Things don’t always go the way you’d planned.
This year, we applied to four area farmers markets, confident that we’d at least get into one. We didn’t. Perhaps it was an unusually competitive year? Hard to say. Our day jobs stopped us from applying to a mid-week market. Maybe that did us in? Whatever the reason, this new information has left us scrambling to find outlets for our beautiful flowers this 2014 season.
We need to have at least two days a week we’re selling flowers, so we’re considering all our possibilities. Farmers markets we may have overlooked? Increasing our marketing for wedding flowers? Reaching out big-time to area businesses for weekly bouquet deliveries and calling every florist in the phone book? A roadside stand? Some sort of CSA? We are still figuring out what the future holds, but as soon as we know where we’ll be this season, we’ll post it here.
In the meantime, we’re looking on the bright side. We were each embarrassed to be the first to admit it, but we both felt just the tiniest bit of relief: This will be a busy year for us as we build our house, and maybe God is looking out for us by reducing some weekly pressure on the farm so we can focus more attention on construction and learning to grow our flowers well. Our investment in alternative marketing strategies this year may pay off down the road in ways we can’t yet see. After all, what’s the rush? I would rather grow well and grow into our business slowly.
A few things we know for sure:
- We are busily preparing for a successful 2014 season. (Megan will be starting hundreds of flower plants this week.)
- We will have beautiful flowers for sale this spring. Our tulips are coming up and the poppies, bachelors buttons, and larkspur are getting bigger.
- We will be persistent in applying to markets again next year.
- And growing flowers and creating bouquets brings us JOY!!
Farmers never know what their season will hold. We are open to each new possibility and the different challenges it brings. Farmers must be flexible. A life lesson there, perhaps? I think so.
Stay Tuned!
Spring Forth Farm of North Carolina 
If you haven’t thought to do it already, I would suggest to go get to know the folks in the market or markets you want to be in. Introduce yourselves to the market manager and hound them relentlessly about next season. I imagine they get a lot of new applicants, so it never hurts to be memorable.
Thanks. We did that with one of the markets. We’ll develop a good game plan for next year, but for now, this is working out well for us so we’re not too upset. When we apply again we’ll really get to know the people and spiffy up our application so we can stand out as much as possible.