Alright, it says we are now live.
Happy Friday, everyone.
I'm so glad that you're joining us here today.
My name is Marta Nielsen with Utah State University Extension,
and I have a new- I was gonna say friend, but we just met.
But by the end we'll be friends.
A new face with me here today, Maegen Lewis.
Maegen is a horticulture agent, which is...
if you're not familiar with Extension, those are our specialists,
our experts that work in every county in horticulture.
So, in Wasatch county, Maegen, tell me a little bit about
your background, like where you grew up, and then we'll talk about
how you decided to study horticulture and where you went to school
and all that good stuff.
[Maegen Lewis] Gotcha.
Yeah, so I grew up in Green River, Wyoming, it's about-
it's just a couple hours over the border, if you've ever driven past Evanston.
But, my parents actually had a retail greenhouse business,
so I loved just working in there.
We lived in a desert over there, lot of sagebrush,
so it was a nice little oasis of that greenhouse there.
But, I just fell in love with plants, and thought I wanted to take over
the family business.
I got my Associate's in business.
But I just wanted to learn more about plants and stuff in general,
so I heard about USU, I started in the Landscape Architecture program.
Kind of looked into that a little bit, wasn't my thing.
I wanted something more hands-on.
So, I heard about the Plant Science program, and fell in love with that.
It was so fun.
And then I met a couple of the professors who were working on cut flower research,
which was so exciting to me, they were growing just
huge coral charm peonies at the time, so I was all about that.
But I started my undergraduate research with them.
And then, we looked at like, 12 different cut flower crops
while I was there for four years.
It turned into a Master's project and everything.
And then this job opened up right as I graduated last May,
so I applied and was accepted, so yeah, it's been great.
>> Well, and the cut flower side is so interesting,
because that's kind of like... the opposite side of greenhouses, right?
>> Yeah
>> So, you have like the best of both worlds.
All the worlds.
>> All the worlds.
>> Yeah, so tell me about working in Wasatch County.
>> Yeah, um, so... it's pretty chilly over here.
We have a short growing season.
We have like, 85 frost-free days, so I do a lot of season extension education,
just to help people to be able to get red tomatoes is the biggest thing.
So [chuckles] a lot of that, and people-
>> Right, and does it have to be pretty difficult with that
short growing season?
>> It can be, yeah.
So I- I mean we have a lot of low-cost techniques, like low tunnel covers
and things like that that are pretty effective and can help you,
you know, add a few more weeks to your growing season, so yeah.
>> So it's about extending that season so you can get the results that you want.
>> Yep, exactly.
>> That's awesome.
So, now that you're an extension agent, are you continuing to work with
the cut flower growers?
>> I am! I'm actually on the board of the Utah Cut Flower Farmer Association.
And I also work a lot with Melenie Stock, we're finishing up a lot of
publications on my research too, and that- it's been so fun.
But I'm also doing a cut flower class here, we have a lot of people who are
interested in starting a cut flower farm.
So, I'm excited for that.
It'll be over at Summit Community Garden in Park City.
So, it'll be fun.
Season-long cut flower intensive course.
>> Yeah, so tell me about the cut flower farm.
I want to talk about like, the business side of it,
and then maybe some ideas for a home gardener.
>> Yeah.
>> That's kind of a... at least something I've heard
a lot of buzz about with Extension.
With Melanie Stock, and I know Sheriden Hansen in Davis county
is doing some cut flower production in her little urban- what does she call it?
I can't remember.
One of her gardens.
[both laugh]
So, I don't know that it's necessarily a new thing, but what are
some of the draws for people to start into that business?
>> Yeah, so... I mean, when I started my research,
there was maybe only a handful of growers, and now there's-
I think last time I checked, there was 50 or so that were into it.
So just in just like, the past 4 or 3 years,
we've had this huge growth with it.
So it's definitely- it's not new, but it's newer to Utah.
We finally, you know, caught the buzz and are starting to do it.
But cut flowers, they are great if you don't have a large area to grow.
Like, with a traditional crop like alfalfa, you need several acres
to make money on that, right?
But with cut flowers, you can grow a lot-
or you can have a higher profit per square foot than a lot of other crops.
