As a family-owned company that began its business in America in 1948, we believe that #orginmatters, we are an American Grown Certified Farm and actively participate with the American Grown Council to do our part promoting the American Grown Movement. There are a variety of reasons that the origin of products matter.
We are continuing our tradition of supplying America with premium California grown cut flowers by innovating at our farm and bringing new flower varieties to our greenhouses. July is a great month to celebrate American Grown flowers because greenhouses are vibrantly blooming with an abundance of flowers while demand for flowers drop after all the major floral holidays of the year have passed.
The flower industry has become more competitive over the years as South American Growers are growing and exporting flowers with increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Much of the South American growers' success can be attributed to the near-perfect climate conditions in the region and affordable labor. Many American growers have left the flower business because they could not compete with the abundance of flowers being imported. KB Farms has continued growing strong despite increased competition and prices. We have managed to remain competitive for a few reasons—an attentive eye on the market's product needs—a willingness to adapt and change what and how we grow. The perfect microclimate of the Monterey Bay paired with the greenhouses allow us to grow delicate counter-seasonal varieties that are difficult to import while maintaining the quality necessary.
American Grown flowers are something to be celebrated. They highlight the resilient spirit that has defined the American People across generations. We continue to grow some of the best flowers in the world despite rising labor costs and increase international competition. While labor costs are increasing our overall production costs and international competition is suppressing the prices on the American cut flower market, we remain committed to providing our employees with competitive pay and benefits. We can do this because of a focus on our core values: Safety, Integrity, Quality, Sustainability, and Respect. We extend these values in how we work with everyone from our staff, growing partners, and customers.
When you buy form KB Farms, you are not only buying from and supporting our family business but also supporting many other small family businesses across the region. Many of the flowers that we do not grow; we source from boutique growers in our area. Nearly all of these growers are small family farms that grow specialty varieties of flowers, greens, fillers, and branches that would otherwise not make it to the market. We have them to thank for the excellent product diversity available to our florists, wholesalers, and retail grocers. Without a focus on buying American grown products, growers small and large would likely find themselves closing their doors as so many growers already have. Amid the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, buying certified American grown is even more critical. As businesses closed around the country, we found ourselves with no option but to dump a lot of our production. We want our flowers to make it into the hands and homes of people that will love them.
Support your American Grown Flower Farms this July and throughout the rest of the year and keep them growing for years and years to come!
