A Nebraska flower farm is exploring whether the state could help meet growing demand for locally grown flowers and reduce the U.S. floral industry’s reliance on imported blooms.
There are opportunities and challenges involved in expanding domestic flower production, from selecting crops suited to Nebraska’s climate to managing the realities of growing, harvesting and marketing flowers at a commercial scale. While Nebraska may be better known for commodity agriculture, its farms are increasingly demonstrating potential for specialty crops, including cut flowers.
Supporting Local Floriculture
The push to grow more American flowers comes as interest in locally grown and seasonal blooms continues to increase. Nebraska already has a developing network of flower farms serving florists, farmers’ markets and direct-to-consumer customers. For example, local operations offer cut flowers to florists and consumers, demonstrating the potential for specialty cut flower farming to complement traditional agriculture.
For florists, expanding domestic flower production could provide greater access to locally grown blooms while offering an alternative to imported flowers. The Nebraska experiment highlights the broader potential for regional flower farms to strengthen the U.S. floral supply chain and create new opportunities for American flower growers.
The Florists' Review editorial team reports on floral design, business, education, industry news and trends for professional florists and floral industry leaders.
