Mindset shifts that changed my business for the better - from the Backyard Bouquet Podcast (SFFF61)
When I first started farming, it wasn’t flowers I was harvesting—it was vegetables. Carrots, kale, the works. I had dreams of a bustling CSA, but week after week, I found myself struggling to move those bunches of greens. The work was exhausting and the return? Let’s just say it didn’t match the effort. One day, while researching other crops I could try, I stumbled across a photo of a dahlia and everything changed. I was immediately hooked.
Fast forward to today, and my small-but-mighty farm in Upstate New York brings in multiple six figures through cut flower sales, tubers, and educational offerings. But that didn’t happen overnight. It took a full mindset shift, a serious look at profitability, and the decision to niche way down so I could do a few things really well instead of trying to do everything.
Finding Your Niche and Growing What Sells
One of the biggest turning points for me was narrowing my focus. When I started out, I grew everything—75+ flower varieties across multiple sales channels. It was chaos. Now? We grow just under an acre and primarily focus on two main crops: ranunculus and dahlias. Together, those account for over half of our cut flower sales. The key wasn’t growing more—it was growing smarter.
Whether you're dreaming up your first bouquet recipe or already knee-deep in florals, here’s what I recommend:
Choose 1–3 main crops that are high-value and work well in your zone
Track which crops actually bring in money (not just what looks pretty on Instagram)
Design your business around how you want to live, not just how much you want to grow
A profitable flower farm doesn’t start in the soil—it starts with decisions like these.
Huge thanks to Jennifer and the Backyard Bouquet Podcast for having me on as a guest and for creating such a welcoming space for real conversations about flower farming. If you haven’t listened to her show yet, it’s full of honest insights, grower spotlights, and practical tips for running a flower farm. Go give it a listen and be sure to follow along wherever you get your podcasts!
Check out the Backyard Bouquet Podcast:
Website: TheFloweringFarmhouse.com/the-backyard-bouquet-podcast/
Instagram: @thebackyardbouquetpodcast
What Actually Makes a Flower Farm Sustainable?
A sustainable flower business isn’t just about organic practices or keeping up with seasonal trends. It’s about building something that supports your life, long term. That includes knowing your numbers, protecting your energy, and—yes—getting help. Even with just under an acre in production, I don’t do it all alone. I’ve got an incredible employee and a very handy husband who helps with big projects.
Here’s the hard truth I’ve learned: Doing everything yourself might feel noble, but it’s also the fastest road to burnout. Letting go of some of that control is what actually allowed me to grow, both in revenue and in joy.
Mindset Shifts That Make All the Difference
Mindset is everything in this work. You can know how to grow flowers, but if you're constantly undercharging or afraid to take up space, it’s going to hold your business back. Early on, I wrestled with the idea that flowers were "just pretty things"—not essential, not meaningful. But over and over again, my customers showed me otherwise.
There’s deep emotional value in what we do. A bouquet on a loved one’s grave, a birthday gift that brings someone to tears, a Saturday farmer’s market bunch that brightens someone’s kitchen all week—these aren’t just sales, they’re experiences. And the more I leaned into that, the more confident I felt charging what my work was worth.
There’s Room for You in This Industry
Maybe you’re feeling like the market’s too saturated or you're too late to the party. But let me be clear: There is room for you. You don’t need 100 acres or a fancy setup to build a thriving business. What you do need is clarity, consistency, and the willingness to keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
It’s not about being the best grower—it’s about being intentional. Who are you serving? What do you want your business to support in your life? Once you answer those questions, the rest becomes a lot easier to figure out.
💐 Want to hear the full conversation? This story originally aired as an interview on the Backyard Bouquet Podcast, and it’s packed with even more insights about pricing, resilience, and what it really takes to make flower farming work. You can listen now on the Six Figure Flower Farming Podcast—Episode 61 is live wherever you tune in.
