from the facilities — it’s about farmers talking to each other,” Small said. “It gives new growers confidence in pricing, marketing, and design — and reminds them that a production field doesn’t always have to look perfect.”
In the group’s first year, membership nearly tripled, growing from 23 participants to 67. Small expanded programming based on grower feedback, adding floral arrangement workshops, nursery tours, and business-planning sessions.
In 2025, the program has grown to over 186 members, all of whom have gained hands-on experience in pest management, marketing, soil health, conservation, and wholesale operations — essential agricultural skills that are broadly applicable across the industry.
Yvette Kisling of Poplar Flats Farm in Lovingston, said she first learned about Small’s Cut Flower 360 Discussion Group from other Extension agents.
“What Erin is doing goes above and beyond,” Kisling said. “Hearing everyone’s stories — what works and what doesn’t — has taught me so much. I drive an hour to attend, and I always leave feeling it was worth it, whether I made a new connection or learned something to improve my production.”
This year, Small organized a Cut Flower Field Day that drew 97 growers from Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. The event offered hands-on workshops with 22 industry experts and researchers from Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.
In surveys of the event’s participants, 75 percent said it directly helped them improve their own flower production, and 100 percent reported they would return.
The surprisingly robust turnout only reinforced what many growers already knew. When flower farmers learn and grow together, the whole industry thrives.
A new grower network has recently formed in Charlottesville, and collaborations continue to spread statewide.
“As a new flower farmer, Extension has been such a confidence boost — it shows me this is possible,” Kisling said.
The Cut-Flower Discussion Group starts meeting monthly soon! Check out their schedule by visiting prince-edward.ext.vt.edu/news/cut-flower-discussion-group or follow the Prince Edward Extension office on Facebook.
Related reading
Getting Started in the Production of Field-Grown, Specialty Cut Flowers
