16 May 2011

8th National Wildflower Conference, Healesville Victoria

May 2010
This national conference was sponsored by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation and hosted by WFA. Presentations from an array of excellent speakers focussed on subjects aimed at giving industry members new ideas and tools to improve their businesses, and their profitability. For the farm, these focussed on soil improvement, mulching, farm hygiene, IPM, more efficient water use through irrigation scheduling, through to quality specifications and better postharvest care. To make businesses more efficient, there were talks on domestic and export market development, tools to calculate the cost of production of any crop, tips on pricing your product and advice on the strength of grower coops. Information of value to new and intending growers, like working out what to grow, was also presented.

 

Several talks were given by passionate industry members who shared their own trials and tribulations of their flower journeys, and these were very well received by the audience.

 To conclude the formal part of the conference, attendees participated in round table discussions to address “Solutions to build the supply of product to both domestic and international markets”. This generated a long list of great suggestions for future industry progress.

 Day 2 closed with a conference dinner that included a spectacular demonstration of the art of floristry, led by Del Thomas, where wildflowers and traditional flowers were combined. The conference also featured a trade show.

 The final day of the conference was a bus tour to successful businesses in the nearby Dandenongs – participants learnt a lot by viewing for themselves the impressive operations at Proteaflora Nursery and The Big Bouquet.