Takeaways

• Farmers to Florists was selected as a semifinalist in the Minnesota Cup Startup Competition
• The biggest challenge in local flowers is not growing flowers but solving supply chain inefficiencies
• Building in public creates stronger businesses, stronger products, and better customer alignment

In this behind the scenes episode, Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen shares the exciting news that Farmers to Florists has been selected as a semifinalist in the Minnesota Cup Startup Competition. She explains how this experience is changing the way she talks about the business and why Farmers to Florists is much more than a floral platform.

This episode dives into the real supply chain challenges facing flower farmers and florists, why coordination problems cost businesses money, and how better planning systems can transform local sourcing. Dr. Liz also shares lessons from pitching, startup growth, and building a business in public.

Key Topics Covered:

• Minnesota Cup startup competition experience
• The local flower supply chain problem
• Why Farmers to Florists is infrastructure, not just software
• Startup lessons from pitching and networking
• Building businesses through user feedback
• Thinking bigger than your niche

https://www.farmerstoflorists.com/

Takeaways

• Why crop planning is the turning point from hobby flower growing to building a scalable floral business
• How documenting planting dates and harvest timing creates better business decisions year after year
• The four ways crop planning helps flower farmers predict, scale, and align production with real demand

In this episode of Farmers to Florists, Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen breaks down the mindset shift that transformed her flower farm from growing beautiful blooms to growing intentionally for profit and reliability.

If you are selling subscriptions or farm stand bouquets, flexibility works. But once weddings, event design, and wholesale floral relationships enter the picture, crop planning becomes essential.

Dr. Liz explains the four core functions of a crop plan: predicting bloom timing, tracking actual harvest outcomes, scaling production intentionally, and aligning flower production with customer demand.

She also shares why your first crop plan does not need to be perfect. The real value comes from collecting data season after season until your business becomes more predictable and profitable.

Whether you use spreadsheets or the Farmers to Florists platform, this episode will help you stop guessing and start building a stronger floral business.

Key Topics Covered:

• Transitioning from flexible flower farming to intentional production
• Planning flowers for weddings and event timelines
• Tracking planting and harvest dates
• Using historical data to improve crop decisions
• Building better relationships between flower farmers and florists
• Scaling flower production without increasing chaos
• Creating demand-driven floral businesses

https://www.farmerstoflorists.com/

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Takeaways

• The difference between farmer pricing and florist pricing comes down to labor, design, and customization.
• Competing on price leads to undervaluing your work and eventual burnout.
• Clear communication helps customers understand and respect pricing.

Summary of the Episode In this episode of Farmers to Florists, Dr. Liz breaks down one of the most misunderstood aspects of the floral industry: pricing. She explains why a $30 bouquet can quickly become a $60 arrangement and how the shift from farmer to florist introduces additional layers of labor, design, and risk. This episode offers practical language for communicating value to customers while reinforcing the importance of sustainable pricing strategies.

Key Topics Covered:

• Farmer vs florist pricing differences
• What goes into custom floral design
• How to explain pricing without defensiveness
• The risks of underpricing your work
• Building a sustainable and profitable floral business

https://www.farmerstoflorists.com/