Selling Wholesale Flowers as a Micro Urban Flower Farm with Elise Hanks of Terra Luna Herbals

In this episode you'll get to know one of the talented and dedicated farm members of the Philadelphia Floral Guild.  Elise Hanks owns and operates Terra Luna Herbals, a microfarm located in the very urban Norris Square neighborhood of Philadelphia.  Elise has been working in flowers for over a decade, both in florist shops and at farms.  In fact, she was an employee at my flower farm all the way back in 2012 so this conversation and the way we work together now as peers feels beautifully full circle to me.  Elise launched Terra Luna out of a small community garden space in 2015, at first focusing on homegrown, value-added herbal products.  There are several crossover crops between herbal medicine and floristry, so Elise soon found herself selling bouquets to Riverwards Produce, a local, independent grocery store.  Today her focus has shifted considerably to growing high-quality, specialty stems for wholesale to florists.  She joined PFG in 2024 and has proven the old adage "small but mighty" is true.  While Elise grows on a very small footprint, her unique offerings, high quality, and reliability have made her a standout at PFG.  I'm excited for you to get to know Elise a little bit better through this chat!  You can also find Elise on Instagram where she frequently posts very real glimpses into the highs and lows of flower farming and small business ownership.  Her handle is @terralunaherbals. ---- This podcast is brought to you by the Philadelphia Floral Guild, a collective of flower farms in the mid-Atlantic region selling together to florist and other wholesale buyers. We help you elevate your design work and manifest a better tomorrow with locally-grown stems.  Visit philadelphiafloralguild.com to learn more and follow us on Instagram @phillyfloralguild for regular inspiration.  Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on what's in season, tips and tricks for design, and the latest episodes.  Not near Philadelphia but would like to source local flowers for your business?  Check out localflowers.org and rootedfarmers.com to find a flower farm near you.   What Can Locally Grown Stems Do For Your Floral Business? Less Shrink: Without the stress of a long ride in the global supply chain, our stems are superior in quality with much less breakage and far better hydration. Less Labor: Our growers do all the work of a studio assistant, stripping stems and making fresh cuts on stems that go directly into water and never leave a water source. This means you do not have to process anything! Less Trash: There are no boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, box straps, plastic sleeves, and all the other usual trash that comes with a flower delivery from the traditional wholesaler. More Inspiration:  Designing with the seasons sparks creativity.  No two weeks are the same.  More Community:  Workign with local growers is a very personal connection.  You'll grow your community every time you buy local.