Diane Szukovathy of Jello Mold Farm tells host Rebecca Kutzer-Rice how the need for standards for floral crops at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market (SWGM) led to the creation of the new book Floral Standards: A Practical Guide for Harvesting and Delivering Professional Quality Products. They also discuss Diane’s journey in flower farming, the establishment of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, and the importance of quality standards in the floral industry. Diane highlights the collaborative efforts of local growers to create the Floral Standards book, which serves as a comprehensive guide for harvesting and delivering the highest quality flowers.

The discussion also covers specific crops like dahlias, hellebores and sweet peas, emphasizing the need for careful handling and understanding of harvest stages to ensure product quality. She discusses the importance of harvesting methods, managing geotropism in flowers, and postharvest handling for getting flowers to market with as much vase life as possible. The conversation also touches on unique crops for local growers, pricing strategies in the flower market, and how the group at SWGM collaborated to write the book that will help growers know what the standard is for a wide variety of floral crops and how to meet it.

Connect With Guest:

Instagram: @jellomoldfarm, @seattlewholesalegrowersmarket

Website: jellomoldfarm.com, swgm.coop

Buy the book: swgm.coop/book/

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