Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Klawitter
Hi Sarah , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Kountry Korner Floral is a family run third year cut flower farm, owned by Christopher and Sarah Klawitter. The farm is located in rural Northwest Minnesota, between Crookston and Fertile. We have a third of an acre in production, with two high tunnels, three annual production beds, and several perennial beds that include 1800 daffodils, 100 peonies plants and a 1000 lilies.
In January 2022, the idea blossomed, “What would it take to start a flower farm?” We needed to look into what it required to start growing cut flowers, as our local community had recently lost a floral shop. We wanted to help fill this void and promote locally grown cut flowers.
We started by finding out what plants would grow well as cut flowers in our soil and climate. Snapdragons, zinnias, amaranth, basil, sunflowers, and black eye susans, were among the many flowers we looked into. There was a lot of education and research that needed to be done as we were not new to gardening, but new to cut flower production. We had to develop a business plan, find resources for seeding, plant propagation, harvest, storage, and marketing. Our local USDA and NRCS offices were very helpful with resources and programs for specialty crops. Our local Extension Office through the University of Minnesota Crookston also offered a women in agriculture class called Annies Project, that Sarah was able to attend. During the past three years we have been able to conduct test plots to try new types of cut flowers to see which crops would do well for us; some of our new found varieties include lisianthus, dahlia’s, sweet william and statice.
During our growing season which is April – October, you can find our fresh cut flowers at the Crookston Farmers Market, on Farm Events, RiverView Healthcare Limited Edition Gift Shop, and Wonderful Life Foods-downtown Crookston.
Summer is an exciting time as we have our weekly Flower Bar set up at the Crookston Farmers Market. We bring several hundred fresh cut flowers each week. Our customers absolutely enjoy being able to hand select their bouquets. The farmers market runs June – October each year.
During the Spring and Summer months we offer flower subscriptions to our local area and community. Customers can choose between Spring, Summer, and Monthly Flower Subscriptions. We offer on farm events and private/traveling flower bars. If you would like to find out more about services we offer please check out our social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and website, www.kountrykornerfloral.square.site.
We have three children whose roles on the farm are instrumental, without them we wouldn’t have been able grow to the scale we are today. The kids help in every aspect of the flower farm. Which includes: seeding, planting, harvesting, weeding, and selling flowers.
Kountry Korner Floral is a member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. (ASCFG), Local Flowers, and of recent Minnesota Grown (TM).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are many different plant diseases that we never thought we have an issue with. In order to provide the best quality cut flowers to our customers, we had to experience the issues first hand, and come up with a solution. Plant diseases, pests, and weather are a continual challenge. We learned that you need to have supplemental irrigation system set up as you cannot rely on mother nature. Post harvest care including treatments and refrigeration are important, as this will prolong vase life for your customer. Learning to watch your cooler temperatures, very closely, is essential. As you can freeze an entire weeks harvest overnight. We have since invested in WIFI thermostat sensors that will alert us when something is not right.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As we enter our third year as a family run flower farm, we are happy and excited to continue offering quality locally grown flowers. We are looking forward seeing our customers at events in 2025! We always say that our customers are our flower friends, and without their support we wouldn’t be able to offer this beautiful experience for them.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
One would think that flower farming is all about beautiful gardens that have lots of color and texture. However that is not the case, a flower in full bloom in the field in most cases is too far gone to sell. A flower farmer needs to be diligent, have drive, and know that their job is 99% manual labor. To provide the best product for our customers flowers are harvested before or after the heat of the day. This means early mornings and late nights.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kountrykornerfloral.square.site
- Instagram: Kountry_Korner_Floral
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15sQp3LKoH/
