The Dirt on Flowers

This week, Shannon and Lynds catch up on the realities of midsummer flower farming—from moving high tunnels and surviving event season to managing dahlia losses after heavy rain. The conversation dives into practical growing decisions, including why they pinch dahlias, whether overwintering really makes sense in hotter climates, and how commercial growers think differently about crop loss.The hosts also tackle a surprisingly relatable business challenge: enforcing photography policies at U-pick farms. They discuss setting healthy customer boundaries, responding to online criticism professionally, and why protecting the experience for paying guests matters.Be in the know fo...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon welcome Maggie from Petal Back Farm in Wisconsin. Maggie shares her journey from corporate life to flower farming, driven by a passion for photography and growing. She discusses how Petal Back Farm evolved to include weddings, retail sales, and nationwide tuber and seed sales. The conversation focuses on photography as a powerful branding tool, with Maggie offering practical tips on lighting, composition, and editing. She encourages farmers to embrace imperfection, develop a consistent visual style, and use authentic storytelling to connect with their audience.Learn...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the duo recaps their post-vacation "hell week," 4th of July celebrations, and the challenges of fireworks near high tunnels. They discuss slow market sales during a heatwave, the pros and cons of wholesale flower arrangements, and debunk "get rich quick" flower farming myths. Shannon shares a new wholesale trial with a grocery store, while Lyndsay reflects on business diversification and retirement planning. They also answer a listener question about plant watering needs and tease an upcoming episode featuring photography tips for social media and farm marketing.Be...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon celebrate America's 250th birthday by reflecting on 250 years of American agriculture. They discuss how farming has evolved from a way of life for most Americans to a highly specialized, mechanized industry. The hosts highlight the growing disconnect between consumers and agriculture, emphasizing the importance of educating customers about seasonality, labor, and the true value of locally grown flowers. They challenge fellow farmers to use marketing as a tool for storytelling and consumer education to keep local agriculture thriving.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the two flower farmers catch up on their week's highs and lows. They bond over sunburn struggles, share laughs about regional expressions, and discuss retirement dreams. Lindsay celebrates a lightning-fast dahlia workshop sellout, while Shannon navigates staffing challenges caused by visa issues. They dive into practical dahlia care tips, debate Facebook farming trends, and tackle the profitability of perennials. The episode wraps with a preview of an upcoming episode celebrating America's 250th birthday and a humorous discussion about Shannon's jury summons.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027<...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss how incorporating artisan and local vendors can elevate farm events. They share personal experiences transitioning from frequent open farm days to fewer, more curated events featuring vendors, food trucks, and activities. Key topics include vendor curation, communication strategies, pricing models, administrative workload, and the marketing benefits vendors bring. Both hosts emphasize the importance of aligning vendors with the farm's brand, careful vetting, and prioritizing the customer experience to create memorable, profitable events.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the two flower farmer hosts record a pre-planned episode while vacationing at the beach. They discuss the challenges of stepping away from farm life and encourage listeners to prioritize taking breaks. Lyndsay and Shannon share practical tips, including blocking vacation dates in advance, pre-scheduling marketing content, delegating tasks to employees, and lowering expectations for farm operations while away. They emphasize that rest refreshes creativity and improves business perspective, reminding listeners that taking time for yourself makes you a better farmer and business owner.Be in the know...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon welcome Shannon's husband Judd.Together, they tackle one of flower farming's biggest challenges: weed control. Judd shares practical strategies, including the "stale seedbed" technique, multiple tillage passes, and timely cultivation. The group discusses tools like the Planet Junior cultivator, biodegradable plastic mulch, and cover crops, while addressing notoriously difficult weeds like bindweed and nut sedge. They emphasize that healthy soil, realistic expectations, and proactive management are key, reminding listeners that effective weed control is an ongoing, evolving process rather than a one-time fix.Be in...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the two flower farmers chat about pre-vacation farm chaos, the June slowdown in flower sales, and a disappointing farmers market. They discuss balancing retail and wholesale during slow periods, managing cash flow, and scaling back summer markets. They reflect on their early selling days, encouraging new vendors to just show up. Lindsay and Shannon also tease a new podcast segment highlighting questionable flower farming advice, share a motivational quote about persistence, and briefly cover larkspur harvesting and dealing with excess rain on the farm.Be in the...

