>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

♪ >> Today on "Life In Bloom," we'll explore all the farmers' market has to offer, with beautiful flowers and delicious food.

I'll visit with Eufloria Flowers about their market-bunch roses.

We'll travel to Crane Dance Farm and learn about the value of pasture-raised food.

Then I'll create some simple arrangements with locally grown flowers.

♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life In Bloom."

♪ The farmers' market is a delight to all the senses.

One of our favorite parts of the experience is getting to know local growers and farmers.

♪ Not only do we get to delight in the sights, smells, and tastes of our purchase, we get to learn more about the process behind the product -- even more important than that, the people.

♪ It's a wonderful feeling to know you're supporting someone in your own community with your purchases.

♪ Today on "Life In Bloom," we'll explore all the farmers' market has to offer with beautiful flowers and delicious food.

♪ ♪ So, we're here at a farmers' market, and the farmers-market concept is extremely important because we're talking about proximity to market.

A farm that may be a mile away is growing this product and bringing it here.

We also have the ability to grow organic or grow sustainable, the fact that we get to know the farmer and that we can come and interact with them as we're buying the product.

It's not just about flowers.

It's also about food and the way that we can interact with the land and the products that we're going to consume.

>> It's just a lot of fun.

It's like a family, really.

The same people come each week, and we talk about their families and how much they love the roses and what a difference it makes having live flowers in their home and... >> So, now, what do they look for?

I mean, what are favorites that they have, colors that are their favorites?

>> You know, some people come, and they buy orange flowers every week because that's their color, and they'll even be wearing orange outfits.

And we often find people buy the same colors that they're wearing.

They'll start by maybe buying one rose.

And then, next time, they'll come back, and they'll buy just half a dozen, and then they [Laughs] graduate.

>> So it's an experience for them, and it's learning, and it's all that stuff.

>> It's addictive.

>> So you've got those people, and they're walking around with those roses in their hands, or they're walking back to their car, and they're taking a little bit of that flower experience home with them.

>> And a lot of them buy it for others.

Like, it's the joy of giving.

>> Oh.

>> Right?

They want to be able to -- Maybe they're going to a friend's house, and they just want to bring something nice for dinner just to enhance the evening, or somebody's in the hospital or just needs some cheering up.

>> So, with the farmers-market movement, that, you know, we want to buy fresh stuff, we want to know the farmer that's there, this is the perfect opportunity for flower farmers to be involved with this, too.

>> Oh, yes.

Of course.

I mean, how else do you promote your product in the state of California when we want to say, "Buy local, buy fresh"?

There's nothing better than whatever you grow around here for our people around here, so, oh, yeah.

>> Now, your daughters also help you with this?

>> Yes.

>> And your one daughter, Lori, goes down to Hollywood.

>> Yes, she does.

>> And she's selling Eufloria Flowers to the stars.

>> Oh, yes.

She loves -- That's why she will not give that up, because she loves to see all the stars.

She's star-struck.

>> [ Laughs ] ♪ >> I just look forward to every week I come here, and I buy at least a dozen, sometimes more.

>> Do you choose different colors?

>> I do, but I like the pastels, you know?

>> Oh, okay.

You go for the lighter colors?

>> Yeah.

Well, I like the yellow.

And I like the peach.

The light peach -- my favorite.

>> Is that your favorite color?

Or is that your favorite color rose?

>> Both.

[ Laughs ] >> Oh, okay.

>> I like everything kind of subtle.

>> I come every single week.

I buy at least two dozen, sometimes three dozen.

They last two to three weeks.

And I love Lynn.

I love the flowers.

They're incredibly beautiful.

>> How do you decide what -- Do you get a different color every week?

>> I do.

>> Do you mix it up?

>> No, I do.

I have a little place in my kitchen where I keep place mats, and so, every week, I change the place mats, and I buy roses to go with that, and then in my other rooms, I coordinate all of that together so my roses are different every week -- if I get here before she does.

Sometimes if I get here after she does, then I just get what I get.

>> Get what you get, that's right.

