萌芽的领域

The rural Meridian home 塔拉·麦卡利斯特 她的家人在COVID-19大流行早期购买了一个5英亩的院子，里面长满了齐肩高的杂草和枯死的果树.

Rather than putting in sod to improve the property’s aesthetics, 麦卡利斯特想出了另一个美化计划，也为她的家庭提供了额外的收入, using skills learned through University of Idaho 扩展’s Idaho Master Gardener Program.

越来越多的宝谷业主将自家院子里的空间用于种植和销售切花，麦克利斯特就是其中之一. 爱达荷州园艺大师计划为有抱负的企业家在本土鲜切花的萌芽领域提供了一个值得信赖的培训和有用的建议.

McCallister在农贸市场和订阅服务上出售她的切花, through which locals pick up bouquets throughout the growing season. 最近，她用她的干花瓣制作花环的课程已经售罄. 她广阔的花园也为婚礼等付费活动提供了田园诗般的场所.

提高她的游戏水平

Through Idaho Master Gardeners, McCallister has become well versed in the science of gardening, broadening her background in soil health, 灌溉, fertility management and controlling pests and weeds. 一位爱达荷州高级园艺大师给她的班级提供了设计完美的温室来培育花苗的宝贵建议. 作为一名专业园丁，她也能更好地回答公众经常提出的问题, 包括 from aspiring cut-flower gardeners.

“I think the master gardener program helped me not only with actual knowledge, but also with the confidence and resources to problem solve as we move forward,” McCallister said. “As we are expanding our business, I feel like my foundation is so much stronger, 这也有助于我在客户面前代表农业社区.”

参与者必须完成50小时的社区服务才能被认证为爱达荷州园艺大师. McCallister helped with the landscaping at the UI 扩展 office in Ada County. 她还接听电话，并与社区成员联系，向该项目的诊断实验室寻求有关特定植物和昆虫的信息. 此外, she taught some beginning gardening courses.

后院的农民

麦卡利斯特认为，受疫情影响，人们对在住宅物业上种植鲜切花的兴趣激增, 当人们在户外工作时，寻找机会保持安全的社交距离，让自己置身于美丽的环境中. Early in her endeavor, 麦卡利斯特加入了一个为宝谷花农组成的脸谱网小组，他们中的大多数人都在郊区的院子里种花.

大约25名当地花农参加了麦考利斯特在她家举办的社交聚会, 包括 阿黛尔史密斯, who was in her Master Gardener class.

史密斯曾在博伊西的退伍军人管理局担任医疗保健管理员，之后离开了她13年的职业生涯，全职种植切花. She grows some of them in her one-third-acre downtown Boise yard. 她还在花园城租了一块地和一个温室来种植鲜切花，并在一个熟人的后院养了更多的花, 让业主有机会拥有一个花园，而无需投入工作.

“During COVID, hospital staff, we were all so burned out. I read a book about cut flower production, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh!’”史密斯说。.

Prior to making the life-changing transition, as an exercise in a leadership training program, Smith was asked to identify her personal short-term and long-term goals. Her short-term goal was to become an Idaho Master Gardener. In her home office, 她的园艺硕士毕业证书挂在她的公共卫生硕士证书旁边.

我不可能称自己为专业园丁除非我有某种证书来证明这一点. 我想，对我来说，拥有一枚荣誉徽章来说‘我是一名园艺大师’一直是一个白日梦.’阿黛尔史密斯, cut flower grower and master gardener

“我不可能称自己为专业园丁，除非我有某种证书来证明这一点,史密斯说. “我想，对我来说，拥有一枚荣誉勋章，说‘我是一名园艺大师’一直是一个白日梦.’”

Smith supplies local florists, and like McCallister, she sells bouquet subscriptions directly to area residents. 此外, she partners with local wineries, 为花束制作工作坊和品酒会带来一桶桶鲜花.

“有很多人搬到爱达荷州，很多人不知道如何在我们的土地上生长,史密斯说. “They’re hungry for knowledge.”

A Nice Niche Market

参与爱达荷州园艺大师项目的UI扩展教育工作者也注意到顾客寻求在住宅物业上种植切花的信息的趋势. In recent years, the UI 扩展, Ada County office has been fielding three or four calls about cut flower production per month.

“这似乎是一个非常有前途的事情，”UI 扩展的教育家苏珊·贝尔说. “What we find with the Master Gardener clinic we have, which is a free clinic, 我们让公众打电话给园艺大师询问如何开始他们的花卉农场.”

In Twin Falls County, UI扩展教育家安迪·韦斯特(Andy West)经常接到对培养切花感兴趣的人的电话，询问如何开辟新天地, when to add fertilizer and why soil testing is important. 他听过一些在加州种植切花并搬到魔法谷的园丁的话, seeking guidance on how to continue production in a new growing area.

A former Pocatello florist who recently moved to Twin Falls also contacted West. 她现在在双瀑布市养花，为她以前的花店供应难以找到的鲜花.

韦斯特说:“这是一种趋势，正在爱达荷州南部向博伊西山谷移动。. “It’s a nice niche market.”