Are you interested in turning your passion for growing flowers into a small business? Do you wonder which varieties to grow for florists or farmers” market customers? Are you curious how much labor and money are needed to start a cut flower business? The Wisconsin School for Cut Flower Growers is a two-day workshop designed to help new and beginning growers learn the ins and outs of growing and marketing cut flowers.

This workshop will be held on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb.12. Registration costs $175 and includes lunches and refreshments. Enrollment is limited, so early registration is strongly recommended.

The school will be taught by two experienced grower-instructors: third generation flower grower Joe Schmitt and Rich Mansheim of Sandhill Farm. They will provide practical information on how to grow and sell flowers and manage a cut flower business.

The instructors will cover a range of topics including variety selection, planting and harvesting methods, pest management, post-harvest handling and direct marketing. There will be opportunities to network with other growers and handle small tools at a show-and-tell table. The workshop will emphasize sustainable production practices.

This is the first year that the Cut Flower Growers School is being offered. It is part of the Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers, which has been helping people grow and market fresh produce since 1988. The 2006 School for Beginning Market Growers will be held Jan. 20-22 on the UW-Madison campus, at a cost of $250.

The Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School is sponsored by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and is open to the public. For more information about the Cut Flower Growers School or the School for Beginning Market Growers contact John Hendrickson at (608) 265-3704, or visit CIAS.