Episode 763: Colleen McCoole Payne on collective flower selling through Kansas City Flower Farmers Wholesale Market

About this episode

Colleen McCoole Payne discusses the Kansas City Flower Farmers Wholesale Market and the evolution of collective flower selling.

https://youtu.be/cGL1isNsbbE?si=h00tMUumLpTPXCH3 Collective flower selling is on the rise and we continue to see numerous models across the continent and even abroad. The origin comes from traditional farmers’ markets and has since diversified to include cooperatives, co-marketing ventures and solo-run farmer-to-florist hubs. The structures reflect the desires and business objectives of their founders, and today you’ll hear from Colleen McCoole Payne, co-founder and chief administrator of the Kansas City Flower Farmers Wholesale Market. The KC Flower Farmers Wholesale Market is a mouthful, but was intentionally named to distinguish this venture in the local market. Colleen owns FarmStrong Flowers, a regenerative specialty cut flower farm in Bucyrus, Kansas. I recently spoke with her about the market model she and 21 fellow growers have developed, which she describes to florists as similar to shopping a farmers market and paying for the product from each farm that they buy from. The Market has a new lease and a new location, and as Colleen says, “it’s still a work in progress and we are evolving to make it work better!” Dahlias from FarmStrong Flowers More than 20 flower farmers…

People in this episode

Host: Debra Prinzing

Guest: Colleen McCoole Payne

Topics covered

• collective flower selling
• flower farmers
• wholesale market
• cooperatives
• florist
• regenerative farming

Keywords

• flower selling
• farmers market
• wholesale
• floral customers
• cut flowers
• co-marketing ventures

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kansas City Flower Farmers Wholesale Market, FarmStrong Flowers

Places: Bucyrus, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas

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