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More than 400 flower farmers converge in St. Louis this week for the first-ever Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers conference, which is focused on urban flower farming. Miranda Duschack and Mimo Davis of Urban Buds, a flower farm located in Dutchtown, discuss the booming (and blooming) world of urban flower farming.
Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack grow flowers at Urban Buds City Grown Flowers in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, and we love this interview where we talk about rehabbing a legacy farm property including an old glass greenhouse, what it's really like to grow flowers in the city, and what their markets are with so many potential customers nearby. We talk about how to get the most out of a small area, favorite floral crops and growing tips, why they keep growing ginger along with all the flowers, the impact of urban farms, and so much more! We'd like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, BCS America and the Vermont Compost Company. It's with their generous support that we can bring you this podcast for free so show them some love. They're making it easy right now as both sponsors are having sales- Vermont Compost is doing their annual prebuy program now through the end of October to incentivize ordering your spring soil before the snow flies. You can receive 20% off orders placed, paid for, and shipped by October 31st. Listeners of the Growing for Market podcast will also receive a free 60 quart bag of Compost Plus container and transplant booster mix with your order. Visit vermontcompost.com/gfm for more details, or mention this podcast when you place your order. And, BCS has select two-wheel tractors and attachments on sale now through the end of the year. Visit bcsamerica.com to find sale pricing and your nearest dealer. Connect With Guest:Email: citygrownflowers@gmail.comWebsite: www.citygrownflowers.comInstagram: @urbanbuds Podcast Sponsors:Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors as they make this podcast FREE to everyone with their generous support: Vermont Compost Company - Since 1992, Vermont Compost Company has supplied premium living soils and compost-based amendments to thousands of successful growers all over the country. All ingredients used in Vermont Compost products are approved for certified organic production. In addition to product consistency, growers can depend on Vermont Compost as an invaluable resource for a breadth of soil and plant knowledge and the technical expertise it takes to grow organically in an ever-changing environment. Why Grow Alone? BCS America - BCS two-wheel tractors are designed and built in Italy where small-scale farming has been a way of life for generations. Discover the beauty of BCS on your farm with PTO-driven implements for soil-working, shredding cover crops, spreading compost, mowing under fences, clearing snow, and more – all powered by a single, gear-driven machine that's tailored to the size and scale of your operation. To learn more, view sale pricing, or locate your nearest dealer, visit BCS America. Subscribe To Our Magazine - FREE 28-Day Trial:Our Website: www.GrowingForMarket.com
In the second episode of the two-part series with the farmers at Urban Buds City Grown Flowers, Miranda Duschack covers urban cut flower farming, supporting farmers through an 1890 land-grant university and the realities of being a part-time farmer. Hear about the history of the land that this farm sits on—it's been a flower farm since 1870—and how it came into Miranda's and Mimo Davis' hands. Miranda gets honest about having to work off-farm to make a farm business work and her dream of farming full-time. Learn about agricultural census and National Agricultural Statistics Service data in an actually interesting way to understand the picture of small-farm profitability in the US. Hear about Miranda's role as a Lincoln University Small Farm Extension Specialist and how she's using her Urban Buds farming experience to benefit the folks she serves through Extension—and how you can best work with your Extension professionals to boost your own farm dreams. Learn also about how Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education's (SARE) grant programs work—including the Farmer-Rancher Grant and Youth Educator Grant—and the efforts of the Farm Service Agency's new Urban Ag County Committee Pilot Program. Listen to the first part of the Urban Buds City Grown Flowers interview, with Mimo Davis, in Episode 56. Urban Buds City Grown Flowers website Urban Buds City Grown Flowers on Instagram Email Miranda Duschack
