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Get a floral high with fresh-picked, local flowers from a farmer near you.

How to buy local flowers

Flower fans of every stripe can now find locally grown blossoms in a variety of venues. From farmer’s markets to online ordering, there are more options popping up every day.

1. Visit a farmers' market. An open-air farmers' market or green market might be the best way to find local, seasonal flowers. The farmers' market experience—an age-old tradition in Europe and elsewhere—is a chance for consumers to interact directly with regional farmers and an opportunity to procure the freshest flowers available. Additionally, the vendors participating in farmers' markets aren't concerned with bells and whistles such as packaging. It's also advisable that you bring your own shopping bag. Typically, established farmers' markets take place on a once-weekly basis, often on weekends, in places like parks, town squares, or parking lots.
2. Join a CSA. Joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm is an intimate way for consumers to develop relationships with local producers. When consumers join a CSA they become a "shareholder" or "subscriber," allowing them to act as a guardian of the farm's welfare and, in essence, making the farm truly community-based. CSA members most commonly show their support financially but sometimes are asked to contribute a few hours of manual labor during peak growing seasons. In exchange for their backing, members receive a weekly or monthly supply of farm products, which sometimes includes flowers.
3. Buy flowers that are in season. Seasonally appropriate blooms for your region are a great way to ensure that you have locally grown options. It also ensures you’re supporting farming methods free from fossil fuel-intensive hothouses. Who knows? You may even find some new flower favorites. Check out the Plant Hardiness Zone Map from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which shows what floral region you live in. You can then ask around at local garden centers and florists to find out which flowers grow well in your region and which are currently in season.

Find it! Local flowers

Ask your local florist where the flowers were grown, opting for local and native whenever possible. Or check out these guides to farmers' markets, CSAs, and other places to buy local flowers.

• Eat Well Guide: This free online directory allows you to search for farms, CSAs, and farmers' markets offering sustainably grown flowers and other agricultural products.
• EcoBusiness Links: A database that helps you locate local and organic flower farms near you.
• FarmersMarket: Search for farmer's markets in your area. This site provides state-by-state listings that include address, phone number, and hours of operation.
• FoodRoutes.org: The FoodRoutes Network sponsors Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters throughout the country, which help consumers connect with local vendors.
• Local Harvest: Find local farmer's markets, CSAs, and family farms via this nationwide directory.
• New Farm Rodale Institute Farm Locator: Locate farms, farmer's markets, CSAs, and farm stands in your area. Search by farm name, product type, city, state, or zip code.
• USDA Farmers Markets state listings: Click on your state to find a comprehensive list of markets in your local area, including address, phone number, contact person, and hours of operation.

Buying local flowers helps you go green because...

• Whether transported by air, land, or sea, the global flower trade is fuel-intensive and adds to mounting levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Choosing blossoms grown close to home diminishes the eco-perils associated with long-distance transportation.
• Many smaller local growers use fewer pesticides and practice sustainable farming methods. If they haven't received costly organic certification, your loyal patronage might enable them to do so.
• Buying produce from a farmers' market or from a farm itself is a no-frills process that involves less packaging.

Worldwide, cut flowers are a $40 billion industry. Americans spend about $6.2 billion on them each year, accounting for 4 billion stems annually. In 1991, the US reduced tariffs on imported flowers from South American countries, a shift that effectively moved a great percentage of flower production (about 70 percent) to points south.[1] Having been picked and packaged in Latin America or Africa and then shipped in cooled (read fuel-intensive) containers, most bouquets come with a hefty eco-travel bill.

Another eco-impact of decreased flower tariffs has been the increased pesticide load of most flowers. Since imported flowers must enter the US bug- and fungus-free, growers are motivated to have their crops pass inspection, spurring them to saturate flowers with pesticides and other chemicals, many of which are banned or restricted in the US. This change has forced many local US flower farmers out of business, reducing Watsonville, California rose farms, for example, from 45 in 1991 to 10 today.[2]

Opting for region-specific, native, or heirloom flower varieties helps to preserve seed biodiversity and often requires far fewer inputs of chemicals and water.

External links

• SpecialtyLiving.com - What Makes a Product Eco-Friendly?: The Eco-Friendly Garden and Throw a Green Wedding
• Human Flower Project: An international news site and discussion forum exploring the connection between people and flowers.
• Organic Consumers Association: An online nonprofit campaigning on such issues as environmental sustainability, fair trade, and food safety.
• Organic Trade Association: A member-based business association in North America.
• Pesticide Action Network North America: Campaigning to replace chemical pesticides with eco-sound alternatives.