Business Is Blooming for Cut Flowers in Michigan
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Bright yellow blooms are big business at DeBuck’s Family Farm.
The DeBuck family started growing sunflowers in 2017 on their farm in Belleville, and the U-pick operation fast became a popular summer destination. It was even voted one of the most beautiful sunflower farms in the country.
Some people pick a few stems while others fill buckets with some of the 25 different varieties of sunflowers in shades from yellow and orange to red and brown.
“Sunflowers always make people smile, especially when there are 15 acres and millions of blooms,” Eric DeBuck says.
Sunflowers are also a staple crop for Reinhardt Blooms. The farm, which has been in the family since 1880, started growing cut flowers in 1999. Katie Wachowiak farms alongside her parents, Walter and Joy Reinhardt, growing up to 100 different varieties of cut flowers on 30 acres in Kawkawlin.
“Bright colors are really popular in Michigan,” Wachowiak says.
From Field to Vase
Michigan cut flower growers take distinct approaches to getting the flowers from field to vase. At Reinhardt Blooms, the family harvests colorful blooms from the field and designs weekly bouquets that they sell at the farmers market. The family also makes regular deliveries to local florist shops.
DeBuck’s Family Farm invites visitors to walk through acres of cut flowers, posing for photos and cutting their favorite stems for bouquets. Their annual Sunflower Festival, held in September, draws crowds for flowers, food and fun. The farm operates wagon rides out to the fields and provides instructions on how to cut flowers and build the prettiest bouquets.
“Fall is our busiest season,” DeBuck says. “There is a lot of interest in supporting local growers.”
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The Season Never Stops
Since the window for growing sunflowers in Michigan is short, DeBuck’s Family Farm also grows lavender. The purple stalks bloom in July, and the farm’s annual lavender festival highlights the fragrance and culinary uses for the herb while allowing the DeBucks to extend their season.
“Sunflowers and lavender complement each other really well,” DeBuck says.
The family also spends a lot of time testing different varieties and only planting the sunflowers and lavender that grow best in Michigan.
Reinhardt Blooms also knows how to make the most of the short growing season. The family staggers plantings of popular varieties like celosia, sunflowers and zinnias to ensure that cut flowers are available for longer periods. They also grow annual, perennial and biennial grasses, sorghum and other ornamental grains, and “everlasting” flowers that can be dried and used in fall arrangements.
The seasonal offerings are popular and allow Reinhardt Blooms to continue generating revenue after the last flowers are pulled from the fields.
When there are no flowers in the field, Walter Reinhardt reviews seed catalogs and places orders for the upcoming season. He also saves seeds from the current season to replant popular blooms in spring.
“We’re always looking forward to next season and how we can do things differently and better,” Wachowiak says. “Being stewards of the land is so important to us because we want the centennial farm to continue to be our family legacy.”
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