Episode 635: Making space for local flowers at the conventional wholesale florist, with Andrea Grist of Florasource KC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlIq1TrnmY8

So wonderful to reunite with Slow Flowers friend Andrea K. Grist!

Today’s episode includes a short conversation with longtime Slow Flowers Society member Andrea Grist, of Florasource KC, based in Overland Park, KS, outside Kansas City. Andrea is a past guest of this podcast and I caught up with her in person when she had a long layover while flying through Seattle in August. Ostensibly, we met for lunch, but I couldn’t not bring along my video camera to record a quick conversation and updates on what she’s been doing.

KC Growers Market branding

Andrea discusses KC Growers Market, a new brand initiative of Florasource KC highlighting local and domestically grown cut flowers and greens. The “store within a store” concept has been long in coming and launched this past June after Florasource KC partnered with KC Flower Farmer Wholesale Market, a group of approximately 10 flower farmers in Kansas and Missouri whose goal is to get local botanicals in the hands of Kansas City area florists.

KC Growers Market flower display at the peak of summer season

I’m excited to follow this story as it unfolds. The growers set up shop at Florasource KC on Wednesday, July 5th and continued filling the buckets and tables there each Tuesday through the end of the season in late October.

We congratulate Andrea, Florasource KC and its KC Growers Market, and all the farmers of the KC Flower Farmers Wholesale Market for making this new collaboration happen. It will be fun to see where things take everyone for 2024.

Listen to past episodes featuring Andrea Grist:Episode 219 (November 2015): Gatherings in Bloom with Andrea K. Grist, Kansas City area floral artistEpisode 556 (May 2022): A floral conversation with Andrea K. Grist of Florasource KC and KC Bloom Hub

Follow Florasource KC on InstagramFollow KC Growers Market on InstagramFollow KC Flower Farmers Wholesale Market on Instagram

News of the Week

Take advantage of Early Bird Registration, which just opened for the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit. Save $100 off your Slow Flowers Summit registration, now through December 31st.

General registration is $799 USD through December 31st ($899 beginning January 1st) Slow Flowers Members registration is $699 USD through December 31st ($799 beginning January 1st)Follow the link in today’s show notes or head over to SlowFlowersSummit.com to find all the details for our dates – June 23-25, 2024, the venue, beautiful Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, and read all about our speakers and program. We have eleven inspiring speakers, an extensive hands-on design immersion, and presentations on flower farming, floral design, floral entrepreneurship and sustainability. I can’t wait to see you there!

Click Here for All the Slow Flowers Summit Details & Registration

Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers (right) and native plant nursery owner Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed (left), both based in Calgary.

And speaking of our floral community traveling to Banff, we have a special Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up for November, happening this Friday on November 10th at 9 am Pacific/Noon Eastern. We’re hosting two Slow Flowers Summit speakers who will share lots of details about what to expect when you’re making travel plans to Alberta. Join me in conversation with Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers and native plant nursery owner Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, both based in Calgary.