The Santa Barbara County Flower & Nursery Growers’ Association will host the eigth annual Carpinteria Greenhouse & Nursery Tour from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, 2016, an opportunity for the public to meet their local flower farmer and to see firsthand how Santa Barbara County’s flower farms create beauty that contributes over $770.7 million in economic impact to the local economy and produces over 50 percent of California’s farm gate value of flowers.
With the Golden State producing approximately 75 percent of the nation’s beautiful blooms, Carpinteria has become widely known as the “Flower Basket” of the United States.
The public is invited to attend free, farmer-guided tours of six flower farms located in the Carpinteria Valley. Among the flowers that will be showcased are roses, gerberas, orchids and more. Each farmer will demonstrate a variety of sustainable growing and harvesting practices.
Participating growers include Gallup & Stribling Orchids, Maximum Nursery, Myriad Flowers, Ocean Breeze International, Pianta Bella Nursery and Westland Orchids, Inc.
“Today 74 percent of consumers have no idea where the flowers they buy are grown,” said Kasey Cronquist, CEO and ambassador of the California Cut Flower Commission. “So, most people do not realize that 80 percent of flowers sold in our country are now imported. Tours like these help to drive awareness of locally grown flowers and the reasons why consumers’ support for American-grown flower farmers is important.”
“We’re pleased to partner with our sponsors to give the community a chance to learn more about our wonderful community of flower farmers,” said June Van Wingerden, president of the Santa Barbara Flower & Nursery Growers’ Association. “This event is important because it provides an annual opportunity to invite the public into our farms to see the beauty growing inside. We have so many beautiful plants and flowers growing inside Carpinteria’s greenhouses, the tours allows us to share that beauty and highlight how our flower farms help the local economy and provide many types of jobs.”
— Anna Kalins represents the California Cut Flower Commission.