Roses are red, violets are blue, flowers from the grocery are dirty and ew.

Organic flower shares. Why does it matter if the flowers are organic? It’s easy to recognize the benefits of an organic diet, eating food from LFFC allows you to be sure you are in control of the chemicals you are, or in this case, aren’t, consuming every time you dish up a meal for you and your family. But what is the harm behind picking up a bunch of flowers at the local store or florist? As the daughter of a former florist and regular purchaser of the grocery store rose bouquet (prior to researching this article anyway), I have to say I never gave my flowers much thought other than to decide what color I felt like looking at for the week ahead, but there is so much more to the story.

A face mask speaks a thousand words.

The typical florist or grocery store sourced bouquet has most likely come to you by way of Africa or South America. Due to the delicate nature and temperature sensitivity of flowers, they must be transported along a cold chain of temperature controlled trucks and cold storage boxes until they have reached their final destination, requiring huge amounts of energy along the way. In addition to energy resources, conventional flower farms use enormous amounts of water. As many of the large flower farms are based in developing countries in areas where water access is not always guaranteed, there can often be clashes over priority use of water. In Kenya, one of the primary exporters of flowers to Europe and the UK, the Lake Naivasha region has faced many water issues as a result of heavy water use by the many flower farms surrounding the lake. The water volume of Lake Naivasha has dropped by half since flower farming in the area took off, and the water remaining is so polluted that the survival rate of native hippo and fish populations have decreased significantly. As a result of declining fish populations in the lake, many local fishermen have been forced to pursue alternate careers.

In addition to the energy and water concerns associated with conventional international flower production, chemical use is widespread, including the use of many chemicals that have been banned in industrialized countries including the US.  DDT, Dieldrin, Methyl bromide and Methyl parathion are just a few of the toxic chemicals used on conventional flower farms around the world. A 2007 study by the International Labor Rights Fund determined that over 66% of Ecuadorian and Colombian flower workers showed signs of work related illnesses including “skin rashes, respiratory problems, and eye problems due to chronic exposure to toxic pesticides and fungicides.” A different study conducted of working conditions for Colombian flower farm workers reports workers are exposed to “as many as 127 different chemicals, mostly fungicides and pesticides” and has been linked to higher rates of miscarriages, premature births, and babies with congenital defects born to women working in the farms.

 Health issues associated with work on flower farms are not isolated to farms in developing countries. Dutch floral workers “are often exposed to 60 times the recognized safe levels” of chemicals where their indoor working environment prevents chemical residues and vapors from dissipating. As flowers entering the US are monitored not for chemical residue, but rather for insects, when imported- there is an incentive for flower farmers abroad to use large amounts of chemicals to ensure their products make their way to paying consumers. This widespread use of pesticides and fungicides in the flower industry means the flower bouquet from the grocery store that you happily shove your face in to and breathe deeply contains toxicity levels high enough to warrant being handled with gloves.  

Lovely LFFC flower shares

If you are like me, and now realize that the weekly treat of innocent flowers on your bedside table or book shelf is actually a hardship inducing poison bouquet, fear not- guilt (and chemical) free flowers are available! Our flower share contains flowers sourced from our member farms Millwood Springs Organics, Maple Lawn Organics, Lancaster Farmacy, and Windmill Farm Organics. Our locally sourced flowers make the long, high energy, and carbon emitting cold chain of transport obsolete. Using the same organic, chemical free methods of production that you have come to count on for your LFFC sourced produce, our flower shares contain none of the chemical residue you will find on the florist or grocery store bouquet which means you can feel free to breathe the wonderful scent of our local, seasonal bouquets without worry that the farmer who grew your flowers fell ill growing them for you to enjoy.