
Maybe growing flowers is a better deal than raising chickens or topping tobacco. Some growers in Maryland are giving it a go, and so far blooms are more profitable than feathers.
The Washington Post reports this morning that a family-owned nursery in Maryland has a big contract to supply flowers to Home Depot. The nursery works with farmers to build greenhouses and trains them in the trade. The farmers buy the seedlings from the nursery and sells back mature plants for twice the price. It’s the same kind of relationship farmers in the area have with poultry producers.
So far, so good. The returns are enough to pay off the cost of the greenhouses and supply a profit. One farmer reports annual profits of $175,000 on four greenhouses filling two acres. Best of all, the farmer says he now takes vacations!