OFI 1756: Learning And Growing In The Flower Business | FFA SAE Edition | Andrea Buhrow | Ashton-Franklin Center High School FFA

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Andrea Buhrow is the owner of The Flower Patch, a multi-faceted flower business located in Ashton, Illinois. Andrea first appeared on the Off-Farm Income Podcast in 2020, right in the middle of lockdowns and quarantines from Covid. She was just beginning her FFA career and wanted to start her own enterprise, even though she had grown up on her family farm. She loved flowers, and people were looking for something to do locally because of limitations on travel. So, she started the Flower Patch as a “u-pick” flower farm where people could come have an experience, be outdoors and safe from transmission and leave with some beautiful flowers.

Ironically, as covid let up, this caused Andrea to pivot in her business. Most business owners got back to normal when the pandemic waned, but for Andrea that was normal. So, Andrea started selling bouquet subscriptions, selling at the farmer’s market and continued with the u-pick business. Today, Andrea has just graduated high school and her business is running at full capacity. So much so, that she has had to cut back on orders for this summer!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Cut Flower Production and Sales

HIGH SCHOOL: Ashton Franklin Center High School; Ashton, Illinois

MASCOT: Raiders

FFA ADVISOR: Kelly Viall

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ANDREA BUHROW:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Ashton Franklin Center High School Website:

Andrea’s FFA Advisor’s Email Address: kviall@afcschools.net

Ashton Franklin Center High School Telephone Number: 815-453-7461

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue