PRE-AUTUMNAL EQUINOX CELEBRATION with ERIN BENZAKEIN OF FLORET & FLORET ORIGINALS (BEST OF)
Flowers, who doesn’t love them. And in the seedy season, who doesn’t love saving their seeds? This week, Cultivating Place Host Jennifer Jewell revisits a favorite conversation with crowd-favorite, Erin Benzakein of Floret, in celebration of Floret’s new book: Bloom to Seed! Enjoy...
Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm needs little introduction to most garden minded listeners. She has been so instrumental is cultivating a flower-farmer and flower-farming economy in our country. Her innovative and dedicated seed research and breeding work of the past almost decade, however, is whole new lens through which to appreciate her work. As we look toward the Autumnal Equinox later this month, please enjoy this favorite conversation!
Starting back in 2017, Erin was becoming more and more interested in seed – as the source from which all flower farming stems. And in her Erin way, this too is now transforming our garden world – with Floret Original flower seeds bred specifically for producing innovating and beautiful new flowers to support the flower farming and floral design needs and dreams.
In honor of the Autumnal Equinox, and its seeds of the next season feeling - I am so happy to revisit Erin on Cultivating Place – just as Floret's newest title: From Bloom to Seed is now available for preorder!
Original Post:
Erin Benzakein and her husband Chris are the founders of Floret, a family-run flower farm & seed company, specializing in breeding new cut flower varieties for gardeners, farmers, and designers. Their thriving research and education farm is dedicated to "giving flower lovers the tools and information they need to grow the gardens of their dreams."
Back in 2017, when I first interviewed Erin Benzakein of Floret, for the program and for The Earth in Her Hands, she was already a tireless advocate for local flowers, and for supporting more flower farmers and local-flower florists in our everyday lives here in the US. Through her on-farm and subsequently online flower farming Floret Workshops, for more than a decade she has been renowned for encouraging and training eager new flower farmers and flower farmer florists in order to transform the cut flower industry from the multi-billion dollar large corporate-owned international import (with little ecological or economic oversight) behemoth it had become, back into the more lovely, and loving, organic, locally-based circular and community-oriented economy she envisioned it could be–and should be.
And, starting back in 2017, Erin was also becoming more and more interested in seed–as the essential life and source from which all flower farming stems.
And in her Erin way, this too is now transforming our garden world–with Floret Originals -flowers bred (and seeds saved) specifically for producing innovative and beautiful new flowers to support flower farming and floral design needs and dreams.
This past spring of 2024, Floret Flower Farm and Seed Company – located in Washington State’s Skagit Valley– launched their first line of Floret Original flower seeds. Bred and trialed right there on their farm as a way to offer flower farmers and designers the flowers and colors of flowers they and their clients really wanted to see and celebrate.
Floret–once a flower farm and training center–is now more fully (and perhaps even more beautifully) described as “a family-owned flower farm and seed company, specializing in breeding new cut flower varieties for gardeners, farmers & designers.”
“Our thriving research & education farm is dedicated to giving flower lovers the tools & information they need to grow the gardens of their dreams.”
In honor of the Autumnal Equinox, and its seeds of the next season feeling–I am so pleased to once again welcome Erin to Cultivating Place–as her free seed saving 101 course launches on the Floret website to share so much more about this newest heart of her growing work–
You can follow Floret online at:
And on Instagram:
HERE IS THIS WEEK'S TRANSCRIPT by Doulos Transcription Service:
All photos by Chris Benzakein, courtesy of Floret Flower Farm, all rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week, To “leave the land better than we found it,” should be ethic of all Gardeners. It IS the North Star ethic of regenerative and organic farming
leaders, Lundberg Family Rice. Third and fourth-generation stewards of rice, land, and planet, Bryce and Brita Lundberg join Cultivating Place host Jennifer Jewell this week to share more. Listen in! That's right here, next week.
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, it's Jennifer—
Here’s what I know – most living creatures love flowers – humans, bees, flies, beetles, hummingbirds and more – so….
More flowers is always a good intention – native, medicinal, rich with pollen and nectar, that turn into nutrient-rich seeds and fruits – it’s a simple and perfect dream, and a very achievable goal. Being together with flower and plant and cultivating place community is also ALWAYS A GOOD INTENTION and worth the time and investment! Are you joining us for the first Cultivating Place the Power of Gardeners Symposium in South Bend Sept 25 & 26???
YOU SHOULD BE and you should be on our mailing list for up-to-the- minute updates on all things Cultivating Place such as, we now have a virtual ticket option, and 30 tickets set aside just for STUDENTS! Both $45 thanks to the support of underwriters and sustaining supporters.
Plant more flowers…and come grow with us! See you in South Bend!
I think Floret’s philosophical value pillars – as humans, as a family, as a farm, and as a business are worth reiterating for us all – for all of our homes and gardens:
Family is at the heart of our business, and we are fortunate to spend our days working with a passionate team that shares our mission of bringing more beauty into the world.
We value small businesses, and we choose to support fellow farmers, women entrepreneurs, the creative community, and companies led by diverse teams
that align with our values.
We are committed to cultivating a culture of awareness and inclusion. We
value and respect all types of diversity including race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion, and age.
We care deeply about the environment and are committed to conducting
our business in harmony with nature. We use organic growing practices and
integrate sustainability into every decision we make on our farm and in our online business.
Quality drives all that we do. We grow and gather the very best seeds and supplies available to help other flower lovers grow the gardens of their dreams.
We believe in sharing. We’ve learned much of what we know from others, and we’re happy to pass along our hard-earned knowledge.
We are dedicated to the seasonal flower movement. We enthusiastically
support flower farmers and gardeners, as well as floral designers who use locally grown blooms.
We believe in magic. We know that amazing things can happen when you listen to your gut, follow your heart, and live your passion.
Keep growing gardeners!
PS: Did you see that the Garden Conservancy Open Day for Saturday Sept 12th is a Cider Party at Janet Mavec’s Bird Haven Farm? If you can attend, you should!
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