Each season feels like a fresh start. Last year’s mistakes are in the past and the season ahead is ripe and full of possibility. Along with the new season come a fresh set of goals and a wealth of new ideas. For 2012, I’ve chosen to pour my heart into profitability, efficiency and ease. “Work smarter, not harder” is now the motto around here. Anything that helps the bottom line or creates ease and speed while working is highly valued. By streamlining our operation and using less energy for each task, life can be less frantic and more enjoyable. Yes, our days will be long and still filled with an incredible amount of work but I am determined to make our efforts count and build a lasting and profitable business.
Over the winter and early spring I have been attending classes on profitability, season extension, business planning and funding sources for capital. My mind has been stretched and strained and I feel even more optimism and excitement than usual, which is saying a lot! But all of these new ideas and concepts need time to percolate and be tested. I hope that by the end of 2012 I’ll have lots of news to share, but the season is now upon us and practical, tangible tools and sources are needed at this time of year. Here is a list of the simple things that make our little flower farming world turn, day in and day out.

Labels: All of our labels are designed and printed by Growers Discount Labels. Stu McCarty, the owner, is a fantastic graphic designer and all-around wonderful guy. He can whip up anything your heart desires in no time flat! Their prices are fair, their product quality is exceptional, and the service is always first-rate. If you need labels or stickers for your product, be sure to see their ad on the next page.
Weeding tools: I am not a happy weeder! I know some people love the quiet, meditative act of carefully cleaning up row after row but for me the faster I can get it over with the better. All of our weeding tools are purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and so far every one of them has been exceptional. I often send a big wave of gratitude out to Johnny’s for carrying such fine tools which transform such a dreadful task into an easy, almost enjoyable experience. For paths and between sunflower rows we use the Glaser Wheel Hoe. We have both the 5” and 8” oscillating hoe attachments. For general in-bed weeding we rely on the 3 ¾” and 7” Collinear Hoes. For low down, hands and knees type weeding we use the Hand Hoe (my favorite) and the Wire Weeder (my husband’s favorite).

Sleeves: Probably the #1 question I get from growers is, “Where do you get those great brown paper sleeves”?  I buy all of our flower sleeves, paper and clear plastic from A-Roo in Texas.  The brown paper ones are called 40# Brown Kraft sleeves and for general mixed bouquets I like using the 18x16x5, which run about 10 cents each. In clear sleeves I use three main sizes: 13x23x4 for tall thin crops like larkspur, lilies, foxglove, mint, grasses and snapdragons; 16x16x4 is wonderful for things like dianthus, ageratum, anemones, daff’s, ranunculus and petite mixed bouquets; 25x18x6 is what I use for our big stuff like French tulips, bells of Ireland, shrubs, sunflowers etc.

Cooler/CoolBot: I was originally pretty skeptical about the whole homemade cooler/CoolBot idea but after hearingdozens of glowing grower reviews we finally started toying with the idea of installing one. Compared to a traditional cooler, the cost is much, much lower and it can be installed quickly and easily by a non professional. In the time we’ve had our CoolBot, two of our friends have had to replace the condensers in their real coolers which ran them thousands of dollars. Originally we were going to build an insulated room in the garage to house the cooler but a killer deal on a used walk-in cooler box (7×15 feet) came available on craigslist and we snatched it up. After pouring a small concrete slab in the carport we put together the walk-in box, sawed a hole in the side with a reciprocating saw and slapped in an air conditioner and CoolBot. It was actually pretty dang easy as far as homespun projects go. I still marvel at how we got by for so long without a cooler. Everything had to be picked and delivered within 24 hours. With the addition of the cooler, we bought ourselves a whole lot of wiggle room. If you are looking into adding a cooler be sure to visit the CoolBot site (See ad below). It is a true wealth of information including building specs, a/c unit details, installation guides and so much more.

Aprons: If you ever come by for a visit you’ll likely find me wearing an apron and if anyone else is helping in the field, they’ll probably be wearing one too. We are huge apron fans around here! They keep the front of your shirt clean; hold a generous supply of rubber bands, your pruners, harvesting list and a cell phone all in one handy little smock. Everything a farmer needs in one place! When scouring for the perfect apron, be sure to look for lightweight fabric that will breathe in hot weather (no denim or canvas!) and a nice wide, deep pocket across the front to hold supplies. I’ve found guys prefer half aprons like the kind worn at restaurants. By having all of the important things on me at all times, I save a huge amount of energy hunting for misplaced essentials. Thrift stores and yard sales are a great place to find aprons.

Pruners: We’ve owned and used just about every type of pruners on the market and two have risen to the top. First and in my opinion the best are the red plastic-handled ARS pruners from A.M. Leonard which run about $16. In the past I’ve had trouble with my wrists aching after holding and cutting with either spring less or heavy clippers for days in a row. The ARS pruners are so light, sharp and sturdy that I haven’t had any wrist trouble since switching to them. For chunky stuff like sunflowers, broomcorn, woody branches and big amaranth, heavy duty Felcos are ideal for the job. I use a small Felco, size #6.

Proconas: I have gotten so many emails about the white rectangular buckets we use to store and deliver our flowers in, shown above. They are called Proconas and were purchased from Pagter Innovations www.pagter.com 1(630)539-1400. We have the 9.8” and 13.8” tall Valencias and both are great! We use the shorter ones mainly for dahlias and the tall guys for just about every other crop we grow. You can purchase cardboard collars and lids for them which allow you to stack up to three buckets on top of each other. If you need to fit extra flowers in the cooler or delivery vehicle these lids are great! We collar all of our bouquet lilies, French tulips and snapdragons to conserve space, keep necks straight and prevent tangling damage in the cooler and during delivery. While the marketing literature lists the Proconas as a 10-use bucket, we’ve had ours for two years, going on three, and haven’t lost one to cracking or overuse yet. Do make sure to keep track of who you lend them to because getting these nifty buckets back is always a struggle since everyone loves them!

I am always interested in what tools and tricks other growers use to make their operations run smoother. If you’ve got a tip and some time, drop me a note (info@floretflowers.com) and maybe a couple of pictures. I’d love to see what you are up to. Also, if there’s something you’d like to see covered in an upcoming article, please don’t hesitate to share.

Erin Benzakein runs Floret, a small organic flower farm in Washington State. www.floretflowers.com