In this episode, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss how to find and manage great employees for flower farms. They emphasize that prior flower experience isn't essential — personality and mindset matter most. The key traits they look for include personal ownership, curiosity, flexibility, toughness, and the ability to thrive in a focused role. They also highlight the importance of clear communication, realistic expectations, positive company culture, and strong leadership. The episode encourages farm owners to let go of perfectionism and build teams that allow them to step back from daily operations.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the hosts share updates from their flower farms. Lyndsay discusses an exciting lavender gin collaboration with a local distillery, while Shannon is surviving a two-day swim meet despite back issues, and battling invasive house sparrows on the farm. They chat about growing larkspur, dahlias, and planning fall crops like amaranth and marigolds. They also shares a new liquid calcium supplement recommended by a fellow farmer. The episode wraps up with a preview of an upcoming episode on finding great employees.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027<...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon deliver honest, tough-love advice about the realities of flower farming. They tackle common pitfalls, urging farmers to stop wasting time on non-essential details and focus on generating income. They debunk the myth that expensive equipment is necessary to start, emphasizing that humble beginnings build character. The hosts stress the importance of understanding your market, knowing your numbers, and prioritizing profit over revenue. They close with an empowering message about resilience and mindset, reminding listeners that success comes from consistently showing up and owning their unique role in...

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, one host shares a heartfelt story about moving from her lifelong family farmhouse to a new home, navigating emotional challenges alongside her unsettled cat, Judy. She discusses managing the farm from a slight distance, grocery flower sales, and a tricky wholesale opportunity with a grocery chain. The hosts also offer advice for third-year flower farmers, emphasizing financial tracking and focus. Personal topics like training for a half marathon and the importance of stretching round out this candid, unfiltered midweek conversation between two real flower farmers.Be in...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon chat with Nikki Bartley of Cross Street Flower Farm in Norwell, Massachusetts. Nikki shares her 11-year farming journey, from running a vegetable CSA to building a thriving flower farm with a retail barn shop, pick-your-own tulip and dahlia events, and seasonal festivals. She also recounts an inspiring trip to Europe, visiting tulip farms in the Netherlands and flower growers in Italy and France, which reinvigorated her passion for farming heading into the new season.Learn more about this weeks guest Nikki Van Lith : Website, Facebook and...

In this milestone episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the hosts celebrate reaching one million downloads while keeping things refreshingly real. They chat about office noise frustrations, naming their angry alter egos, and the challenges of planting tubers in wet conditions. Lyndsay shares her peony struggles with thrips, while Shannon's spring blooms are finally arriving. They answer a listener question about what keeps them farming, emphasizing freedom, creativity, and personal growth. The episode also covers workplace safety tips, flower preferences, and upcoming community events, all wrapped in the hosts' signature casual, unfiltered style.Be in...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon dig into crop-level profitability and the decision framework flower farmers need to decide what to grow, what to scale, and what to cut. Using tulips and sunflowers as concrete case studies, they walk through the full set of cost drivers — material inputs, labor (including owner labor), shrink/waste, storage and handling, equipment choices, and market/channel fit — and emphasize the non-financial factors (systems capacity, fuss factor, personality, social-media pressure) that shape good choices. The goal is to collect the data that lets you make deliberate CEO-level decisions for your...

This week on The Dirt on Flowers, Shannon and Lyndsay catch up on what’s thriving, what’s struggling, and the crops they’re loving most this season. From surprisingly gorgeous tunnel-grown Bells of Ireland to statice, snaps, and all-time favorite cool flowers, they share the varieties earning permanent spots on the farm. They also get honest about disappointing peony seasons, overwintering losses, tunnel fatigue, and the reality that perennial crops still need plenty of attention and care. The conversation dives into soil health, irrigation, plasticulture, crop rotation, and the mental side of flower farming after years of unpredictable weathe...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon welcome Lydell Steiner from Tilmor, a family-owned equipment company in Northeast Ohio, to discuss weed control and mechanization in flower farming. They explore different tractor types, cultivation strategies, and planting systems suited for small-scale growers. Lydell highlights Tilmor's innovative equipment, including the Power Ox two-wheel tractor and the electric Super E tractor, designed to make farming more accessible and efficient. The conversation emphasizes the importance of early weed management, standardized planting systems, and ergonomic tools to help flower farmers scale their operations sustainably.Learn more...

Mother’s Day weekend is officially behind us, and Shannon and Lyndsay are recapping everything — the wins, the weather stress, leftover bouquets, flower bars, pricing experiments, customer behavior, and the lessons they’re taking into next year. They also talk about handling negative reviews, donation request burnout, and creative ways to support their communities while protecting their businesses. Plus, they answer listener questions about growing eucalyptus and favorite zinnia varieties.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flower...

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss farm emergency preparedness after both recently experienced situations requiring 911 calls. They're joined by Lyndsay's brother, Dr. Cole Biehl, a pathologist, who provides expert guidance on handling common farm emergencies. Shannon shares a frightening experience involving a worker's severe allergic reaction to a spider bite. Cole covers essential topics including managing allergic reactions, severe bleeding and tourniquet use, heat exhaustion versus heat stroke, seizures, chemical exposures, and burns. The episode concludes with practical advice on upgrading first aid kits, CPR training, and fostering a farm safety culture.<...