Can we start breaking the unspoken rule we inherited from our grandparents and start talking about making money? I think it’s beyond time to expose the underground world of numbers, sales and profit and utilize this data to show what is possible.

Now that I got that off my chest, let’s get into what this article is all about—how I generated over $250k in sales in one year from my flower farm, Muddy Acres Flower Farm. And did I mention that I had just one (incredible) very part-time employee?

Dahlia Pink Sylvia growing in a raised bed at Muddy Acres Flower Farm

Before we dig in, I need to provide a little backstory. 2022 was the year of working smarter, not harder. I was no longer willing to work from sun-up to sun-down. After dismantling a belief I held that more hours meant more success, I was on a mission to work less. A lot less while making more.

Also, I wanted to have the time (and energy) to finally go all in on my life’s purpose which is helping women (growers) build a profitable business (flower farm). It was essential to work differently than I had in the past. I had to be intentional. Incredibly intentional.

A pile of zinnias, marigolds, dahlias and statice laying on a wood table.

So I did and it worked.

And can we quickly talk about how fascinating it was. It was somewhat of a mind f$&%. I felt like I should have been doing more. I felt like I should have been in the field every night planting and weeding. I felt like I should have felt burned out and overwhelmed. But I wasn’t!

Anyways, I digress. Being intentional in your business is a topic I’m obsessed about and will definitely chat about another time. In the meantime, you can learn 3 of the strategies I used to do this here.

So let’s get into the breakdown of my 2022 sales.

A bouquet of yarrow and rudbeckia with a chicken coop in the background.

Flower Subscriptions

In 2022, we offered 50 spring subscriptions ($225 each) and 50 dahlia subscriptions ($180 each) for the year. Sales were $20k+. And you may be wondering why I capped our subscriptions? Because the previous season, I traumatized myself with over 125 summer subs and 125 spring subs. I made the majority of the bouquets and 125 bouquets over a 2-3 day period is a FREAKING LOT! I wasn’t doing it again. After trial and error, I’ve learned a lot about flower subscriptions and how to make them work for my flower farm.

Ticketed U-Picks

Each summer I try to offer one or two u-picks a week until I’m socially exhausted. Sometimes that happens in August. Sometimes in September. In 2022, we had 365 attendees for $8k+ in sales.

A u-pick at Muddy Acres Flower Farm using raised beds with irrigation.

A u-pick at Muddy Acres Flower Farm with guests cutting flowers and chickens roaming the field.

Private U-picks

In addition to public u-picks, we offer private u-picks. Think get togethers with besties, sweet sixteens, showers, and more. While I don’t have an exact total for private u-picks (because it is mixed in with other Venmo payments), we had 16 deposits. Assuming each private u-pick averaged eight people, that’s over $3.5k.

However, we did have two large private u-picks—one for a client appreciation with over 25 people and another for a baby shower with 25+ guests.

(Btw, it was gorgeous. They brought a large tent, the decorations were perfection and you should’ve seen the spread of food. And they were even so kind to give me an overflowing plate of deliciousness.)

So the number is conservative, but it gives a good idea.

A private u-pick baby shower at Muddy Acres Flower Farm with a large white tent.

Flower Stand

I love our flower stand and the incredible customers who support it. Our flower stand is often an early morning thing and there is this unspoken rule that pajamas and flip-flops are the perfect attire.

A full flower stand of peonies at Muddy Acres Flower Farm

Open farm day at Muddy Acres Flower Farm with guests cutting ranunculus in the hoop house.

We had our stand open maybe 10 times this season. While I don’t have an exact number for the stand, we moved five figures in peonies over one week and more than $5,000 from an open farm weekend in the spring. We can be conservative and just say it was $15k.

The flower stand at Muddy Acres Flower Farm fully stocked with fresh peonies and tulips.

Tulip Bulbs and Ranunculus Corms

I love to go all in on bulbs and corms because they allow me to monetize my social following that I’ve spent hours, days, months, YEARS building!

Bulbs and corms are a large chunk of our income and let me tell you why. There is a large market for them. The market expands from my local community to the entire country! It isn’t as back breaking as harvesting and arranging bouquets and the profit more than pays for the bulbs and corms I grow here at Muddy Acres. We sold over $84k of bulbs and corms in 2022.

Dahlia Tubers

I have a love-hate relationship with dahlia tubers. I love them while they’re blooming in the field or sound asleep in our cooler. And I curse them when I’m planting, digging, and dividing them. But there is no denying their income potential in the heart of winter when the farm is dormant. We sold $65k+ of tubers.

A dahlia tuber freshly dug out of soil at Muddy Acres Flower Farm.

Merchandise

Our merchandise carries our holiday season. Last year we sold $16k+ in t-shirts and hoodies.

Lynsey Taulbee with Muddy Acres Flower Farm wearing a Farmer-ish sweatshirt holding a dahlia bouquet.

Muddy Farm Club

We offer a farm club at Muddy Acres for our customers who want more. Our farm club members can be considered VIPs. They have access to our field for their own enjoyment, receive discounted u-pick tickets, enjoy a bucket of free dahlias, and more. In 2022, our farm club generated $9k+.

Everything Else

I have detailed out my primary sources of farm income above. Not included are DIY buckets, custom orders—think grad parties, showers, etc.—photography sessions, gift cards, flower bouquet coupons, shipping (yes, there can be profit in shipping), or affiliate or influencer income, which all totaled over $30k.

A DIY bucket order from Muddy Acres Flower Farm in shades of white, pink and blush.

Now that you’ve seen the sales Muddy Acres Flower Farm generated, I’m sure you’re wondering about expenses or how much money I actually kept in my pocket.

While I’m not going to go into every expense, I will say that between the profit and the salary I paid myself, I kept over $100k.

What does all this mean and what is the REAL point of this article? To answer the ultimate question.

Is a flower farm profitable?

Yes. You can make a comfortable living from a flower farm. That’s it.

Actually, there are a few more takeaways.

You don’t need a lot of property, a multitude of hoops or a full staff to make a comfortable living. I have one hoop, one part-time employee and grow on less than an acre.
By being intentional with your business, you can work less while making more.
It’s imperative to create multiple income streams to make a seasonal business less seasonal.
You can monetize your social media following.
You don’t need MORE customers. You need more products and services to sell to the same customers.

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How My Flower Farm Generated Over $250,000 in One Year