Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022

Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022Prepared by Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm llc

for Montana Department of Agriculture FY22 Growth Through Agriculture - Full Application

Submitted by Jennifer Barnard

Submitted on 01/07/2022 12:05 AM Mountain Standard Time

Project Information

Application Information

Application NameMillay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022

Award Requested$25,000.00

Cash Match Requirement$25,000.00

Cash Match Contributions$25,000.00

Total Award Budget$50,000.00

Primary Contact Information

NameJennifer Barnard

Email [email protected]

Address5925 Lariat Loop Missoula, MT 59808

Phone Number406-529-7644

Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm llc

Project Description

Application

Business Information

Business NameMillay and Meadowlark Flower Farm

Business Website or Facebook Addresshttps://www.millayandmeadowlark.com/

Business Address5925 Lariat Loop

CityMissoula

StateMontana

Postal Code59808

Business Type Nonprofit Sole Proprietorship Limited Liability Company Limited Liability Partnership General Partnership Limited Partnership Professional Limited Liability Partnership S-Corporation - Public S-Corporation - Private C-Corporation - Public C-Corporation - Private Professional Corporation Other

Please check all that are applicable to your business: Native American Owned Tribal Enterprise Woman Owned Veteran Owned Other Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

Business is a: (Select all that apply) Retailer Producer Manufacturer Processor Other

Gross Sales Last Fiscal Year: Less than $50,000 $50,000 - $99,000 $100,000 - $149,000 $150,000 - $249,000 $250,000 - $499,000


$500,000 - $999,999 Greater than $1,000,000

Annual Operating Expenses: Less than $50,000 $50,000 - $99,000 $100,000 - $149,000 $150,000 - $249,000 $250,000 - $499,000 $500,000 - $999,999 Greater than $1,000,000

Enter total number of current employees, including working owners in employee count.

Number of Full-Time Employees:1.00

Number of Part-Time Employees:2.00

Enter amount of current annual payroll, excluding compensation to owners.

Current Annual Payroll:$600.00

Project Information

Select the category(ies) that best apply to your proposed project.

Project Type Business Expansion Commercialization Education Promotional Research Start-up Business Other

Other Project Type(s):

Agriculture Category Small Grains Oil Seeds Specialty Crops Livestock Meat Processing Fiber Crops Feed or Fertilizer Nursery Crop Produce Other

Other Agriculture Category:Floriculture

Project Location


Commercially zoned, historically agricultural land located in Missoula County, approximately 2 miles from the MissoulaInternational Airport and off of Broadway St.

Enter a description of the project location - such as: "Storefront in downtown Billings," "20 miles southeast of Wibaux,""On Highway 93 5 miles south of Missoula," etc.

Project County

Missoula

Brief Project Summary

Proposed Use of GTA Funds Equipment Consultant Services Advertising and Promotion Travel Supplies and Materials Communication (telephone, postage, printing) Software Other

Funds requested for (description limited to 250 characters.)Cut Flower Farm Expansion 2022. Add processing facility and more cooler space, expand our growing area, addingnew irrigation and beds and add a high tunnel. We will also be adding a small farm stand and and increase ourperennial crop.


Describe the nature of the proposed activity, the nature of the business or organization and what the GTAfinancial assistance would be used for. Provide any relevant historical information on this project and theimpact it would have to agriculture or specific agricultural industries in Montana.

Start with 1-2 sentences that state something like:The [name of organization applying] is requesting $_____ in GTA funds in order to ________ [insert nature ofactivity].Example: ACME Corporation is requesting $20,000 in GTA grant and loan funding to purchase equipment inorder to expand their turnip processing operation.Go on to further explain why this is important and provide relevant background details. Describe the nature ofthe proposed activity, the nature of the business or organization and what the GTA financial assistance wouldbe used for. Provide any relevant historical information on this project.

Be sure to answer these questions:- How will this project expand Montana Agriculture?

- What impact it would have to Montana agriculture or specific agricultural industries in Montana?


Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm is requesting $25,000 in GTA funds to assist in farmexpansion by building a processing shed, a farm stand, prepping new bare land for crops, addingirrigation & fertigation. We will also be improving our perennial selection by adding- 200 peonies,500 narcissus, 150 hyssop, 50 Baptisia, 20 winterberry shrubs, 50 garden roses, and 100 each of:campanula, coneflower, Delphinium, Larkspur, Hibiscus, Iris, Mountain Mint, Raspberry, LemonBalm & Rudbeckia.

Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm is a cut flower producer that follows a "farmer/florist" model.We grow our seasonal crop from seed, that we begin germinating as early as January-April andthen transplant our starts out into our field and high tunnel. We sell custom arrangements andbouquets, as well as wholesale bunches and dahlia tubers from our own propagation. We offerdirect retail sales and delivery. We will be offering a CSA and on farm workshops in 2022. Most ofthe flowers we grow are fragrant, have exceptional vase life (avg of 7-10 days), are the freshest


you can buy and are grown in a mostly organic and sustainable fashion. We offer a variety ofblooms and foliage that cannot be purchased in a more traditional wholesale manner, becausemany of the varieties we grow do not ship well out of water. Our florists and designers have beenblown away by the quality of the product we are producing and love working with fresh, locallygrown flowers. This gives them the ability to tap into on trend, desirable varieties that cannot beimported in. We've also ventured into dried flowers in 2021 and have begun offering dried floweroptions, which is a very big trend in the floriculture world.

We started Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm in an effort to create a meaningful employmentopportunity for our son, who graduated from high school in 2015 and who has down syndrome;and in response to several years of struggle to find him appropriate work placement. We areproud to have created a disadvantaged worker benefit. We have received lots of interest from thecommunity over the past 2 years, about our success with our son and we hope to provide moreinsight and flower farm job opportunities to individuals with disabilities in the near future.

Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm was established in the fall of 2019 with the planting of asmall narcissus crop. We have grown a lot since then but recognize the benefits of furtherexpanding as we are still quite small. We've invested $25,000 of our own funds in 2020 to buildour foundational infrastructure. We invested another $25,000 of our own funds in 2021 continuingto build our business. We have successfully grown a large variety of annual crops and foliage,with some perennials too. Following are some crop examples: fragrant heirloom narcissusvarieties, dahlia and dahlia tuber sales, mixed bouquets with annuals & perennials such asatriplex, borage, calendula, anemone, celosia, aster, cosmos, delphinium, dianthus, feverfew,foxglove, gomphrena, grasses, mint, nigella, annual phlox, poppies, snapdragon, scabiosa, stock,strawflower, sweet peas, zinnias and more.

Project Impacts

General Criteria for Funding

Please describe how the proposed project primarily processes or adds value to Montana’s agricultural products currentlyproduced or potentially produced in the state:

We produce and process our own commodity. A processing shed will house all supplies and tools for post harvestcrop processing, which is at the root of all our value-added products; arrangements, bouquets, wholesale orders,wreaths, tubers, seed and more will all be processed here. This building will also be set up for drying flowers.Processing efficiency will increase by 50-60%. The to-be-built farm stand creates dedicated space for CSA pick-upsand contactless delivery if needed. Increasing sales options with added flexibility for consumers to shop or participatein a CSA. It’s also a great advertisement on its own! It will be a “photo worthy” spot that we will encourage customers totake pictures or “selfies” that they can organically share on their social media platforms! Grant funds will help us increase the total square footage of our crop production which is currently 6,500 square feet toover 43,000 square feet; adding needed irrigation, fertigation, and growing infrastructure. We anticipate a 50%increase in sales, or more as a result. Farm expansion will also allow us to host on-farm workshops which we have received many requests for. On-farmworkshops are in high demand, a great form of agritourism! We have completed construction of our high tunnel whichextends our growing season by 5-6 weeks. This has a huge financial impact in that we will be able to deliver in excessof 500, high dollar stems like ranunculus, to the market early, before field grown stems are ready; as well as havingsalable stems available by Mother's Day.

