Bloommates

In the first episode of Season 2, Katie and Sarah are back after a 3 month break, and dive into the challenges and successes they had over summer. Like always, weather and pest pressure caused issues for both flower farmers but Katie has had her best season yet with an abundance of dahlias, and Sarah has had success with her seed shop while her crops recovered from pest damage.
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In this final episode of the season, Sarah and Katie celebrate their milestone of completing Season 1 of the podcast and plan to return with Season 2 in March 2026. They share an update on the working bee at Grown By Lightning Hollows, reflect on the challenges of irrigation and seedling care in the Summer heat, share their data on four crops from the Spring season including Delphinium, Ranunculus, Corn Cockle (Agrostemma), and Pansies. They also give recommendations for resources and podcasts for flower farmers to enjoy over the break before the return.

In this episode, Sarah and Katie discuss:
Their experiences and insights on selling flowers wholesale to florists
The digital tools they use including an online availability list
Crop selection and understanding florist needs
The best ways to first approach florists
Strategies to make yourself stand out as a flower farmer
The importance of pre-orders
Strategies for pricing and invoicing, and
Effective communication for long-term relationships
Ultimately, they highlight the joy of selling to florists and the importance of adapting to market demands.

Find Sarah's companion resource with more detail and examples here: www.quaylecottage.com.au/shop

duckduckpig.com.au
instagram.com/duck.duck.pig
milkingducks.com
Nikki's book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Pie-Gets-Bigger-Complementors-Competitors/dp/0646715984

In this conversation, Nikki Davey discusses the importance of collaboration in the flower farming industry, emphasising the need for an abundance mindset rather than a competitive one. She shares her journey from finance to flower farming, explores innovative practices that can benefit the flower industry, and highlights some case studies other agricultural sectors that she mentions in her book "The Pie Gets Bigger". The discussion also touches on the impact Grown Not Flown has on the flower farming community and the future of collaborations within the industry. Nikki stresses the importance of treating flower farming as a legitimate business and the need for data-driven decisions to enhance productivity and sustainability.

In this conversation, Katie and Sarah reflect on the past month of November on their Hunter Valley farms. They discuss some of the challenges they've been facing such as hot dry weather, compaction and compost contamination. This conversation highlights the complexities of agricultural business and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.