Hart County flower farm highlighted during Kentucky Cut Flower Month
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — A Hart County flower farm is part of a statewide spotlight on Kentucky-grown flowers, as July is recognized as Cut Flower Month in the commonwealth, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Hippie Chick Roots, based in Hart County, donated flowers Monday for students and staff at Stewart Home and School, a residential school in Frankfort, Kentucky, that serves individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Double H Farms and Chickapoo Farm, both in Shelby County, also contributed flowers for the event.
The recognition also points to a growing local market in Bowling Green. The Southern Kentucky Floral Exchange connects area flower farmers with florists and customers looking for locally grown stems.
The agriculture department says, since 2023 the Bowling Green-based exchange has sold more than 182,000 Kentucky-grown stems from a network of more than 20 farms. About 80% of cut flowers sold in U.S. markets are imported, according to state officials. Kentucky growers are working to build a fresher, local option.
Kentucky now has 233 commercial cut-flower farms working 220 acres and producing $2.2 million in flowers each year. The number of farms growing cut flowers more than doubled from 2017 to 2022, making flowers one of the state’s fastest-growing specialty crops.
Most Kentucky cut-flower farms are small, family-run operations. Many sell through farmers’ markets, roadside stands, florists and online platforms.
The Southern Kentucky Floral Exchange and the Kentucky Flower Market now connect more than 50 farms with florists and consumers across the state.
The University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification has an interactive online map to help customers find Kentucky cut-flower farms.
