| Cut Flower Growers Field MeetingAndy HankinsExtension Specialist-Alternative Agriculture Virginia State University All persons who would like to learn about production and marketing of fresh cut and dried flowers are invited to a Field Meeting at a cut flowers business in King and Queen County on Saturday – July 9, 2005. The meeting will be held from 7:00-8:30 pm at a farm called Travelers Rest near St. Stephens Church. This educational program is sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension. Anna Krieg manages a business at this farm called Natural Design. She and her business partner make European style dried and fresh flower arrangements. They grow about ten acres of annual flowers, perennial flowers and flowering shrubs. Anna markets fresh cut bunches, fresh arrangements and dried flower wreaths at four farmers markets in Northern Virginia. Popular specialty products sold by Natural Design are their wreaths made from dried hydrangea blooms. On July 9th about 250 hydrangea bushes will be blooming at Travelers Rest. Participants in the field meeting will also see sunflowers, celosia, ageratum, German statice, annual statice, strawflowers, yarrow, zinnias and many other species. Anna Krieg will discuss field management, harvest techniques, post-harvest handling and drying procedures she uses to maintain optimum color in everlasting flowers. She will also talk about selling her products at farmers markets. To get to Traveler’s Rest from Richmond take Route 360 East for about 40 miles to St. Stephens Church. At the stoplight in St. Stephens Church turn left on Route 721. Drive exactly 4.8 miles on Route 721. Fields of blooming flowers and a sign at the farm entrance for Travelers Rest can be seen on the left beside a big white house. The phone number for Natural Design is 804-357-8990. Participation in this field meeting is free. Pre-registration is not required. Persons who need special services or accommodations in order to participate should contact Andy Hankins at 804-524-5962, in advance, to make arrangements. Andy Hankins can also be contacted by e-mail at ahankins@vsu.edu . |
