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Hi my friend, The summer solstice is upon us, as well as what my husband calls the "most forgotten holiday of the year", Father's Day. As a florist and a flower farmer, I assure you that the majority of folks "forget" about Mother's Day until the last minute as well. Father's Day has an interesting history that is closely tied to locally grown flowers. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington in 1909. Sonora Smart Dodd came up with the idea to celebrate her father and all other fathers after a Mother's Day church service inspired her into action. She worked with her local YMCA and the Spokane Ministerial Association to set aside the third Sunday in June as a day to celebrate fathers. She personally delivered gifts to disabled fathers who couldn't leave their homes. Children gave red roses to their fathers and pinned red roses on their shirts if their father was living and a white rose if their father was deceased. For a time, the tradition was for each child to gift their father a red rose. Over time, this tradition faded away. Father's day became a federally recognized holiday in 1972. I love the symbolism and the sentiment so much that I have revived the tradition in our family. My husband was really touched the first Father's Day that I gifted him four red roses, one for each of our children. It didn't matter that I didn't go to the store or purchase something online. The gift was multi-dimensional; the roses were harvested from the bushes that I lovingly tend and care for, grown in a yard that is filled with our family's blood, sweat and tears from years of raking rocks, hauling rocks, unloading topsoil, laying drip and planting. It took many years to get to the part where we could enjoy it. The summer solstice ushers in summertime this weekend and Utah flower farmers will soon reach the stage where we get to enjoy the fruits of our efforts. Other than succession plantings of crops like sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos, the majority of the planting season is wrapping up. Early summer brings maintenance. Weeding becomes our new best friend and the pile of weeds to compost grows weekly. Spent crops from the spring are pulled out, replanted with short season crops like sunflowers or seeded for fall crops of zinnia, cosmos, asters and celosia. I am planting my pumpkins this week too. It's the perfect time to plant them so that they ripen a week or two before Halloween. I am hoping that by mid July I can stroll through my flower field and greenhouse in the evenings and really enjoy it. I hope that you get our to your local flower farm and enjoy their hard work too! There are so many ways to connect with them during the summer. Many of our members can be found at Farmer's Markets. Other growers provide U-pick experiences or workshops on their farms. Some partner with other local businesses and sell their flowers through storefronts and coffee shops. Utah Flower Day is scheduled for August 29th. Our member growers will be celebrating all over the state with unique activities and experiences for you to participate in. The Utah Cut Flower Farm Association will have a gorgeous flower arch display at Thanksgiving Point that day as well and all of the flowers and greens will be sourced from Utah flower farmers! Exciting things are happening as we run head-long into summer. Get out and enjoy all that our growers have to offer. Fresh flowers are always a good idea! If you need me, I'll be weeding from now until the next newsletter. Warm Regards, Sara Asbridge Publicity Chair Utah Cut Flower Farm Association

June Blooming at Noon Thursday, June 18th @ 12:00 PM Working with Florists and Forecasting Trends with Sadie Mower

Get ready for Utah Flower Day Saturday, August 29th Join us in a state-wide intiative to spread awareness and education about local flowers to communities across Utah!

Hi friend, Thank you to everyone who joined us for the recent farm tour. It was wonderful to see so many of you in person, connect in the field, and enjoy time together as a local flower community.

Spring Farm Tour at Foothill Farm Flowers Saturday, May 16th @ 10:00 AM ***Sorry, this event is now closed

Hi friend, As we step into April, it’s hard not to feel the energy of the season already in full swing. This year has brought an especially early spring, with many of our flowers blooming three to four weeks ahead of schedule. I can honestly say I’ve never seen so many blooms in March - it’s been both exciting and a little dizzying as we all work to keep up with the pace of the season! With that in mind, I hope each of you is finding moments to enjoy the beauty of what you’ve grown, even amid the busyness that early spring demands. We’re also excited to welcome a new member to our leadership team. Please join me in welcoming Calee Garn as our new Grants Committee Chair. We’re grateful to have her stepping into this role and look forward to the opportunities she’ll help cultivate for our community. Alongside that, we’re pleased to introduce a new resource on our website: the Grants Research Page. This page is designed to house past research and insights contributed by our members, helping make grant opportunities more accessible and less overwhelming to navigate. While the page is still under construction, there is already some valuable information available, and we encourage you to explore it and check back as it continues to grow. I’d also love to personally invite you to join me on my farm for our May Farm Tour. It’s always a highlight of the season to gather, walk the fields together, and learn from one another in person. I hope you’ll come spend some time connecting, sharing, and celebrating the beauty of our farms in full spring. There are limited tickets (free with membership), so sign up soon if you plan to come. As always, thank you for being part of this vibrant and supportive community. Wishing each of you a successful, abundant, and joy-filled spring season. Warmly, Mollie Payne President, Utah Cut Flower Farm Association April Blooming at Noon  April 16th @ 12 PM Balancing Farm and Family with Florence Becot, PhD of Agricultural Safety and Health Join us to explore insights from a recent research project on how farm families navigate the demands of work and home. Watch the replay HERE. Spring Photo Contest We’re looking for beautiful, authentic photos from Utah flower farms to use in future UCFFA media, marketing, and educational materials - with credit to the farmer, of course.As a thank you, every entry will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card to Johnny’s Selected Seeds ***Submissions are now closed*** Catch the Replay! Did you miss last months Blooming at Noon? Don't worry! The replay is available to watch on demand. Growing Together: How Collaboration can Help You and Your Business Thrive with Julie Hall Login to view the member video library and watch the replay.

Hi Flower Friend, Let us start by saying a huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended the Utah Flower Conference this year! We had a great turnout and we received lots of feedback from you. We are already putting our heads together to make next year's event even more spectacular. Busy season is just around the corner and we wanted to make sure you have enough time to get our upcoming events on your calendar. And while you're looking at your calendar, we would love to hear about your events too! Send us the details of your upcoming spring events and we will be sure to share the info far and wide. Thanks for being a member of the UCFFA and please don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything we can do to support you.

Between the time change to daylight savings, the abundance of warmer than usual weather and the upcoming equinox, I think it is safe to wish you all a happy spring! While I am enjoying the warm weather, I am secretly (ok, not so secretly) pining for quite a few more snowstorms. The kind with big,fluffy flakes that cover everything in a magical blanket that seems to suspend time itself. The kind that makes you feel like a kid again. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility given the weather patterns of the last decade. Just know, if the snow does come, I'll be enjoying a cup of coffee on my couch while watching it snow and then I'll suit up and go to the high tunnel to experience the contemplative stillness that the snow brings to my little corner of the world.

As we move into February and begin preparing for another growing season, I want to start by expressing my gratitude for this community. The strength of the Utah Cut Flower Farm Association comes from growers who are willing to share knowledge, support one another, and invest in the future of local flowers.

Hi friend,