Growing Cut Flowers in the Sacramento Valley
Discover the fundamentals of growing high-quality cut flowers in this hands-on workshop with flower farmer Elle Huftill-Balzer of Sweet Mabel’s Farm.
Designed for beginning flower farmers, market gardeners, and backyard growers, this class combines classroom instruction with guided field demonstrations to explore the complete lifecycle of cut flower production.
Participants will learn how to select and grow flowers for continuous seasonal harvests using techniques tailored to the Sacramento Valley’s unique climate, where flowers can be grown nearly year-round. While out in the field, participants will practice evaluating crop health, identifying harvest-ready blooms, learning proper harvesting techniques, and observing production practices such as plant spacing, support systems, and succession planting.
The workshop concludes with post-harvest handling and vase life strategies that help growers deliver longer-lasting, higher-quality flowers from field to customer.
No prior flower farming experience is required.
Course details
Location: Sweet Mabel’s Farm, West Sacramento
Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Price: $125
Meet Elle Huftill-Balzer
Elle Huftill-Balzer is the owner and flower farmer behind Sweet Mabel’s Farm in West Sacramento. A graduate of the Center for Land-Based Learning’s very first California Farm Academy cohort in 2012, Elle brings over a decade of hands-on growing experience to her work.
Sweet Mabel’s Farm sits on an urban lot that was, back in 2018, a neglected and weedy piece of land once home to an organic vegetable farm. Elle transformed it into a thriving cut flower operation — starting small, with about 30% of the property planted in year one while balancing life with a new baby, then expanding to 90% by year two.
The farm’s name has personal meaning. As Elle shares: “Sweet Mabel’s Farm was named after the love of my life, my black lab / Shar-Pei mix, Mabel. She and I were inseparable for 13 years, and soon after my son was born, she passed away from an inexplicable illness. Mabel had gone with me on so many adventures in my life that I wanted her to come along with me on this adventure.”
Today, Elle grows high-quality cut flowers year-round, sharing her knowledge of the full production cycle — from planting to post-harvest care — with new and aspiring flower farmers throughout the Sacramento Valley.
scholarship opportunities for women & veterans
Women in Ag:
Thanks to the generous support of the Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Sacramento Chapter, we are able to offer women a 50% scholarship towards one California Farm Academy course, helping reduce financial barriers to hands-on agricultural education. Complete the women in ag scholarship application to receive a discount code.
Veterans in Ag:
We are offering full scholarships for US military veterans thanks to a grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition, CA Chapter. To receive a scholarship, please complete the veteran application here.
READY TO LEARN?
Questions? Please reach out to info@landbasedlearning.org for more information.