Please describe how the proposed project has the prospects for commercial success given current personnel,experience and resources of the applicant:

We have established a successful cut flower business and we’re excited to be heading into our 3rd year! Millay andMeadowlark Flower Farm was conceived, in-part as an answer to address the gross void in employment opportunitiesfor individuals with special needs, after high school graduation. We have successfully created meaningful employmentfor our son, who has down syndrome and whom we consider a socially disadvantaged farmer. We attribute some ofour success to our son’s involvement. Jennifer has many years of gardening experience, with two successful years of cut flower farming; she has also spent aconsiderable amount of time and money in the past 2 years, on cut flower farm specific education and hands onworkshops to increase her expertise & knowledge of the industry. Jennifer gave presentations at the 1st MT FlowerConference and the MT Small Farms Conference in 2021.We're also not alone! Jennifer has taken an integral role in creating the Montana Cut Flower Association, (launched inDec.) a non-profit created to help facilitate a greater awareness of locally grown flowers across Montana and within ourlocal communities, create connectivity between growers and consumers and protect the integrity of our market byproviding education and networking opportunities. Jennifer serves as the current Vice President of the association.Our membership's in ASCFG and Slow Flowers also provides us with added expertise and continuing industry


specific education. Jennifer is also well networked within the community, as a result of other successful, personalbusiness endeavors.

Please describe how the proposed project has the management structure to allow the Agriculture Development Councilto reasonably conclude that the applicant will comply with ongoing reporting and monitoring activities:

Jennifer has honed a beneficial management skill-set due to her success in being self- employed for the past 9 yearsin real estate; a career with a high level of liability exposure. Communication, attention to detail, ongoing education,time and self management skills, transaction detail tracking, negotiation, record keeping, self motivation, marketingand more are all critical skills needed to be successful. Jennifer is taking a step back from her real estate career todedicate full time to Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm in 2022 and beyond, and has already experiencedimplementation of successful strategies because of her skill-set, which lends itself to their cut flower farm business. All grant expenditures, data and eventual outcomes will be tracked using financial software like Quick Books and otherphysical and digital record keeping methods.Jennifer's husband, Jared is a draftsman by trade and is meticulous and detail oriented. Jared has played an integralrole in bringing Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm to life. Jared will fulfill the positions of treasurer and projectmanager.Because of Jared's skill-set, he has been able to literally draft and implement successful blueprints and plans toexecute previous farm projects by producing drawings, coinciding material lists and a plan of execution that keepsprojects organized and within budget. Jared and Jennifer will use a similar process to plan out and implement the projects outlined in this request.

Montana Commodities

Identify Montana-grown or raised commodities utilized or raised by your business:

• Annual Volume should reflect the volume of each Montana commodity you expect to use in the first year ofthe grant. If your business is producing a Montana Agricultural product, this is the volume you expect toproduce in the first year of the grant.

• Product Value is the expenditures your business will make toward purchasing the Montana Commoditieslisted in the Annual Volume. If your business is producing a Montana Agricultural product, this is dollar valueof sales you expect in the current year.

• 5-year volume should reflect the volume of each Montana commodity you expect to use in the 5 yearsfollowing the implementation of this project. If your business is producing a Montana Agricultural product,this is the volume you expect to produce in the 5 years following the implementation of this project.

• 5-year Product Value this is the expenditures your business will make toward purchasing the MontanaCommodities listed in the 5 years following the implementation of this project. If your business is producing aMontana Agricultural product, this is dollar value of sales you expect in the 5 years following theimplementation of this project.

This information will be used to help quantify your project's agricultural impact.Please also indicate the following:Who are you currently sourcing these commodities from?Who do you plan to source from over the course of this project?

If you would like to find a source of Montana grown or raised commodities, please contact the Food andAgriculture Network: www.foodandag.mt.gov

Annual Volume150,000 Stems- Approximately 13,000 plants can fit on 1/4 acre. Our 2022 growing plan includes approximately 100 different varietiesof foliage and blooms, planted on over 30,000 square feet.

Product Value$157,500

5-Year Volume750,000 Stems


Projected Value$332,500

Marketing

Market Analysis

Please describe your marketing strategy, market knowledge and demand for your product. Include a description of yourtarget market, your pricing structure and gross margin levels:

Marketing Strategy for 2022 will be a combination of- promoting our new website, direct email/direct text/social mediacampaigns, "farm finder" feature with The Montana Cut Flower Association, local business collaborations for events &incentives, wearables, on farm events, newspaper. We will also conduct a grass-roots foot campaign, visiting localbusinesses, providing them with “sample” flowers and information on our products. Unfortunately, the State of Montana does not have data available for our floriculture industry. The current IBIS Worldreport for "Plant & Flower Growing in the US" industries in a nutshell: “The Plant and Flower Growing industry isexpected to accelerate over the five years to 2026, with industry exports supporting revenue growth along with somegradual price appreciation as import competition declines, while overall demand is expected to remain elevated.” Florist's locally and throughout the U.S. have been much more willing and eager to use locally grown flowers, in-partbecause of supply chain disruptions BUT more importantly because they are experiencing the superior quality &varieties available locally, over imported flowers. National associations such as ASCFG and Slow Flowers are doing agreat job promoting locally grown flowers. Target Market- households with disposable income, florists, & business subscriptions and wholesale. A few US markets provide current stem & bunch pricing, which is taken into consideration. A stem costs approximately.21 c to produce, wholesale pricing is x2 or x3, hard goods x2 + labor. Gross Margin- 47%

Current Marketing Strategy

Provide a description of where your company is now:

Current Product Mix - Please provide a list of your current products.Current Geographic Market (local, national, international)All states in your current marketAll Countries if selling internationallyCurrent Type of Buyers (consumers & public, health & natural, hotels, retaurants, and food service,grocery retailers, specialty and gift retailers, convenience retailers)Current Pricing Strategy (low price, premium price, best value)Current Promotional Methods (word of mouth, advertising, direct marketing, trade shows, internet, other- please list)

Marketing StrategyProduct Mix- CSA weekly bouquet, Custom Arrangements, Wholesale Bunches, and Stems, Dried Florals, Workshopsand U-Pick events. Commodity- variety of cut flowers and foliage including but not limited to: Agastache, Amaranth,Ammi, Anemone, Atriplex, Baptisia, Basil, Bee Balm, Bells of Ireland, Borage, Broom Corn, Bupleurum, Calendula,Campanula, Carnation, Celoisa, Centaurea, China Aster, Chrysanthemum, Coreopsis, Cornflower, Cosmos, Cress,Daisy, Dahlia, Delphinium, Dianthus, Euphorbia, Feverfew, Flax, Forget-Me-Not, Gomphrena, Heuchera, Hollyhock,Iris, Larkspur, Lemon Balm, Lily, Lisianthus, Marigold, Mignonette, Mint, Narcissus, Nigella, Orlaya, Pansy, Phlox,Poppy, Ranunculus, Rudbeckia, Scabiosa, Snapdragon, Squash, Statice, Stock, Strawflower, Sunflower, Sweet Pea,Sweet William, Verbena, Viola, Wallflower, Yarrow and Zinnia. Geographic Market: Missoula City Proper and Missoula County. Dahlia Tuber Sales are limited to United States. Buyers: Home gardeners, professional growers, florists, designers, CSA consumers, Local Businesses andWholesaler(s). Pricing- Premium Price and nothing less for locally grown, fresh flowers. Promotion: Word of mouth indeed- this has been huge for us over the past two years. We also plan to direct marketand use social media adds and promotions, local business partnership, email campaigns and consumer productreviews.

2-5 Year Marketing Plan

Please provide a description of where you want your company to be in 2-5 years:


Future Geographic MarketStates, Countries, if applicableFuture type of buyers (ex. Consumers and Public, Health and Natural, Hotels, Retaurants, and FoodService, Grocery Retailers, Specialty and Gift Retailers, Convenience Retailers, Other)Future Pricing Strategy (Low Price, Premium Price, Vest Value, Other)Future Promotional Methods

Marketing PlanFuture geographic market to include surrounding counties and Montana locations for "destination weddings". We areworking to enter the a la carte wedding florals market in 2023 and will attend a wedding fair or tradeshow. Futurebuyers: wedding market, as well as continue marketing too- home gardeners, florists, designers, general public,households with disposable income and wholesale market. Future pricing strategy: Premium pricing. Future promotional methods: Collaboration with designers, wedding venues and professional photographers, as wellas continue with word of mouth, direct marketing and use social media adds and promotions, local businesspartnerships/collaborations, email campaign and consumer product reviews.

