Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen, owner of Sunny Mary Meadow, delves into the core principles of crop planning for flower farms. Emphasizing alignment rather than control, she discusses scheduling bloom times to match sales needs. Liz shares insights from her own experiences, explaining how she uses succession planting and planning tools to optimize planting schedules and fulfill her varied event commitments. While promoting her crop planning platform Farmers to Florist, she insists the principles can be applied manually with notebooks or spreadsheets. Liz underscores the importance of early planning to make informed decisions and maximize the use of crops during their harvest windows. The episode also highlights the upcoming Flower Farmer Forum conference and provides resources for further learning and support for rural entrepreneurs.

00:00 Introduction to Crop Planning

00:10 Welcome to Rooted Agritourism

00:40 Understanding Crop Planning for Flower Farms

01:50 The Importance of Crop Planning

02:32 Real-Life Examples from My Farm

04:02 Planning for Different Business Models

05:27 Succession Planting and Season Extension

09:11 Using Tools for Efficient Crop Planning

13:10 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events

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Podcast Website: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/rootedagritourism

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Business Coaching: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/

Farm Website: www.sunnymarymeadow.com

FarmerstoFlorists: https://www.farmerstoflorists.com/

Farm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnymarymeadow/

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