Supplies of edible flowers are steady and strong going into spring.
Fresh Origins of San Marcos, CA grows edible flowers in San Diego, CA. “The weather is quite mild all year. In addition, we grow in greenhouses which are combined with our bright sunlight so our supply is quite good all year,” says David Sasuga of Fresh Origins.
Unlike commodity crops, edible flowers are niche specialty crops that are planned out according to customers’ needs. Fresh Origins grows a variety of edible flowers including pansy, bachelor's button, calendar, marigold, chrysanthemum, snapdragon, carnation, dahlia, nasturtium, viola and others, though availability depends on the season and weather conditions. “There is always less supply from other growers in the winter since many parts of the country are in the ice and snow,” says Sasuga, noting that current supply levels are similar to last year at this time.
Restaurant and bar demand
Demand for edible flowers comes primarily from foodservice operators where they’re used in anything from pastries to cocktails and more. “They are used mainly by restaurants and some bars,” says Sasuga. “Consumption is generally stable throughout the year with a few spikes for certain holidays like Valentine’s Day and others.”
While Fresh Origins has been growing edible flowers for more than 20 years, they are offered along with its primary product, microgreens. “The profit margin on edible flowers is very low because they are space and labor-intensive which is very costly these days. We provide them along with our microgreens to foodservice distributors who in turn sell them to restaurants,” says Sasuga.
Given the planned supply of edible flowers, pricing tends to stay steady and set.
For more information:
David Sasuga
Fresh Origins
Tel: +1 (760) 736-4072
[email protected]
https://www.freshorigins.com/