Even, like, high-value vegetable fruit crops, too.
They're a good money maker if you only have small area.
>> Well, and as far as money-maker too, like they're kind of a-
more of a luxury item than say, alfalfa.
>> Yeah.
>> Like, the- the output.
Like, the results have a higher market value, in a sense.
>> Mmhmm, yeah, they do.
>> It's just a really interesting- I was gonna say crop, but...
a really interesting new [inaudible] new to me area of farming and agriculture.
>> Yeah. No, for sure.
And we thought that sales would kind of die down with COVID,
but they actually increased, because people just needed
that boost of happiness in their lives.
[laughs]
They needed luxury sometimes.
>> Yes, and to send flowers to our friends who might be sick.
>> Yeah.
>> Tell me about growing like, a cut flower garden as,
you know, just like a homeowner.
>> Yeah, um...
The biggest thing, I would say is choosing flowers that have longer stems.
So, like, snapdragons for example.
They're a tall, spiky flower, you've probably seen them before.
But a lot of the ones that you'll find at the greenhouse,
they only get like, 12-18 inches tall.
The ones that I was growing, they would get up to 3, 4 feet tall.
So you could really use them in arrangements a little bit easier.
If you only have a short stem, it's hard to work it in.
So, I would say just get longer stems and anything that has
a tall or a long stem, you'll be more successful.
>> [inaudible], right?
>> Yes, of course.
>> The stem, it- that stem thing is so interesting, because-
I mean, from a nursery perspective, I'm sure that would make sense,
because you're trying to get different heights in your garden beds,
you need some things that are low.
But if you're planning to cut it and do an arrangement,
that's not going to work.
>> Yeah, yep. Exactly.
Long stems and beautiful colors.
[both laugh]
Those are the keys.
>> Alright, I have a hard question for you.
>> Yeah.
>> What is your favorite cut flower to grow?
>> Oh, goodness, um...
I think peonies are probably my favorite.
I feel like they're the easiest, and they're just,
they're huge and massive and catch everybody's eye,
so those are my favorite.
>> Ah, I love peonies.
>> Yeah.
>>That magical, like, few weeks when they're in bloom and you can like,
for me, I love walking around the neighborhood
and seeing who has peonies, and the different colors
and they're just gorgeous.
>> Yeah, they're so fun.
>> Alright, well, is there anything else you want to share with
folks who may be watching about- about who you are,
or maybe goings on in Wasatch county?
>> Yeah, so... I am also doing a season extension workshop
specifically for Wasatch and Summit county.
I kind of cover both, so.
But, yeah, we're doing that, but anyone's welcome to join.
You can just head to our Facebook page, Wasatch County USU Extension.
We have it listed on there, and you can just register through there.
But, yeah, it should be fun.
We're going to have all the specialists who have done research on it
come and talk, so it'll be good.
And it's all virtual, so anyone can join.
>> I'll post a link in the comments so anyone who wants to join can do that.
>> Well, that'd be great, thanks.
>> And because it's virtual, that opens it up...
>> Yeah.
>> And that's an issue that, you know, we have- we have several,
you know, of those northern counties that have
that really short growing season, so that-
>> Oh, yeah. Anything helps.
>> What are the dates- when is that workshop going to start?
>> So that is on March 18th,
and it's 1:00 - 4:00 or 4:30 in the afternoon, can't remember.
But, I'll record it and share it as well with anyone who registers, so.
>> Oh, that's awesome. That will be so great.
So check in the comments, I'll post that.
And also, maybe, some of the cut flower resources,
we can post those- put those in there as well.
>> Great.
>> If folks are interested in learning more about, um.
Maegen, it was so great to get to meet you!
>> Yeah, it was good to meet you too!
>> And I might be giving you a call, maybe you can give me some advice
for some cut flowers that I can grow.
>> Oh, yeah, anytime.
>> Great, well, thank you so much, and I hope you all have
a wonderful weekend.
It's not quite growing season, yet, so I can't really say happy gardening.
But we're getting there, it's close.
You have a great rest of your day.
>> Nice to meet you! Bye!