Farmers challenges

Our conversation this week will focus on sharing some of the challenges our California flower farmers have to face. Although the first thing that comes to mind is the drought conditions California has had over the past few years there are many others that have to be overcome. So, let’s start with the drought. Most flower farmers have learned ways to be more adaptive to the drought. Through water saving measures such as the use of drip irrigation and recycling water growers have been able to reduce their use by upwards of 20% over the past few years. This has not been enough to offset the water restrictions that are currently in place but it has helped them to keep pace.

It may seem obvious but weather is a potential challenge. California has so many micro-climates that it is truly a unique flower growing region. It is a perfect place to grow almost all varieties of cut flowers. The challenge with that is deciding what flowers will do well in each region. Farmers are constantly challenged by changes in temperatures, whether it be cold or heat waves. These fluctuations can be enough to wipe out crops or might create heavy flushes of flowers to the market. Flower farmers have always had to deal with these challenges but now there are some better tools to measure productivity and efficiency that help to mitigate some of the risks. We will discuss those in future blogs.

Flower growers have to plan their production more than one year out. It involves the purchase of seed and or bulb material in advance of planting. Most of these flowers have a 12 to 16 week growing cycle. Roses and gerbera are perennial flowers and the commitment is 3 to 5 years. These farmers have to be more conservative in their planning to be sure what is grown matches demand. This makes for efficient growering and planned programs. However the challenge here is that market conditions and demand are ever changing. If the farmer does not pick a ‘good’ color selection, in other words, one that matches what is in demand they may end up with out of favor colors or varieties. The gap between what is popular and what is being grown in flowers has definitely narrowed but it is still a challenge to stay ahead of the market.

Lastly and definitely not least are costs. For the same reasons that California is perfect for growing flowers it is also a perfect place to live. This creates a very expensive environment for real estate in all the best flower growing regions. Over the past few decades many of the best flower farmers have sold land to subsidize their growing costs as well as exiting the industry all together. Land is not the only prohibitive cost, labor is a huge factor. Labor costs are more than four times that of Mexico and Colombia putting California farmers at a disadvantage. This is especially topical with the advent of increased minimum wage and proposed agricultural overtime bills on the docket in Sacremento.

So, the next time you open that box of California flowers, take a moment to appreciate what the farmers have done to get them to market!

Lavender fields in Monterey County California