Amy Fiedler, Springhouse Farm
Permanent Bed System/Cut Flower Production Expansion
Grant Award: $6,000
To diversify the farm and create a more profitable revenue stream, Amy added cut flowers to her operation in 2017. After two years of successful growing and seeing her flower production grow by 400%, she is continuing to refine her methods and has decided to forgo using plastic mulch and instead create a permanent bed system for flower production.
Not only will this new method be more sustainable for the farm by eliminating wasteful plastic (and the 
costs associated with it), labor and time to lay and dispose of plastic will be eliminated. The efficiencies gained and money saved using this method will allow her to expand her crop.
The grant paid for fabric, row cover and netting, irrigation, hand tools, flower seeds, fertilizers and bouquet wraps. In addition to her established markets for vegetable sales (restaurants, farmers markets, produce-based CSA, Appalachian Regional Health Care System), Amy sells her flowers in a flower CSA, to event planners, to retail stores and via U-pick on the farm.
Contact the Local Extension Agent