This class is sold out! We’re teaching it again in February; please register for that class instead!
Everything we do on our farms comes from our brains, and yet, we often spend little time planning. Crop planning minimizes risk, organizes our operations, and helps us improve our production year after year. What’s not to love? Crop planning is all about creating a road map that, if we use well, leads us to productive, successful seasons.
Learn the inner workings of Butterbee Farm. Get a clear picture of what goes on behind the scenes before each season starts. Learn to plan your crops using simple spreadsheets. Learn what mistakes beginners often make when crop planning, and how to avoid them. Butterbee Farm has become more profitable every season for nine running seasons- find out what the thought process is behind the success!
Ellen Frost will join us to answer questions about what she wants her farmers to grow, what makes for a great farmer and florist relationship, how to avoid miscommunications in working relationships, and more!
Other topics will include:
-Crop rotations
-Projecting sales
-Understanding your market’s needs
-Record keeping tools
-Farmer-florist relationships
We’re keeping this class small at 20 farmers, so come ready to ask your questions; we can all benefit from troubleshooting each others’ issues. Growers with at least one season of farming experience will get the most from this class.
Logistics:
Class is Sunday, November 13th. We’ll start on Zoom promptly at 10 am EST. Special guest Ellen Frost will join us later in the morning to answer questions on selling to florists. Participants will receive resources and spreadsheet templates. We ask that participants share these with their farm team only. Class will wrap up around 12:30 pm.
We are keeping the class small so that everyone can interact with the speakers and get their questions answered. As a result, please note we cannot accommodate cancellations or refunds due to the limited class size. Make sure you check the time change in your area!
Participants will receive a Zoom link to join the class in the week beforehand.
Kind Words about our workshops:
-Laura Beth is a natural teacher! Knowledgeable, patient, nurturing, all come to mind after taking two of her online workshops this season! Laura Beth uses sustainable practices to farm her beautiful, seasonally grown flowers in the Baltimore & DC area. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on growing organically, crop planning, dahlia growing & advice on pest control using beneficial insects, helping to put newer growers at ease! Whether you’re a commercial grower or a backyard gardening enthusiast, Laura Beth will inspire you to be a better grower!
-There's nothing more helpful or re-energizing in the midst of July burn-out than getting to talk shop with your flower growing heroes!
-Laura Beth energy is contagious and I walked away thinking that focusing on the blooms was far more important than obsessing about a weed-free field. Liberating!
-Laura Beth is so open with everything about her business - the good, the ugly, the nitty-gritty details - which is something you can't get from a reading a book!
-You cannot put a price on seeing another farmer's operation from the inside. Laura Beth's openness and willingness to share information were invaluable.
About Laura Beth:
Laura Beth Resnick is the founder and owner of Butterbee Farm, a five acre cut flower farm in Pikesville, Maryland. Butterbee Farm provides locally grown flowers for florists, flower lovers, and weddings in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Before founding the farm in 2013, Laura Beth worked on organic vegetable farms across the northeast. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and writes for their quarterly magazine. She has spoken at numerous conferences and arboretums, including the United States Botanic Garden, the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, and Cylburn Arboretum. Laura Beth is a mentor to new growers through Future Harvest's Beginning Farmer Training Program.
About Ellen:
Ellen is the owner of the floral design studio Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, Maryland. Ellen has been leading the change for local flowers since 2008. Her company sources all of their flowers, foliage, branches, and plants from farms within 100 miles of Baltimore. In 2016, she was given the ASCFG Allan Armitage Award for Outstanding Leadership.