Canada’s specialty cut flower sector is booming, led by women and gender diverse farmers. Our research indicates that this set of relatively small-scale, new farmers boasts gross sales that account for as much as one-quarter of the country’s entire field-grown cut flower market.

The majority of these farms are new to flower farming and intend to expand their operations in the coming years. This influx of new flower farms has created a need to develop research and resources to support the sustainable growth of a dynamic sector that is providing women and gender diverse farmers with promising career paths in Canadian agriculture.

Through a series of focus groups, and an online survey of 200 specialty cut flower farmers across Canada, we identified the following key trends:

1. Farms are anticipating growth and optimistic about future conditions
2. Farms of all sizes are experiencing challenges finding new markets
3. A large cohort of farms under 1 acre are struggling to build viable businesses
4. Time management and work-life balance are significant challenges for many farmers
5. Wholesale sales and flower hubs are underused opportunities for farms of all sizes