Released September 24, 2009
LITTLE ROCK - Entrepreneurs considering cut flowers as a full or part-time business should consider attending the "Rolling the Dice with Cut Flowers" workshop November 17-18 held at the Hilton, Memphis, Tennessee.
Early bird registration is $85, or $55 if only attending one day, and must be submitted by November 10. Onsite registration is $125. Attendance will be limited to the first 100 registrants. For information about the workshop, contact Holly Beason, 501-671-2237 or download registration material from http://msucares.com/crops/hightunnels/09coolseasonregform.pdf.
"Cut flowers are one of the fastest growing segments of the horticulture trade," said Jim Robbins, extension horticulture specialist-ornamentals for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. "There are many growers who think cut flowers might be a good fit and we hope this workshop will answer their questions and help determine if it’s the right business for them."
Among the sessions on the agenda:
- Farmers markets vs. wholesale florist: What market is best for you?
- Effective cost accounting
- Best trees and shrubs for woody cut flowers
- Concurrent sessions for neophytes and established growers
- First-person examples from those in the cut flower business.
This workshop is funded by a grant from the Southern Region Risk Management Education Center. It’s sponsored by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, LSU AgCenter, Mississippi State University Extension Service, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
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http://www.uaex.edu/news/september2009/0925cutflowers.htm
Writer: Elizabeth Fortune, (501) 671-2120, efortune@uaex.edu
