2015 Sonoma County Crop Report: Local flower industry is blooming

After wilting through the effects of the recession, the flower industry has sprung back as consumers are buying more arrangements, whether for weddings or for a nice family dinner.

That’s at least evident in Sonoma County as the cut flower industry grew at a robust 8.6 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to the 2015 annual crop report released Tuesday by Agriculture Commissioner Tony Linegar.

The $4.5 million flower crop was the county’s 10th largest in the agriculture sector in 2015, though it was dwarfed by wine grapes at $446 million and milk at $119 million. Apple yields dropped about 5.5 percent last year as a result of the mild winter. But Linegar added that its value increased by 10 percent to $3.8 million driven by demand for pricer organic apples.

The overall agriculture crop for the county totaled $756 million, which was down 14 percent from 2014 as a result of a smaller grape crop last fall.

The crop report serves as a reminder of how the profile of agriculture can change over the years as well as the wide variety of crops Sonoma County is known for. For instance, dairy dominated in the 1970s and early 1980s before wine grapes came to the forefront. Prunes were a major crop as well before the area became known as Wine Country.

Addressing the Board of Supervisors, Linegar noted that the prospect of legalized marijuana on the November ballot also could change the balance, especially as Nnorthern California is the prime growing region. For example, he said, there will be an even greater demand for vineyard workers in the tight labor market if it becomes legalized. Dairies in Humboldt County already have faced workforce pressures.

“The marijuana industry is going to pay a pretty decent wage and I think there is going to be competition for some of these agricultural workers,” Linegar said.

Lou Neve has already seen the pressures. He said he’s finding it difficult to attract agriculture workers even as his Neve Brothers flower wholesale business is thriving, particularly by providing products outside of the traditional roses and tulips.

“We’re doing a lot of novelty types of roses,” Neve said.

The company represents the lion’s share of the cut-flower sector in the county and has added an additional 100,000 square feet of space to its Petaluma facility. About 80 percent of its products are grown indoors.

“The labor pool is so small,” Neve said. “Everybody is fighting over the pool.”

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers was $374 million for 2015, a 3 percent increase from 2014. The flower business locally is booming as a result of a rise in the number of events, especially weddings, as well as the growth of local independent markets such as Fircrest Market in Sebastopol, which are highlighting local products.

“The market is better than it probably has ever been,” Neve said.

National chains such as Safeway also are venturing into the local flower market as well to stay competitive, he said. Given the growth, Neve has begun bringing in varietals from Australia, New Zealand and even Kenya.

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@BillSwindell.