Edible Flower Farming

Edible flower farmers cultivate flowers specifically for culinary use, selling to upscale restaurants, caterers, wedding planners, farmers markets, and specialty food stores.

Popular varieties include nasturtiums, pansies, violas, calendula, borage, and specialty blooms.

Edible flowers command premium prices, add elegance to dishes and drinks, grow quickly, and create beautiful farm aesthetic.

Success requires understanding edible varieties and safe growing (no pesticides), harvest timing and gentle handling, building relationships with chefs and event planners, food safety compliance, and marketing the visual appeal.

Pricing ranges from $15-40/lb or $20-60 per ounce depending on variety and packaging, with restaurants and caterers primary buyers.

Small operations can generate $20,000-50,000 from intensive quarter acre production.

Startup costs include seeds and transplants for edible varieties, growing space and irrigation, season extension (hoophouses increase production), gentle harvest and packaging supplies, food safety compliance, marketing materials showcasing beauty, potentially cold storage, and farmers market setup totaling $3,000-12,000.

Building customer base involves sampling with upscale chefs and restaurants, targeting wedding and event planners, farmers market presence with beautiful displays, social media showing gorgeous flowers, targeting food photographers and stylists, potentially edible flower CSA or subscriptions, teaching cocktail or cooking classes using flowers, and emphasizing locally-grown pesticide-free.

Revenue comes from fresh flower sales to restaurants and caterers, wedding and event orders, farmers market sales, dried edible flowers (garnishes, teas), potentially sugared or candied flowers, growing kits or seeds for home growers, or workshops teaching edible flower use.

Operating costs include seeds and transplants, irrigation, season extension heating if applicable, packaging materials (delicate handling), cold storage, farmers market fees, delivery, and harvest labor.

Challenges include very delicate requiring gentle handling, short shelf life (similar to salad greens), limited market awareness (educating buyers), seasonal production in many climates, weather can damage flowers, and food safety regulations.

Success requires pesticide-free organic growing, beautiful consistent quality flowers, reliable supply during season, relationships with chefs appreciating edible flowers, creative presentation and packaging, potentially season extension for longer sales period, educating buyers on varieties and uses, and combining with cut flower farming for diversified revenue.

Edible flower farming serves upscale culinary and event markets.