Key Personnel

Primary Project Leader (Name, Title):Jennifer Barnard

Experience/Responsibilities/Qualifications (limited to 350 characters)Jennifer has 26+ yrs experience in sales, training and education. Jennifer also has 20+ years home gardeningexperience, with 2 years flower farming experience. Jennifer has 10 years of self employment experience in a non-farming industry. Jennifer's responsibilities: Overall plant selection, bouquet recipes, marketing, sales and general laborer.

Do you have a secondary project leader? Yes No

Secondary Project Leader (Name, Title):*Jared Barnard

Experience/Responsibilities/Qualifications (limited to 350 characters)Jared- 26+ yrs experience w/ heavy & light equipment operation, welding/ plumbing/construction. Jared is also adraftsman by trade and has many years of project management. Jared has assisted in home gardening for 20 yearsand flower farming for 2 years. Jared's responsibilities: project manager, treasurer, designer, general laborer.

Do you have additional key personnel? Yes No

Use the space below to list additional key project staff including: name, title, and a brief description of theirexperience and responsibilities.

Additional Key Personnel:

Connor Barnard has been helping his parents in gardening and yard chores for over 12 years and has 2 years flowerfarming experience and will be continuing as a general laborer, delivary and sales.

Ian Barnard has been helping his parents in gardening and yard chores for over 7 years and has 2 years flower farmingexperience. Ian will be continuing as a general laborer, delivary driver and sales.


Financial Attachments

Please use the fields below to attach completed documentation.

1. Projected Financial Statements (template provided) - REQUIRED

2. Key Financial Assumptions (template provided) - REQUIRED

3. Current Financial Statements - REQUIRED, unless start-up business without financial data

4. Business Plan - REQUIRED for start-up businesses, OPTIONAL for all others.

5. Bid/Cost Quote(s) for GTA expenses - REQUIRED

Template: Projected Financial StatementsProjected Financials Worksheet.xlsx

Template: Key Financial AssumptionsGTAKeyFinancialAssumptions.doc

Upload: Projected Financial Statements (Required -All)MM Projected Financial 2022

Upload: Key Financial Assumptions (Required - All)GTAKeyFinancialAssumptions Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm

Upload: Current Financial Statements (Required unless Start Up)MM Expenses 2021

Upload: Business Plan (Required - Start Up)

Upload: Bid/Cost Quote(s) (Required - All)Farm Quotes 2022

Additional Attachments

Use this section to upload any additional, optional, documentation. Including: quotes, invoices, feasabilitystudy, etc.

Optional 1:2021-Budget-Narrative Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm

File 1 Description:Budget Narrative

Optional 2:GTA example of MM project planning

File 2 Description:Sample of how we plan a project.

Optional 3:

File 3 Description:

Optional 4:


File 4 Description:

Application Checklist

Application Name Review

Your Application Name should be descriptive & brief - Such as "Expansion of Bakery in Eureka" or "Start-upvegetable farm - focusing on school lunches". Please review your Application Name and revise if necessary inthe 'Project Information' section. Check "yes" if this has been completed.

Have you reviewed your application name? Yes No

Development Center Consultant

Montana Department of Agriculture asks that each application be reviewed by a Food and Ag DevelopmentCenter or Small Business Development Center prior to subimssion.

FADC or SMDC name:Ravalli County Economic Development Center

Name of SBDC or FADC Staff Worked With:Julie Foster

Are you working with a Local Economic Development Organization and/or County Extension Agent on this project? Yes No

Name of Organization or Extension Agent:Jan Tusick and Julie Foster

GTA Program GuidanceGTA Guidelines Updated July 2021 Final.pdf

Have you reviewed the GTA Program Guidance? Yes No

Has this business retained Legal Counsel? Yes No

Other Technical Assistance/Regulatory Organization

What other organization(s) have you contacted for technical assistance regarding possible regulatory/businessplanning issues related to this project?Examples include: Food & Agricultural Development Center, Local Economic Development Organization,County Sanitarian, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Livestock, etc.

