2022 Year in Review
I guess I still have not totally processed that 2022 is done and gone. The last quarter of the year just seem to fly by. Overall 2022 was a year of growth. I sometimes find it really hard to state the wins that my business or I had personally, choosing to point out the bad, but there is so much to be said in reminding yourself of the good! So today I am going to breakdown the 10 biggest wins for Barn Blooms in 2022.
Spring and Fall Flower Subscriptions
Adding these two options to our subscription program may not seem so daunting, but having flowers in the shoulder seasons can get tricky with weather. In the spring flowers may bloom early or late depending on how hot or cold we are. And in the fall frost might come super early, killing the crop totally. I am happy to announce we got through both seasons and had some really great flowers to show for it, and learned a lot that I am bringing to the 2023 subscription program.
Winter Tulip Trial
In February 2022 I harvested my first winter grown tulips. I took a course in 2021 all about how to achieve winter grown tulips and trialed it out last season. It was great to have color in winter, and be able to grow everything right in my basement. This year I really ramped out production and am super excited to announce we will have Wolcott, NY grown tulips for Valentine’s Day 2023! Tulips come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and have great vase life. That is a win all-around in my book. Be sure to check back soon for our Valentine’s Day Pre-Order.
Peony Season
Three years ago I invested in 600 peony plants. At the time, it seemed like such an investment during my first season. But, it really paid off. This year I harvested for the first time from this plants and the flowers were awesome. I used them in some great events, sold them wholesale, and had them available to you at the flower stand. They are huge, showy flowers with great scent and we will have even more in 2023 as the plants continue to grow and mature.
Sweets by Sarah Bakery
Last year Sarah contacted me about having flowers at her bakery in Fair Haven. I am a cautious person by nature, and was definitely scared to make the jump as it would entail increasing production. But, I also knew it would open up a whole new market and customer base. It was a great first year selling flowers on the porch, and I just enjoy Sarah and her family so much and they work she does on her own business. You will find out winter grown tulips in her store this winter, and we will be back on the porch with spring flowers this year as well.
Bulk Buckets
Bulk buckets of blooms was a new offering this year at the farm. A full bucket of mixed flowers, greens, and filler for you to take and design with. A great option to keep your cost lower for a large amount of flowers. We saw these used for baby showers, flower barns, and even weddings. I love putting them together, and I love to see how they are used by the customers. I will be offering these again in 2023 for purchase right on our website. If you have an event these might work for and you want to reach out for pricing now, please send me an email!
Sunflowers
I really stretched the boundaries with sunflowers this year and I am so glad I did. They are pretty hardy plant and I started seeding them in April and we had them through October. A few tweaks to our planting schedule in 2023 and I will have these guys available every week for months. If you have a business or store that you might be interested in wholesale ordering of sunflowers stems, please reach out and we can make it happen! They are by far people’s favorite flower to see in the summertime.
Conferences
In 2022 I wanted to get out more and meet industry professionals and other floral enthusiasts. I made it a point to go to a few conferences and am so glad I did. The stars really aligned for me and a lot of the major conferences were local or within driving distance. I attended the the Slower Flowers Conference, Association of Specialty Cut-Flowers Conference, and a ASCFG Farm tour. At each place I met new people, made friends, and learned A LOT! I will not be going to as many this year, but a few I am really excited about in 2023, and some virtual conferences as well.
Holiday Season
Our holiday season is slowly becoming one of my favorite times of year, behind spring flowers. We opened our pre-order up in October and it was a great way to deliver your fresh products right to your door. Planning is already underway for 2023, and I am already excited about our offerings and programs for the next holiday season. The best part of our holiday offerings, is the last weeks fresh!
Workshops
This past summer was the first time I opened up the farm for all to come see and experience. I will say this, it is not easy. There is so much work that goes into the flower field, and to open it up for the public can be scary. But, it turned out to be a great experience where people came from near and farm to see the farm and get creative with locally grown, fresh flowers.
Weed Control
This last one is not super glamorous, but a huge win in my book. Weeding is the last task I really want to spend my days doing, but so so critical to having a good flower season. If weeds overtake your flowers, your dead in the water. So staying on top of the weeding is key, and I think a did a good job of it this year, and in 2023 will bring in some new mechanization to hopefully make it even better.
That is a real brief summary of our big wins in 2022. It was a whirlwind, and I know 2023 is going to be the same. But, it is a great place to be in. I love my job, the things I get to do everyday, the people I meet, and the flowers I grow. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to bringing you along for the ride in 2023!