Cottage Grove Flower Festival Builds Personal Connections Between Flower Farmers and Their Community of New Customers.

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: farmer to farmer
• Sustainable Communities: community development, public participation

Problem:

1) Flower Farmers need help
marketing their products. 

2) Customers often have no
knowledge of flower farms in their community.

Solution:

1) Host an event that introduces
producers to their potential customers. They meet face to face
and make personal connections.

2) Create and distribute a map of
flower farms in Lane County with photos of each farmer to
personalize the buying experience. 

3) Share our findings with the
flower producer community. 

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reports
that in 2022 imports of cut flowers grew to $3.3 billion. In
2016, 80% of flowers sold in the U.S. were imported, and still,
as of 2022, only 25% of the flowers sold and used in the U.S. are
domestically produced. (https://www.petalrepublic.com/floristry-and-floriculture-statistics/)

Oregon wholesale buyers told us
they mostly purchase imported flowers. The average customer is
not informed of the enormous carbon footprint shipped flowers
have, wasting energy, refrigeration, and storage, as well as
their use of environmentally concerning production
practices.

Most of our local flower farms
use practices that are inline with sustainable and ecological
production, including low chemical inputs and implementing
practices that build soil health through use of reduced tillage
and organic matter. Purchasing local flowers also contributes to
Oregon's rural economy.

The Cottage Grove Flower Festival
will bring customers and flower farmers together to build
relationships that are personal and sustainable.

Method: 

Prior to the Cottage Grove Flower
Festival, potential customers (wholesale and retail) will
complete a survey that explores their knowledge of local flower
farms, and likelihood of purchasing their products.  Then,
as festival-goers leave the festival, with map in hand, they are
asked the same question. Did meeting their local flower farmers
increase the likelihood of buying local in the
future? 

We will share what we learned with Lane County Farmers and
greater area industry groups.

Research Objectives -

Will meeting their local Flower Farmers face to face
increase the likelihood of customers buying local flowers in the
future?

2024 - Survey community of potential customers (both direct and
wholesale) before The Cottage Grove Flower Festival

2025 - Survey community as they leave the festival

2025 - Follow up to gather more info

2025 - Analyze data and write report

Education Objectives - 

Educate the community of potential customers about the
flower farms in their area, introduce them personally to the
producers, and explain why they should buy local flowers in the
future

2025 - Bring customers to the festival to meet their local flower
farmers

2025 - Share a map of local farms

2025 - Share what we learned with local farmers

2026 - Share what we learned with farmer groups and associations