St. Louis flower farmer Mimo Davis talks about growing flowers year-round, Black flower farmers, her work as vice president of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and more! Listen to this episode of the Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good podcast to hear about Mimo Davis' journey from being a social worker for homeless adolescent males in New York City to becoming a flower farmer in rural Missouri in just eight weeks. Mimo talks about what it's like as an African American to farm flowers in rural Missouri and the dearth of Black flower farmers in the state. Hear about the transition Mimo made into the current iteration of her farming dream, Urban Buds City Grown Flowers, which she operates with Miranda Duschack, and learn everything about the farm, including the 1-acre property's history as a flower farm since the 1800s—plus learn how Mimo manages to grow flowers year-round. Also get to know the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and how you can tap into the education and resources they offer to farmers. Urban Buds City Grown Flowers website Urban Buds City Grown Flowers on Instagram Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers website ASCFG Conference
I'm overjoyed that urban flower farming is becoming more popular. This week, we're talking with Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack of Urban Buds City Grown Flowers in St. Louis about how they started on this amazing historic land, creating multiple revenue streams and community impact. In this episdoe we chat about: - How their flower journeys began - The history of the land they grow on - Pre-pandemic Sales Channels - Pivoting through the pandemic - Farmers Market Pricing -ASCFG - The importance of using grants Learn more about Mimo and Miranda with all of our past guests by visiting TheFlowerPodcast.com Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. We are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Gaana, and many more! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for access to all of our Zoom chats, tutorials, IG Lives, and video extras. Sponsors of The Flower Podcast Curate Accent Decor The Gardeners Workshop Real Flower Business Society of American Florists Rooted Farmers ASCFG Intrigued Experience Conference
From plots of land in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis, farmed since the 1870s, partners Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack send forth bunches, bouquets and buckets of flowers that are "locally grown, not flown" to gladden many local hearts. Especially poignant in this conversation with Earthworms host and flower fan Jean Ponzi is the story of Urban Buds covid pivot. Nature, Love and Beauty will not be stopped! More than 70 varieties of blooming plants are sustainably grown using drip irrigation, compost, integrated pest management, minimal tillage and cover crops. This unique farm's one acre across seven city lots embodies knowledge and commitment that joyously hold Golden Beet Certification from Known & Grown St. Louis, the regional local food evaluation program of Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Thanks to Known & Grown! Urban Buds supplies seasonal and high-tunnel grown flowers for weddings and events, direct sale at Farmers Markets, and wholesale customers. Farm tours (by appointment) welcome visitors of all ages to see how the blooms we all love grow, and learn why local growing is so valuable - especially for plants with intense production impacts as we "typically" source them. Pick details at www.urbanbudscitygrownflowers.com THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms intrepid engineer, and to Jon Valley and Andy Coco, KDHX production team. Related Earthworms Conversations: Custom Foodscaping with Matt Lebon (Dec 2018) Kate Estwing Grows, Loves, Arranges . . . Slow Flowers (July 2018)
Jennie catches up with Mimo Davis in St. Louis and chats about reclaiming city lots, bindweed, changes markets and more! http://urbanbudscitygrownflowers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/urbanbuds/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butterbee_farm/ No-Till Flowers: www.notillflowerspodcast.com Sponsors: www.farmersfriend.com and www.growingformarketmagazine.com and http://www.ascfg.org A www.notillgrowers.com production
Entrepreneurially Thinking: Innovation | Experimentation | Creativity | Business
Joining us today are Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschak, Co-Founders of Urban Buds: City Grown Flowers, an urban farm located in St. Louis' Dutchtown neighborhood. Together their story is one of land, community, culture and love. In this episode: Dr. Cheryl Watkins-Moore talks about how she keeps her REAL Cannabis Company teams' morale engaged and staying positive when things don't go as planned. Cheryl says it's important to stay focused and continue to move forward so that your company can move in the right direction. Also in this episode: Miranda explains the history of the location that now houses Urban Buds-City Grown Flowers. The nursery is located in the Dutchtown neighborhood which was founded in the 1870's. As the neighborhood grew, so did the love for the nursery. Miranda and Mimo are production focused and love catering to their community. Miranda and Mimo discuss how they formed a business relationship with the City of St. Louis in an effort to "grow" a successful business. Miranda explains the processes in which they had to go through in order for the farm to be recognized as a farm and be taxed as a farm. This process included things such as many hours at the Business Assistance Office at City Hall to conversations with FEMA and the Dutchtown Alderman. Miranda and Mimo discuss where their flowers are sold and can be found from local farmers markets to local florist shops; they are also a big part of the Bridal community. Miranda states that they also have a love for traveling and teaching others about agriculture. Mimo talks distribution and building existing and long lasting business relationships. Mimo gives some words of advice and says "start small and never stop sowing seeds - literally and figuratively". Miranda's advice is to "Do your homework!". Learn More: Email: citygrownflowers@gmail.com Website: Company Facebook: https:
Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack are flower farmers in St. Louis. Most of their 10,000 followers on Instagram are local customers. (Look for @urbanbuds.) They've invested a lot in learning how to do social media well. Their insights are even more important now that in-person connections at farmers markets and on our farms have been put on pause. Plus, they are funny people! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moses-podcast/message
Want to eat your home landscape? Want to work with Nature in some of the most efficient, effective and - Yes, EASIEST ways? Farmer and Permaculture practitioner Matt Lebon will set up your place to grow a feast for you - and for your bug-bird-nature neighbors. Matt recently parlayed his five years of deep experience as manager of our town's EarthDance Organic Farm (home of the Farmer Training School) into his innovative enterprise Custom Foodscaping. He can design and plant a custom edible landscaping package for home or business customers, or work with you hands-on to help develop your own Herb Garden, Food Forest or profitable Vegetable Farm. Matt's enthusiastic skills can produce Edible Schoolyards to Chef's Gardens to Taste-Full Home Gardens. As he says, "Have your landscape and eat it too!" Photos of Foodscape at VICIA Restaurant, Permaculture Orchard at Principia College, Chicken Food Forest at a private home. Learning Opportunity: 2-Day Foodscaping Course - Feb 16-17 2019 THANKS to Anna Holland, Earthworms audio engineer. Related Earthworms Conversations: St. Louis Food Policy Coalition Grows Health & Environmental Resources (Dec 2015) Farming on a Downtown Roof: Urban Harvest STL (June 2015) Permaculturist Tao Orion Goes Beyond the War on Invasive Species (March 2016) Urban Flower Farming with Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack (Feb 2015)
Grown locally and designed in-season. Using nature's diversity of shapes, textures and hues in pods and leaves as well as vivid blossoms. Keeping plastic and other material waste to a minimum. The trend in SLOW FLOWERS embraces all of these. Gardener turned floral business owner Kate Estwing makes these ideals (and more) work, beautifully, in her St. Louis enterprise City House Country Mouse. Floral artistry that can sustainably bedeck a wedding as easily as creating a planter box of succulents adds value to a service that everyone enjoys. And the values at work for Estwing help grow a bouquet of community resources along with her business! Open House August 16-18 at the new City House Country Mouse studio, 2105 Marconi Avenue on The Hill in St. Louis! Retail hours there are coming soon. Yes! this is Kate Estwing of Beep Beep Boop Boop, the popular KDHX radio show; Kate has also served as Program Director for KDHX. Music: Clavinova, performed live at KDHX by Messy Jiverson THANKS to Anna Holland, Earthworms engineer Related Earthworms Conversations: Urban Buds with flower farmers Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack (February 2015)
Mimo Davis and Miranda Duschack farm at Urban Buds City Grown Flowers, an acre of flowers in a working class neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. Urban Buds is located on property that was an operating flower farm in the city for three generations, but had fallen into poor condition when Mimo and Miranda purchased it in 2012. We talk about how Miranda and Mimo rehabilitated the property, and made the journey from startup to turning a profit while they financed the farm with income paychecks from their day jobs. We discuss the challenges of running a farm while working an outside job, as well as adding a child to the mix this past year. Plus, Mimo and Miranda talk about the challenges they’ve encountered on an urban farm, and how they’ve overcome them. Miranda and Mimo share their strategies for season extension, which they consider key to their business model in order to maximize profits from a limited land base. Urban Buds uses a variety of techniques inside and outside of a variety of structures. We also get into the nuts and bolts to achieving a long vase life with their cut flowers. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company and BCS America.
Mimo Davis, Miranda Duschack, and Stephanie Davis discuss raising flowers and plantlife in an urban environment, including the one-acre flower farm that they are currently raising in the Dutchtown neighborhood in South St. Louis.