Is a Flower Subscription Right for You?
Valerie, owner of Acres Abloom Flower Farm. with a fresh-picked bouquet of tulips.
What is a Flower Subscription?
And is it right for me?
Our flower subscriptions are a flower CSA. CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” and is just one of the many ways customers who believe in “Locally grown” can support a farmer.
But it’s not the only way.
What’s the difference between supporting a farmer through a CSA(subscription) versus a roadside stand? Or a farmer’s market?
Why would a person sign up for a Subscription instead?
These are great questions. And everyone who considers joining a CSA should be asking them. The reality is that CSA is not a good fit for everyone, and you shouldn’t feel bad if it’s not a match for you.
The flower Subscription customers who come back year after year are a “certain kind” of customer. Not a “better customer” — just a certain kind — the kind that matches the unique format of a CSA model. It’s best to go into the decision with your eyes wide open, and see if your expectations match the experience that a CSA will give you.
To help you decide if a flower subscription is right for you and before you sign up for this seasonal commitment, ask yourself these 5 questions....
Ready?
Question #1
Is the relationship to the farmer important to you?
Do you want to support a farmer?
Effective subscriptions focus on the farmer-customer relationship as much as the product. In fact, in our surveys of current members, we find again and again that the number one reason for joining was to support a local farmer.
Members want to be able shake the hand that grows those beautiful blooms. There’s something rewarding about knowing you are doing your part to support a local business. Subscribing is a decision you can build into your weekly routine that allows you to access high quality flowers with a conscience. (And that's no small thing).
Being in a CSA means that you are committed to supporting a specific farmer through an entire season.
You and I (Valerie) share the risk and the rewards of the farm that year. Mother Nature may send too much rain, bugs or disease. A certain bloom may not appear in your share that summer due to drought. On the flip side, there may be a bumper crop of a certain flower, and your bouquet will be swimming in that bloom.
CSA members live with this reality every day. Their motivation for supporting the farm is just as much about having the back of the farmer, as it is about getting the full financial value of their share. Your decision to be a loyal member is what makes your local producers resilient.
Make sure you read that last sentence again... it’s kinda huge.
But this relationship goes both ways. When you join our subscription, I will make an attempt to cultivate a connection with you too. This means I learn your names and work hard to make the “big CSA” feel like a small family. Acres Abloom might plan events to get you engaging with the farm. This year we are having a secret event just for Subscription members! We try to add value to your life, by teaching you about the Farm & Flowers journey.
This relationship experience is part of what you are paying for in a Subscription arrangement.
Question #2
Can you honor your weekly commitment?
Going out of town? Have an important appointment? What about your flowers?
Here at Acres Abloom, we have a walk-in cooler where we keep our fresh-cut flowers for conditioning to keep them as fresh as possible.
This is the practical question that weeds out a lot of people.
We ask our members to make a weekly commitment. If you have to miss your bouquet pickup due to a vacation, you can donate it OR you can gift it to a friend who comes in your place. Just shoot me a text so I change your name tag. And if you accidentally miss your pickup, we will keep it fresh in the cooler so that you can come grab it. Please be mindful that my farm is also my home, so you will need to text me prior to picking up your order.
In our Subscription, we ask you to think about your commitment before you sign up. Will you be gone a lot this summer? Is your chosen pickup site & time convenient? Or is your life too busy to fit this in right now? It might be better for you to just order from our online store "a la carte" from week to week, based on our availability. Or to Stop by our Self Serve stand either a Friday or Saturday!
CSA is designed for people who know they can make that weekly commitment.
Question #3
Do you value fresh, quality, premium flowers?
Looking for weekly access to flowers that are a cut above?
Chemical laden, half dead grocery store flowers. (Yuck). Flowers that don't open, flowers that don’t last…
If you’re a flower lover, you know this all too well.
Fresh & clean matters to you. You know that buying our flowers means you can touch & smell the flowers with a feeling of confidence (although once in a while there might be rogue bug, lol).
It starts with careful growing practices.
The second most important quality of a CSA member is that they love quality flowers, and they're willing to pay for it.
Our Flowers smell different than what you'd get at the grocery store. That's because our flowers maintain the natural fragrances that are lost during the harsh shipping process that imported flowers are subjected to. Our flowers are large & vibrant. That's because we pay attention to building quality soil that is rich in organic matter and bio-nutrients. Our flowers are clean & healthy. That’s because we don’t use chemicals like herbicides or pesticides. You'll also notice a difference in freshness with our flowers. That’s because you get them within hours of harvest. As soon as they’re cut, they are put into an environment-controlled cooler to condition them for you. Compare that to the average store-bought bouquet which is 10 days old.
Subscriptions are all about providing high-quality, fresh flowers that make your home experience feel like a special event every night. So, if you’re just looking for some basic flowers at the cheapest price...this is not your gig.
Question #4
Do you need control over your flowers?
Can you go with the flow based on availability?
Remember the saying:
“You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit?”
Subscription members have to learn to be flexible because you often don’t know what kind of blooms you will be getting until pick-up. We always try to give subscribers an idea of what types of flowers they could receive, such as seasonal staples that we grow every year. But since all flowers are cut to order the morning before pick-up so they can condition and be in their prime, your order will contain whatever is ready to be harvested that day. That being said, if there’s a particular flower that you just don’t want in your arrangement, never hesitate to let me know!!
Some people love this spontaneity. Others will be stressed by it. Which one are you?
Think hard on this: Are you willing to give up some control?
If not, then you may not like the CSA concept. I can still get you a straight bunch or individual bouquet, it would just be a-la-cart.
If you are having a special night or want an extra bouquet. you can let me know and you can pick it up at your regular time.
CSA works best for customers who see their home as a creative space, and our flowers as the “paint” for their canvas.
Question #5
Are you willing to try new flowers (really…?)
Variety is the spice of life!
CSA will show you new flowers and help you explore varieties you haven’t seen.
You will discover new flowers you love, but you’ll probably also get a few flowers you "tolerate." Part of the CSA experience means getting exposed to a wide variety of flowers. We trial new flowers every year and often because of the smaller amount we trial, we only put those in our subscriptions because, well, you’re worth it! And part of having a subscription is getting more premium, specialty flowers compared to my standard bouquets.
So, how’d you do?
Valerie Holding a premium summer bouquet with snaps eryngiums yarrow & feverfew
we hope you will Join our Subscription but want it to be a good experience for all!
Remember, flower subscriptions are just one model out there for getting fresh farm flowers onto your table.
For those who value the story, the journey, and the farmer relationship behind the flowers, it can be a great option that can change the way you enjoy flowers forever. But there’s no shame in passing on CSA and instead buying weekly from my self serve stand or online farm store or farmer's market. And that may in fact be a better fit to your style or needs.
We do both, so we just want you to be in the right fit.
As in all things, expectations determine how you experience the product. To set you up for
flower subscription success, make sure your expectations align with the philosophy of CSA before you commit.
Ready to get started with a flower subscription?
Try our seasonal subscriptions before committing to year-round.
Check out our available subscriptions HERE.
Coordinate with me to decide pick-up site.
Place your order in our market.
You get our confirmation email, and we begin to onboard you into our program via email.
No thanks, CSA's not my gig...
That’s okay! Try shopping our online farm storm instead to place a one-time bouquet order, or visit our self-serve flower farm and pick up your ‘a la carte’ order at our farm today.
