Grower News

Derek Hanna, a general labourer at Creekside Greenhouses, packs flowers for Easter at the Jordan facility. – Julie Jocsak , Torstar Derek Hanna, a general labourer at Creekside Greenhouses, packs flowers for Easter at the Jordan facility. – Julie Jocsak , Torstar A pop-up flower shop by Pioneer Flower Farms that works on the honour system is set up at the strip mall at 318 Ontario Street in St. Catharines. – Julie Jocsak , Torstar The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped the spring crop of hyacinths, daffodils, lilies and tulips at Pioneer Flower Farms from growing. But the grocery stores they were destined to be sold in are accepting minimal plants now and there have been numerous cancellations. "They’re playing it by year and definitely cutting back with our product that they’re allowing into the stores," said Kristen Sikking, of the St. Catharines business on Seventh Street. Pioneer Flower Farms, like other greenhouses, is now faced with the challenge of getting perishable product to market before it dies. She said flowers can only sit in coolers for so long. It’s why the farm has opened some pop-up stands throughout the city using an honour system. "With the short shelf life of our product, we would have to dump everything, and then where would the greenhouse sector be?" Andrew Morse, executive director of Flowers Canada Ontario, which represents 180 growers in the province, said the industry is struggling. "The reality is that farms have lost most of the locations where they are able to sell their product, which means many people have had to throw out a lot of product or have a backup of product," he said. Morse said about 60 per cent of the industry’s plants is sold between Easter and Mother’s Day. "We’re just walking into that period, so all of our farms are at maximum capacity. They’re completely full of plants, ready to go," he said.

Source: www.stcatharinesstandard.ca