List Technical Assistance/Regulatory Organizations here:

Montana Department of Agriculture - Nursery Licensing

Matching Funds


Matching Funds

The Growth Through Agriculture program requires at least $1 in matching funds for every $1 awarded inprogram funding. Matching contributions may be provided in the form of cash, in-kind services (limited to10%), indirect or overhead costs, or a combination. Matching contributions may be provided by the projectsponsor or by other supporter(s), and must be contributed as a direct result of the project, not as a result ofnormal day-to-day operations. Matching contributions may not include other state grants. See GTA ProgramGuidance for more information about matching funds.

Will the proposed project provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to the GTA funds requested? Yes No

Please describe the match expenses:Matching Funds include: $4685 cash match, $3725 small commercial cooler 2021, $996 website design and domain-2021, $6802 High Tunnel purchase and construction completed 2021 and $8792 for purchased perennial & annualplant stock, seeds, tubers, corms and woody stems.

Upload corresponding match expense documentation (invoices, receipts, etc.)

Matching funds certification - I certify that any federal funds used to match the requested GTA funds are consideredeligible to be used as match for the requested GTA funds.

Yes No

Personal Guarantee

Enter the name and address of the individual that will personally guarantee the contract. If no personalguarantee will be provided, provide a description of the collateral that will be used to secure the contract. (if theapplicant is a public educational institution or governmental entity, enter "N/A" in these fields)

Personal Guarantee Full Name:Jennifer Barnard

Address:5925 Lariat Loop

City:Missoula

State:MT

Zip:59808


Budget

Proposed Budget Summary

Expense Budget

Grant Funded Non-Grant Funded Total Budgeted

GTA Project Expenses

Cash Match $0.00 $4,685.00 $4,685.00

Farm Fabrics $3,400.00 $0.00 $3,400.00

Farm Stand $3,500.00 $0.00 $3,500.00

High Tunnel $0.00 $6,802.00 $6,802.00

Irrigation $2,695.00 $0.00 $2,695.00

Materials/TPost/Netting $1,905.00 $0.00 $1,905.00

Outdoor Walk in cooler $6,500.00 $0.00 $6,500.00

Perennial Plants/Tubers/Seeds $0.00 $8,792.00 $8,792.00

Processing Shed $7,000.00 $0.00 $7,000.00

Small Commercial Cooler $0.00 $3,725.00 $3,725.00

Website $0.00 $996.00 $996.00

Subtotal $25,000.00 $25,000.00 $50,000.00

Total Proposed Cost $25,000.00 $25,000.00 $50,000.00

Revenue Budget

Grant Funded Non-Grant Funded Total Budgeted

Grant Funding

Award Requested $25,000.00 $25,000.00

Subtotal $25,000.00 $25,000.00

Non-Grant Funding

Cash Match $25,000.00 $25,000.00

Subtotal $25,000.00 $25,000.00

Total Proposed Revenue $25,000.00 $25,000.00 $50,000.00


Proposed Budget Narrative

GTA Project Expenses

Irrigation

Irrigation- Farm Expansion 2022

Processing Shed

To be purchased 2022

Farm Fabrics

Frost, Shade & Landscape Fabrics, to be purchased 2022

Materials/TPost/Netting

To be purchased. Support for straight, salable stems. 2022

Farm Stand

To be Build 2022

Outdoor Walk in cooler

To be purchased 2022

Small Commercial Cooler

Purchased from Bargreens Ellington 2021

Website

Purchased 2021

High Tunnel

Completed, Fall 2021

Perennial Plants/Tubers/Seeds

Peonies, Dahlias, Perennial Plant Plugs from Ball Ednie & Bailys. 2021


Performance Plan

Proposed Performance Plan

Change in Gross Annual Sales

Goal Name Goal Type Goal Details

GOAL #1 Change in Gross Annual Sales Numeric Number to be Achieved66,500

Because of capital infusion from the GTA Grant, we will be able to increase our annual sales from a loss in 2021 togross sales of 66,500 and a net of 35,500 in 2022.


Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022

Documents

Transcript of Millay and Meadowlark Flower Farm Expansion 2022