The Flower Farming Intensive: A 3 Day Workshop with Georgie Newbery at Common Farm Flowers, Somerset

A comprehensive 3 day workshop for flower farmers who are ready to build a more productive, profitable, and sustainable business, delivered in person by Georgie Newbery at Common Farm Flowers between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset.

The Flower Farming Intensive workshop covers every dimension of running a successful flower farming business: land management and growing practice, business planning and marketing, and cutting, conditioning, and floristry.

Over 3 days at Common Farm Flowers, you will move from the fields to the spreadsheet to the florist's bucket, building a complete and honest picture of your business and leaving with practical strategies you can apply immediately.

This is not a course about growing pretty flowers. It is about growing a business that works: one that makes good use of your land, pays you fairly for your time, and gives you a life as well as a livelihood.

What you'll learn:

Day 1: Land management and growing practice

Analysing field layout and bed management to improve efficiency
Understanding how soil health, biodiversity, and time management affect your crop and your profit
Identifying what changes to your growing practice could dramatically increase yield and cut time spent in the field

Day 2: Business planning and marketing

Building a business plan and cashflow forecast that reflects how flower farming actually works
Planning your year efficiently so that growing and selling are properly integrated
Understanding the cost of administering each type of sale, and where the real profit lies
Using your website and social media strategically so that they work together and work for you

Day 3: Cutting, conditioning and floristry

Harvesting from the fields at Common Farm Flowers and understanding best practice for cutting and conditioning
Seeing your product through your customer's eyes, and understanding how that changes what you offer
Sustainable floristry mechanics and packaging with no greenwashing
Developing your floristry skills or deepening your understanding of how your customers will work with your flowers

With small group numbers, lunch each day at the local farm shop, and Georgie's characteristic generosity with her time and knowledge, this workshop is as enjoyable as it is transformational.

Reviews:

"Just completed the flower farming intensive workshop. Georgie's wealth of knowledge and experience made the workshop invaluable. I am beginning my flower farming journey, but my fellow 'learners' have developed businesses and Georgie encompassed our, very diverse, knowledge with consummate aplomb. I left feeling empowered with much food for thought... onwards and upwards!!"

"Brilliant 3 days at the farm with the team visiting and revisiting the nuts & bolts of running a real flower farming and artisan floristry business. Good pace, enormous amounts of practical information shared and the right amount of ‘doing’ to bring home key points on organisation & budgeting of both time and resources. Plenty of individual inspiration and support. Excellent number of students in group and what a lovely bunch! Delicious no faff lunches from a local farm shop. Not my first workshop and likely not my last."

Suitable for:

Flower farmers with some experience of growing for sale who want to refine their processes, optimise their time and crop, make more of their land, and make sure they are taking full advantage of everything flower farming has to offer.

Format:

Workshops at the farm start at 10am and run until about 4pm (coffee from 9:30am each morning)
The cost of a full day workshop includes lunch at a local farm shop. It’s important that you please advise us of any food allergies / intolerances / other preferences at the time of booking.
Please bring any mid morning or mid afternoon snacks you might like.
We will provide water, tea and coffee throughout the day.
Workshops at the farm take place in our studio barn, as well as out on the farm where there is no cover.
Please wear clothes suitable for the weather (eg layers, waterproof clothes) and bring shoes / boots that are designed to walk on rough, grassy paths. Even on a sunny day flips flops and sandals aren’t advised and we suggest long trousers where possible due to the risk of ticks, bites and stings. A sun hat and sun protection are also advised, as we can’t always stand in the shade.

Paying for a 3 day workshop:

Members of our Club receive a 10% booking on all website bookings. Find out more about the club here.

Generally a place is only secured on one of our workshops when full payment is made, but we appreciate that for some people they may prefer to budget for this 3 day session. Therefore we are happy to arrange for you to pay by instalments if you prefer, as set out here:

If you wish to book a 3 day workshop more than 3 months ahead of it taking place we are able to take a non refundable deposit of £333 at the time of booking. The next instalment of £333 will be payable 3 months prior to the workshop. The remainder of the workshop cost will be payable no later than one month prior to the workshop taking place.
If you are booking a place within 3 months of the workshop taking place, an initial payment of £666 is required (£333 of this is a non refundable deposit). The final instalment of £333 is required 1 month from the date of the workshop.

If you would like to arrange to pay in instalments please email nicola@commonfarmflowers.com

Why do a workshop or demo with Common Farm Flowers?

Important information about all our workshops and demos - please read