June 2023
Applied Economics/2023-04pr
Utah Florist Preferences for Local Cut Flowers Kynda Curtis, Professor & USU Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics Melanie Stock, Assistant Professor & USU Extension Specialist, Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate
communication, most farms report doubling their income each year in business. An economic model was used, Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN), along with a conservative estimate of 25 acres of production across the state. The impacts assessed ranged between $3 million and $13.7 million in total output (sales); between $221,000 and $1.3 million in state tax revenue; and between $1.1 million and $5.8 million in labor income.
Cut Flower Production and Markets Cut flower production is a small, rapidly growing, and dynamic industry in Utah. Other states are also experiencing tremendous growth and looking to Utah, particularly Utah State University (USU) Extension programs, to meet grower needs. Cut flower farms are primarily new businesses, often small urban farms. Others are adding cut flowers to diversify existing crops (alfalfa, fresh produce, etc.). The number of flower farms expanded from less than 20 in 2018 to just over 135 in 2022. The Utah Cut Flower Farm Association (UCFFA) started in 2019 and currently has 140 members. Last August, USU Extension and the UCFFA hosted the first annual Utah Flower Day at Wheeler Farm (Salt Lake City, Utah) with just over 500 attendees, demonstrating the substantial interest in local cut flower farming.
Most cut flower farms are run by women, often in their 30s, and new to farming, thus representing a new and underserved demographic in agriculture. Until recently, the average farm size was a quarter acre, but now closer to one-half acre, as 2022 saw much farm expansion. Cut flower farmers are highly entrepreneurial. They predominantly sell their products direct to consumers (farmer’s markets, CSAs/subscriptions, through Instagram, you-pick, etc.), wholesale to florists, and through events (arrangements for weddings, funerals, and other events). Farms also tend to offer educational experiences, such as classes on farming, floral arrangements, and agritourism-type events. As farms mature, they often move more into wholesale markets, which require high quality and large volumes.
This industry is also important to the Utah economy. A study conducted in 2021 to measure the cut flower industry impact on the Utah economy (Ward & Stock, 2022) found that the average revenue per acre was $64,000, with a low of $7,000/acre and a high of $200,000/acre. This range in income correlated with the number of years in business. Through personal 1