Newsletters: May - June 2007
Cut Flower Farm - A Local, Sustainable Alternative
By Crystal Wakoa
Fresh cut flowers conjure up memories of lovers', mothers', and grandmothers' gardens. Their simple, vibrant beauty helps us see the world's freshness and purity. But you may not know that by the time most flowers make their way to you, they've been doused in a battery of toxic chemicals that poison the local soils, waters, and even the workers who tend them.
If you don't want to contribute to this cycle, consider an alternative on Mother's Day. If there is nothing suitable growing in your garden or yard right now, you can purchase flowers at Cut Flower Farm, a local business you can feel good about supporting. Owned and operated by Sandi Dutton and Pablo Lacayo, Cut Flower Farm-near Havana-offers seasonal, locally grown, fresh flowers and herbs. Although they are not organic growers, Sandi and Pablo use a minimum of chemical fertilizers and rely primarily on mushroom compost and composted wood chips to feed their growing flowers. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are applied.
You can find Sandi at the Lake Ella Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoons, and at Market Square on Saturday mornings. Daffodils, Gerber and Shasta daisies, lavender and Dutch iris were some of her floral offerings in late March. Zinnias, sunflowers, tuberoses and gladiolas should be available for Mother's Day. Flowers are available by the stem or arranged with fragrant herbs in bouquets.
Cut Flower Farm delivers to homes and offices, and offers special rates for weekly subscriber deliveries. You can contact Sandi by phone at (850)509-2773 or by email: cutflowerfarm@hotmail.com. The farm's motto is: "Growing Smiles and Food for the Soul"-sustainably, I might add.
