The Dirt on Flowers

In this episode of The Uncut, Lyndsay and Shannon, two flower farmers, share an honest conversation about the realities of farm life. Lyndsay recounts returning from vacation to a hectic week, including a last-minute tent crisis for a farm dinner that was resolved just in time. They discuss evolving their workshop and dinner formats to better suit attendees. The duo also highlights the upcoming Dirt Con 2027 conference, featuring expert speakers on crop strategy, soil health, and more. Throughout, they balance humor with practical insights, encouraging fellow farmers to invest in education and personal development.Be in the...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon break down the business side of flower farming by identifying three essential weekly metrics: sales, labor, and waste. They explain how tracking sales by revenue stream helps farmers measure progress toward annual goals, while monitoring labor hours reveals true profitability. Tracking waste highlights inefficiencies in crop production and harvesting. They also encourage farmers to choose one additional personalized metric. The episode emphasizes simplicity, consistency, and data-driven decision-making to build sustainable, profitable flower farms.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027 and learn more by listening to...

In this episode of Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, flower farmers share candid stories from their recent Dahlia Fest, navigating rainy weather, parking chaos, and late-night flower pickers. They discuss Facebook ad struggles, pricing strategies for pick-your-own cups, and crop losses from pumpkin rot. Lyndsay previews an exciting multi-farm Harvest Fest featuring a "farm passport" experience. A listener question sparks conversation about dahlia petal drop and Midwest growing challenges. The episode closes with an announcement about Dirt Con 2027 and practical tips on bucket-filling systems — all delivered with humor and refreshing honesty.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027 an...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Shannon and Lyndsay explore the power of Public Relations for flower farmers. They emphasize that flower farming is a real business requiring strategic PR, not just beautiful blooms. Lyndsay shares her experience using press releases and TV appearances to build brand awareness, while Shannon highlights the importance of overcoming insecurity about self-promotion. Together, they discuss practical PR angles—seasonal events, business milestones, and personal stories—and offer actionable advice on crafting press releases, building media contact lists, and creating professional media kits to help farms grow beyond hobby status.Be i...

In this episode, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss the realities of running a flower farm business. They cover weather challenges, including El Niño forecasts and strategies like high tunnels and soil steaming. Event planning for Dahlia Fest is explored, including flower wall construction and managing customer demand. The conversation touches on merchandising using print-on-demand services, bouquet wrapping techniques, and whether to specialize or diversify flower offerings. They emphasize that success requires consistent hard work, with no shortcuts. Upcoming podcast content on public relations and business tools like HoneyBook is also previewed, offering listeners practical guidance for growing their flower f...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay Shannon discuss the realities of running a flower farm while working full-time—what they call "the double shift." Inspired by listener Amy, they share personal experiences of exhaustion, guilt, and mental load, while offering practical advice on financial planning, managing capacity, and knowing when to make the leap to full-time farming. They emphasize separating farm and personal finances, setting realistic expectations, and prioritizing mental health, ultimately encouraging listeners to build sustainable businesses on their own timeline.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027 and learn more by listening to th...

In this midweek episode of The Uncut, flower farmers Lyndsay and Shannon chat candidly about bouquet-making challenges, including color mixing rules and communicating standards to employees. They discuss crop struggles from heavy rainfall, upcoming farm events, and agritourism collaborations. Lyndsay shares her disappointing experience canceling a cyanotype workshop after poor ticket sales. They answer a listener question about the difference between working on a flower farm versus owning one, emphasizing the business pressures of ownership. The episode wraps with mentions of upcoming content, Dirt Con tickets, and insider extras for their community.Be in the know for...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss the critical difference between growing flowers as a hobby and running a profitable flower farm business. They emphasize adopting a CEO mindset, making decisions based on profitability rather than personal preference, and avoiding common pitfalls like underpricing. The hosts break down key business components—production, marketing, labor, and financial management—while sharing personal growth experiences. They close with five reflective questions to help growers identify their goals, bottlenecks, and next learning steps toward building a sustainable, fulfilling flower farm.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027<p...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the two flower farmers chat about Lyndsays successful customer appreciation night with 90 attendees, a Fleetwood Mac playlist, and dahlia field tours. They discuss their heartfelt connection with H-2A farm workers, particularly crew lead Brian, who recorded his first video in Spanish. Topics also include creative festival props, Facebook Marketplace finds, speaking engagements, farm equipment challenges for women, ordering processes, and soil steaming services. They wrap up with listener questions, a "Dumb Shit We See on the Internet" segment about soaking zinnias, and previews of upcoming episodes and their...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon dive into the real-life highs, lows, and lessons of running a flower farm. They answer listener questions about weed management, flower bed placement, seasonal color palettes, and how they approach fertilizing different crops. They also talk about the challenge of hosting agritourism events when the weather refuses to cooperate—and why sometimes you just have to keep going and hope for the best. The conversation also gets into the business side of farming, including how Lynds works to generate income throughout all 12 months of the year through subscriptions, wo...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lynds and Shannon answer listener questions about growing flowers, running a flower farm, and making money throughout the year. They talk about embracing weeds and finding a realistic “weed tolerance,” along with their favorite spring and summer color palettes for bouquets. They also dive into ways flower farmers can create income beyond the growing season, including subscriptions, workshops, dried flowers, holiday sales, and forcing bulbs. The conversation gets plenty of laughs with some of the “dumb shit” they’ve found on the internet, including a very specific dahlia-related invention. They also share what...

