I am so excited to announce that for the next 7 months, I will be participating in a beginner farmer program at The Center for Land Based Learning here in Woodland!
I feel a strong pull to evolve common florist practices in our area to ones that are more eco-friendly and sustainable. One way to do that is to rely more on native and locally grown flowers and greenery. This fits nicely with my love for growing things! In 2022, the floral industry imported about $3.3 billion worth of products from 81 countries to the US.
By utilizing locally grown flowers, we can reduce carbon emissions associated with the transportation and storage processes. Foreign grown products are also sprayed heavily with fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. Many longterm florists develop cancer from the repeated exposures to these poisons. I would often feel my fingertips go numb after processing roses grown in Ecuador or Columbia.
Another benefit to locally grown products is the ability to cut down on single use plastic. Commercially grown flowers often come in plastic sleeves, and after 20 years of throwing away mountains of these plastic sleeves, I just can't anymore. The first time I wandered around my garden and made a bouquet with all things I had grown, I was hooked. Similar to the farm to fork movement, I truly believe my flowers are more beautiful when they've been grown with love and care.
I've had 20 years of experience to figure out what works well and what doesn't. I'm looking forward to taking all of the experience and designing a business that truly gives back to me, the land and the community in ways I have yet to even imagine.
I am so grateful to my community for encouraging me to go after my dreams in a big way AND for funding it for me! I cannot do this all alone, and I am so grateful for the support and the sometimes not so gentle pushes from those who know this mission is much greater than just myself.
Cheers to the next chapter of Sarah Larkin Design 2.0
