Flowering in the North Conference 2025

January 21-22, 2025
University of Southern Maine
Abromson Community Education Center
88 Bedford Street, Portland, Maine (Google Maps)

Join us as we bring together flower growers across the North for an exciting 2-day conference for learning and sharing fresh ideas, strategies, tips, and resources for growing in colder climates. The Flowering In The North (FITN) conference will be geared for all flower growers, so whether you’re an experienced farmer or just starting out; whether you’re a sole operator of a small farm or if you’re part of a large-scale operation, you will take away valuable information to help you grow. This is a great opportunity to network as well as explore the vibrant city of Portland, Maine. Let’s build and strengthen our grower community because together, we can continue to raise the profile of locally-grown flowers.

Registration

Schedule

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

8:00-8:30 a.m. – Registration
8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome & Introductions
8:45-10:00 a.m. – Morning Keynote, Jenny Marks
10:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Morning Breakout Sessions:

Forcing Spring Bulbs
Jodi Sargent (Eden Street Flowers), Linda D’Arco (Little Farmhouse Flowers)
Growing Under Cover: Hoophouses and High Tunnels
Joy Longfellow (Johnny’s Selected Seeds), Sarah Lutte (Lazy Acres Farm)
Sales Channels and Marketing Techniques
Becky Sadlowski (Rooted Flower Farm), Rita (Stitchdown Farm)

12:00-1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00-2:00 p.m. – Jam Sessions
2:15-4:00 p.m. – Afternoon Break Out Sessions:

Perennials and Woodies
Anna Jane Kocon (Little State Flower Farm), Emily von Trapp (von Trapp flowers)
Soil Health: Fertility, No-Till and Cover-Cropping
Matt Bouchard, Jason Lilley Maine Cooperative Extension
Farming and Social Justice
Bo Dennis

4:15-6:00 p.m. – Social Hour

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

8:15-8:45 a.m. – Registration
8:45-10:00 a.m. – Morning Panel:

Strategies for Uncertain Times
Melissa (Bumbleroot Farm), Sarah Ryhanen (World’s End/Saipua), Emily von Trapp (von Trapp Flowers), Moderated by Stacy Brenner (Broadturn Farm/Maine Farmland Trust)

10:15-12:00 a.m. – Morning Breakout Sessions:

Roses and Mums
Linda D’Arco (Little Farmhouse Flowers), Cindy Creps (Meadow Ridge Perennials)
Post-harvest Handling
Gregory (Understory Farm), Niikki Bartley (Cross Street Flower Farm)
Growing and selling flowers for weddings: DIY, a la carte, full design
Jennifer Joray (Eastern River Farm), TBD

12:00-1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00-2:00 p.m. – Jam Sessions
2:15-4:00 p.m. – Afternoon Breakout Sessions:

Dahlias
Anna Jane Kocon (Little State Flower Farm), Rebecca Maillet (Many Graces Farm)
Pest and Disease Management
Alicyn Smart (UMaine Extension), Matt Dell (Treadlight Farm)
Ranunculus and Anemone
Dr. Melanie Stock (Utah State University), Jenny Elliot & Luke Franco (Tiny Hearts Farm)

Parking

Parking available on-site (code will be provided).

Accommodations

The Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland is offering attendees a special rate of $119 per night for reservations made before January 1, 2025. Please call 207.775.2311 for details and mention the “Flowering in the North Conference” to access this special rate.

Organized by University of Maine Cooperative Extension in collaboration with:

Alaena Robbins, Broadturn Farm
Julia Baecher, East of Eden Flower Farm
Lee Cline, Fox Hollow Flowers
Jason Lilley, UMaine Extension

Organizer Contact

Ankit K. Singh, Ph.D.
Assistant Extension Professor
Maine Sustainable Agriculture and Ornamental Horticulture Educator

E-mail: ankit.singh@maine.edu
Phone: 207.324.2814

To join the Flowering in the North mailing list, please e-mail ankit.singh@maine.edu.

To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Ankit Singh at 207.324.2814 or ankit.singh@maine.edu. Requests for accommodations at least seven days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be considered.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

Cooperative Extension: Agriculture