In this episode, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss the challenge of comparison traps in flower farming. Drawing from six years of building six-figure businesses, they offer practical advice on transforming jealousy into motivation. Key topics include using self-reflection to identify what truly triggers envy, focusing on controllable factors, viewing others' success as proof of what's possible, investing in education and mentorship, and building supportive communities. Their core message: comparison is natural, but how you respond to it determines your growth.If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt...

In this episode of Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon talk about the challenges of a rainy summer on the flower farm. They share updates on dahlias, zinnias, and other crops that are struggling with the weather. They also discuss getting ready for Summerfest and the unpredictable nature of flower availability. The conversation turns to farm visitors, photography rentals, and the importance of setting boundaries. They share a sweet reminder about noticing the good things happening around you, even during a stressful season. They also discuss how farmers can use positive customer feedback to strengthen their marketing. Plus, they...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay host an interview with Vanessa Tarr of Tarrnation Flower Farm in northern New Hampshire's White Mountains. Vanessa shares her journey from working at flower shops and Floret Farm to transforming her family's property into a thriving cold-climate flower farm. She discusses scaling back weddings to focus on farmers markets, retail, and workshops, hiring key team member Jen, and expanding production through a rented greenhouse. Vanessa also reflects on avoiding burnout, building sustainability into farm life, and growing a unique business in a tourist-driven, increasingly competitive local market.Learn...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the two flower farmers discuss unpredictable weather impacting their dahlias and peonies, and share insights from Shannon's recent girls night event featuring piercings, a perfume bar, hair tinsel, and custom photo magnets. They explore ideas for future events, including tiny floral tattoos and food trucks. Farm challenges like rebar-wrapped tiller equipment and relentless weeds also come up. They answer a listener question about employee flower perks and debunk the trending "boiling water" dahlia cutting method, wrapping up with updates on their Insiders membership group.Be in the...

In this episode, Lyndsay and Shannon announce Dirt Con 2027, a two-day virtual conference for flower farmers taking place January 9th and 10th. Themed "Grow with Confidence, Farm Like a Boss," the event features expert speakers covering crop production, soil health, pest management, season extension, and business scaling. Designed for farmers at every stage, the conference includes live Q&A sessions and lifetime content access. Early bird tickets open October 2nd, with a waitlist available at dirtonflowers.com/dirtcon2027.If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, Shannon recaps a relaxing trip to Hocking Hills, Ohio, where she skipped hiking in favor of poolside lounging and late-night conversations. The hosts also discuss recent tornado damage near their farms and the community's heartwarming response. They cover flower care challenges from excess rain, creative florist hacks like transforming carnations into lisianthus lookalikes, and Shannon's successful giveaway marketing strategies. The episode wraps up with updates on DirtCon 2027, their Insiders community, and a lighthearted debunking of an overhyped tool-sanitizing hack.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon chat with Hannah and Hailey, the Ohio Flower Girls, about building their flower farm business as sisters. The duo shares how they started with sunflowers on a family-owned farm property called Pickwick, eventually expanding into a thriving you-pick flower field, wedding flowers, and workshops. They discuss managing seasonal operations, streamlining bouquet production, and balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship. The episode also covers their marketing strategies, pricing for you-pick experiences, and their plans to grow the business through Friday evening events.Learn more about Petal Back Farm...

In this episode of The Uncut with Shannon and Lynds they are recovering from a whirlwind weekend of Bloomfest, workshops, and meeting so many incredible members of the Dirt on Flowers community. They share the highs (and a few headaches) of hosting events, answer your flower farming questions, and introduce a new segment featuring the best—and most unnecessary—things they find online.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podc...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon welcome Julie Pal of Julie Pal Peonies, a Kansas-based peony farmer. Julie shares her experience managing a 12-acre farm 2.5 hours from home, discussing the challenges of peony farming, including weather unpredictability, proper planting depth, irrigation, and disease management. She covers harvesting best practices, dry versus water storage techniques, and the essential role of a reliable cooler. Julie also reflects on market trends, favorite varieties, and the rewarding but demanding nature of peony farming, emphasizing that success requires genuine passion, patience, and community collaboration.Learn more...