buckeye blooms presentation at university of toledo

How it all began…

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The idea to start an organic flower farm began while Susan & Jeremy were serving in the Peace Corps in Ecuador…

Their Peace Corps training took place in Cayambe, a large rose-growing region of Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the largest producers of roses in the world.

Arial views of large rose growing greenhouses “plantations” around Cayambe, Ecuador

“Long the symbol of love, irresistible desire, and ephemeral beauty, the prickliest of flowers has never been so popular, so lucrative–or so toxic for the environment…”-opening sentence in Jan-Feb 2008 Audubon Magazine article

…as well as to

workers,

communities

local food security…

Workers exposed to the many toxic pesticides used in flower-production can experience health problems—from blurred vision to abdominal pain and birth defects or other reproductive risks, including miscarriage, prematurity, and congenital malformations

http://napavalleyregister.com/business/article_1cb2e3a3-5276-50f6-bc48-80d6c5860ef9.html

The Harvard School of Public Health examined 72 children ages 7-8 in a flower-growing region of Ecuador whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy and found they had developmental delays of up to four years on aptitude tests.

“Every time we look, we’re finding out these pesticides are more dangerous than we ever thought before and more toxic at lower levels,” said Philippe Grandjean, who led the Harvard study.

This is just one of dozens of studies that examine the health impacts of the flower industry in Ecuador and other lesser developed countries.

Kristjanath/Flickr

Meanwhile, their community often experienced water shortages, which were blamed on the water-thirsty rose plantations in the area.

(Susan & Jeremy with their Ecuadorian host family)

http://www.armellini.com/

Plus, consider the carbon footprint of growing, packaging, importing, flying, warehousing, & trucking flowers from South America to our local grocery store or florist shop.

Around the same time Susan & Jeremy were completing their Peace Corps service, Kay learned that she was being laid off from her job of managing the county Master Gardener program due to budget cuts….

So mother & daughter teamed up to start Buckeye Blooms on the family farm where both spent their childhood. They had a vision of growing flowers without the use of harsh chemicals.

The family already was committed to conserving natural resources.

Aerial view of the farm in different seasons(Pre-Buckeye Blooms).

The family planted hundreds of trees and created riparian buffers and filter strips to provide wildlife habitat and reduce sediment pollution to Pike Run, which is in the Lake Erie watershed basin.

PLANNING THE NEW FLOWER BEDS ON WHAT WAS A CONVENTIONAL

CORN FIELD

BEDS ARE 25’ BY 4’

ROLLING UP THE SOD

REUSING THE SOD

MAKING SOD WALKWAYS

Exhausting work!

Aerial views of “Before & After” flower bed construction

HAULING COMPOSTED MANURE

OOPS, STUCK!

BLACK GOLD!

DOUBLE DIGGING, PLANTING

THE WHOLE FAMILY HELPED WITH PLANTING

FROST WARNING!

THE OLD MILKING PARLOR “BEFORE”

POWER WASH & PAINT

REWIRING THE BARN

ENTRANCE TO SHOP IN BARN

OUR “DESIGN STUDIO” (AFTER)

RAIN BARRELS

“Aerial” views of our flower field during the growing season.

Farm scenes

AGERATUM AND CELOSIA

RUDBECKIA AND LIATRIS

DAHLIA AND LILIES

HYDRANGEA

FARMER’S MARKET

BOUQUETS

WEDDINGS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baAbhKzN0UY&context=C30b4987ADOEgsToPDskLQnodLxRmC0nzkIpi37X00

PHOTO SHOOTS

Learning Lab for students: Denison University PEAS group

FLOWER CLASSES

FARM FLOWER “PARTIES”

New for 2012

•Cooler•High tunnel (hoophouse) •Field expansion•Retail partnerships •Carbon/pollution offsets •seasonal flower arranging workshops

NEW GREEN WEDDING OPTIONS FROM BUCKEYE BLOOMS

Commemorative Treehttp://www.buckeyeblooms.com/weddings/?weddings=26

“Tree Favors”

Carbon/Pollution offsetshttp://www.weddingmuseum.com/tools/wedding-carbon-footprint-tool.php

http://www.buckeyeblooms.com/environment/?environment=27

HTTP://WWW.BUCKEYEBLOOMS.COM/ENVIRONMENT/

Our Commitment to Conservation

BUY LOCAL!

Buy Local!

Educate your friends & clients about the real costs of conventional flowers

Buy direct from local flower farmers or ask your florists to buy local, seasonal, organic and sustainably grown flowers

Consider the environmental & social impacts of your purchases & choose the greenest/most sustainable option

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

http://www.delicious.com/stacks/buckeyeblooms

BuckeyeBlooms.combuckeyeblooms@gmail.com