If you never considered supplying your cooler with locally grown fresh cut product, you might want to rethink that sentiment. The summer continues to provide an abundance of locally grown products that are beaming with color and are just waiting to be used. Despite the fact that certain parts of the country are in the midst of one of the most difficult droughts since 1956 across the United States, the sources of these inspiration gems can still be found throughout the Tri-State area. Perhaps you know of a few that show up at local Farmer’s Markets in the towns you operate in. If not, we welcome you with the opportunity of making this feel good connection every week as we stock our cooler with a variety of novelty and some everyday items.
Specifically, we are partnering with several self-sustaining farms in Schenectady, Saratoga and Columbia counties for locally grown, cared for and cut flowers. There is a certain charm with being able to talk with a grower face to face as he or she unloads the fruits of their labor into our cooler. Most purchases are made today via the internet or the telephone where the human connection is difficult to make. The ability to offer large novelty sunflowers from a farm in Saratoga County has become less about finance and more about community. It allows us a glimmer of perspective on an otherwise highly impersonal and fast paced routine. It makes you want to change the name of this link in the chain to “wholesomesaler”.
Without getting too carried away in clichés, we want to make a special note that the product we receive from these earthy entrepreneurs and floral fanatics displaces some of the volume we normally have to import from other countries. The volume of imported large sunflowers, lisianthus and snapdragon are directly impacted. This is a “buy local” situation that we cannot help but feel proud to be a part of. Imagine the positive impact on the environment this generates by reducing the heavy carbon emissions from expensive air cargo.
Plentiful variety is also what keeps any flower shop looking new, fresh, trendy and seasonal. These flowers scream summertime and are diverse enough to provide you with something different to work with each week. If you are bored of using the same old “staple” flowers in your design work, imagine using locally cut Fever few rather than Gypsophilia or white wax flower. Perhaps substituting locally cut Cleome instead of Spider mums, or cut Ageratum rather than purple statice may be the answer.
The list of local flowers arriving at Seagroatt Riccardi can vary from week to week; here are some of the regulars highlighted for our staff on the boards right now:
Ageratum - Blue
Cleome - Lavender
Coneflower - Purple
Coreopsis - Assorted colors
Cosmos – Assorted colors
Feverfew
Gomphrena – raspberry, red, purple
Heliopsis - Yellow
Hybrid Delphinium – Blue, Lavender
Lisianthus- Pink, purple, lavender, purple variegated
Snapdragons (Medium) – Assorted colors
Sunflowers – Novelty, dark center and light center
Verbena
Zinnia – Assorted colors
took the lead at the Will Call desk and Warehouse and now is our Operations Manager. One thing we have all noticed about her is that Veronica keeps the Warehouse as organized and tidy as she might her kitchen (she’s a fabulous cook!) Applying a philosophy of “we’re all in this together” has solidified camaraderie and efficiency in the Operations sector of Seagroatt Riccardi. Veronica’s favorite flower is Veronica because they share the same name!
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