Raaya Churgin works in the flower fields at Henpecked Husband Farms on Aug. 11. Credit: John Roca

 Raaya Churgin works in the flower fields at Henpecked Husband Farms on Aug. 11. Credit: John Roca

Raaya Churgin, who nurtures 90 varieties of flower on the land she and her husband farm in Riverhead, says her garden roses represent the rose in its truest form. Unlike a standard  supermarket rose, which she says is "very stiff, very hard, and it's just not a rose to me," the petals on her roses are softer, the edges wavier, the shapes less uniform.  

“The American-grown, slow-flower movement  is definitely gaining speed,” Churgin said, of a focus on local flowers grown using sustainable practices. “The flowers seem more alive because they’re just fresher. Just naturally fresher.”

Churgin and her husband, Sterling, farm seven of their 29 acres as the owners of Henpecked Husband Farms — a flower-growing operation that sells cut flowers wholesale and to clients who compose floral arrangements for events. 

Raaya Churgin in the flower fields at Henpecked Husband Farms. Credit: John Roca

To make a living,  Sterling also runs a landscaping business, with the occasional assist from Raaya. Sales of the cut flowers Raaya cultivates bring in less than $50,000 of income annually, she said.

For many local growers, cut flower proceeds are supplemental income and often come in the form of cash or Venmo transfers. Growing is labor-intensive, and so are the growers’ other jobs. 

Selling direct to consumers

Many local growers use the farmer-florist model: grow flowers, compose bouquets, sell arrangements, with no middle man. Those direct-to-consumer sales, and especially selling arrangements for weddings and other events, are the most profitable, Raaya Churgin said, potentially generating four to eight times the wholesale price.

“We’re going to be entering farmers markets soon hopefully, and doing more subscription bouquets,” Churgin said. “We’d like to kind of up the dollar amount we earn.”