Lessons Learned In 2025: The Good, The Bad, And Hilarious (SFFF82)
Every flower farming season leaves its mark, but some years change you. 2025 was one of those years for me! It was the kind of season that forces you to slow down, look at the numbers, and really ask what is working and what is costing more than it gives back. Not just financially, but emotionally and physically too. Running a profitable flower farm is never just about flowers!
It is about decisions, systems, people, and how you respond when things do not go according to plan.
There were moments this year that felt steady and rewarding, moments that felt heavy and exhausting, and moments that were so ridiculous they could only be laughed about later. All of it offered lessons that will shape how the farm moves forward and how future seasons are built with more intention and resilience.
The Wins That Quietly Changed Everything
Some of the biggest wins in a flower farm business do not look flashy from the outside. They show up in better margins, smoother workflows, and fewer late nights. Trialing a new crop like scoop scabiosa turned into a surprisingly profitable decision and helped fill a seasonal production gap. Tracking yield and pricing made it clear what was worth repeating and what deserved a second look.
Delegation was another major turning point. Systems built with team members allowed entire sales channels to run without constant oversight. Clear roles, simple processes, and measurable goals like weekly email list growth turned marketing and sales into a shared responsibility. Growth came not from being louder online, but from leaning harder into what already worked and doing it consistently.
When the Season Pushes Back
Spring had other plans in 2025. Rainy weekends, delayed markets, and lost sales created a slow start that felt unsettling. Add in a catastrophic crop loss and the emotional weight of refunding customers… the pressure mounted fast. Farming has a way of reminding you how little control you actually have, no matter how experienced or prepared you are.
What mattered most was the response. Doubling down on fall CSA sales, strengthening email marketing systems, and staying focused as a team helped steady the season.
Short term setbacks did not define the year. The ability to adjust, regroup, and keep moving forward did.
Leadership, Burnout, and Letting Go
Running a flower farm while building an education business and raising a family eventually catches up with you. Burnout does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes it shows up as exhaustion, overwhelm, or the feeling that everything depends on you. Hiring dedicated help for communication and admin work created breathing room and allowed leadership to shift from doing everything to guiding the right people.
Sustainable farm business growth cannot come at the expense of personal wellbeing forever. Learning to ask who can help instead of how to do more has become essential. A business that relies on one person to hold everything together will eventually crack under pressure.
Finding Humor in the Chaos
Farms are never boring for long. Animals escape. Gates get left open. Unexpected visitors show up in places they absolutely should not be. These moments can feel disastrous in real time, but they often become the stories that carry you through the hard seasons.
Laughter does not erase stress, but it softens it. Finding humor, even after a mess, is part of staying grounded in a life that is deeply unpredictable. Farming is serious work, but it is also full of moments that remind you why you chose this path in the first place.
Reflecting Forward With Intention
The biggest takeaway from 2025 was clarity around what not to carry into the next season. Letting go of unrealistic expectations, loosening control, and putting health and family first are no longer optional. Reflection has become a non negotiable part of planning for a profitable and sustainable flower farm business.
If stepping back and evaluating the season feels overdue, the full conversation dives deeper into these lessons, the stories and numbers behind them, and how to move forward with more confidence!
Listen to Episode 82 of the Six Figure Flower Farming Podcast for the complete story and grab the FREE end of year business audit to help guide your next season.
