Alaskans tapping the wedding flower market

Alaska is in the early years of an agricultural boom. What, or rather who, has turned Homer, Fairbanks and Palmer-to name just a few of the state's hotspots-into late-summer "bloomtowns"? (Pausing for pun groan.) Green thumbed peony growers with business acumen. They made a great discovery; Alaska has the perfect climate for growing a coveted wedding bouquet flower, right in the heart of wedding season. The kicker? It seems Alaska is the only spot where peonies thrive July-September. So summer brides in search of gorgeous blooms have been connecting with Alaska's network of growers.

The Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development (CED) have been providing key resources to lifelong farmers entering this new field as well as gardening hobbyists set to try a new business venture. They've helped those getting into the business of growing the perfect peony by polishing business plans, crafting financial projections, forging connections in international markets and providing expert advice on forming cooperatives.

The SBDC offers free and low-cost workshops in everything from hiring and healthcare for small businesses to marketing and QuickBooks. Bryan Zak, Southwest regional director of the SBDC, has been working with Kenai Peninsula peony growers for the last few years and first met some of the region's growers in a Profit Mastery workshop.

What on first blush seems like a big-profit business-individual flowers can sell for up to $8/stem-takes some long-term commitment, he cautioned. Most new growers need to wait about three years before they can harvest marketable stems from their peony plants-if sun and soil cooperate-so he helps them to create financial projections that take the long haul into account. What will they need to shell out up front and how long until they might feasibly earn it back?

There are also experts at SBDC, like Zak and Director Lynn Klassert, who are import-export certified and poised to help small businesses tap into Alaska's prime placement for international trade.

"My role as an SBDC advisor is to help people navigate resources, find international markets. What's the competition like? How do you establish relationships internationally?" said Zak.

Andrew Crow, a consultant and the cooperative program manager for the CED, has been working with the Alaska Peony Growers Association since 2008 when he was invited to speak at their annual meeting about marketing cooperatives.

"I manage a Rural Cooperative Development Grant from USDA which supports our work with groups that are interested in forming cooperatives or producer owned businesses," he said.

In the last few years, he's worked closely with four regional groups interested in forming cooperatives. "In the last year, three of these groups-one in Fairbanks, one in Kenai and one in Homer-have registered cooperative corporations and two have started to sell peonies through their co-ops," he said. The fourth group, in Mat-Su, continues to explore the idea of forming a co-op or joining an existing group. CED remains on deck to help ensure these new businesses run efficiently.

"This is still a developing resource and market. It's a replenishable, renewable resource," said Zak. He recommends new growers attend one of the Alaska Peony Growers Association annual conferences before they get their feet wet, something, incidentally, he's learned that peony plants hate. While wet feet for peonies (standing water around their roots) may cripple a plant, wading carefully into a new industry is something new farmers won't regret. Arm yourselves with spreadsheets before you plant!

If you'd like to learn more about workshops offered at the SBDC, visit their webpage. Learn more about CED here. Additionally, the UAF Cooperative Extension Service is offering a "Peonies for Fun and Profit" class next week as part of their Summer Shorts series. Here's a calendar link to the Aug. 12 class.

This story written by Jamie Gonzales, UAA Office of Advancement.