>> So, you're telling me that you find that the lighter colors last longer?

>> With most flowers, the lighter the color flower, the longer they last, so if you get the lighter yellow, the lighter pink, the lighter white, the longer they last, longer than the darker reds or the darker pinks.

The lighter the color, the longer they last.

>> I have lived my entire life in the flower industry, and I did not know that.

>> And I've lived my entire life in the flower industry.

I have two shops here in town.

>> Oh, that's cool!

>> She does.

>> And... >> I love that you taught me something because my grandfather always told me, "If you don't learn something every day and if you don't laugh every day, then get back up because your day is not over."

>> Love it, love it.

That's good advice.

>> So I've just got to laugh now.

[ Laughter ] So that's good.

So now I can go to bed.

>> That's good advice.

That's right.

♪ >> Today we'll create some simple arrangements using locally grown flowers.

I wanted to use all locally grown flowers for these beautiful garden bouquets.

But it's interesting.

We live in Michigan, and so what that means is, we don't always have all different types of flowers available, but there are great places from throughout the United States -- Florida for example -- where they always grow beautiful greenery, but our zinnias and dahlias came from our local farmers' market.

Was interesting -- when I was picking up the zinnias, the farmer said, "Well, you'll notice that a couple of them have little bug bites on them," and I said, "That's okay because I know that they're grown pesticide-free," and that's one of the things that I love about my locally grown zinnias and my locally grown dahlias.

♪ The foliage provides support for the flowers we'll place into the vase.

We'll add additional pieces of foliage that'll add interest to our bouquet before we add our flowers -- Crocosmia pods, millet, sedum, chocolate lace.

Those types of things will make our bouquets look very gardeny.

♪ ♪ ♪ I'll place all the foliages and accent flowers first.

Then we'll come back and place our zinnias.

I'm also using different sizes and different colors so that we get a very wildflower look.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Our final step is to drop in our dahlias.

They have good, sturdy stems.

And I'm picking contrasting colors to the colors that are already in the vase.

You could make them all be one color, or you can make them mixed like I'm doing today.

♪ These are great little bouquets for a garden party or just to set around your house.

I love the way that the pebble-stone vases make them look like a little heirloom bouquet of locally grown flowers.

♪ ♪ We love getting to know our growers and farmers at the market.

Today, let's go behind the scenes at Crane Dance Farms to see where all this goodness comes from.

So, Jill and Mary, it's so great to be here on the farm.

I only see you typically at the farmers' market.

>> Right.

>> So now we're at your house.

>> I know.

It's awesome.

>> Right?

I love the fact that you talk about your farm being filled with happy animals.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And so we're going to get experience letting some of them out and such, right?

>> Yep, it's early morning, and they've been -- They go in at night by themselves.

>> Really?

>> We shut them in to keep them safe from the predators, the birds.

>> Awesome.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Free range is really truly free range for them.

>> For us, it's like they get to go wherever they want.

>> You have the...best...eggs.

And they're so -- They're not even yellow.

They're orange, and they're amazing.

And it's a fight.

The market opens at, like, 8:00, but people are there at, like, 6:45 to get their eggs from you because... >> We call them the egg stalkers.

>> ...you're out by 7:00.

So, yeah, sometimes we're just like, "Oh, we can't even get them."

So you raise chickens.

>> Uh-huh.

>> You raise pigs.

>> Yep.

>> You raise sheep.

>> Yep.

>> You raise cows.

>> Yep.

>> Wow!

>> Turkeys.

>> Turkeys?

>> And honey.

>> Oh, and honey, right.

>> Whenever I'm doing management stuff on the farm, that's our last sustainability question -- is this good for the bees?

And so, if it's not, then we don't do it.

So this is just their sleeping area, right?

So keep them safe from weather and stuff.

>> Do they go back in by themselves?

>> Yes.

>> Pretty much.

>> So they'll all just congregate up in there when it's dark.

>> When it's dark.

>> Okay, so now I'm going to say this.

They look like real chickens.

>> Yeah.

>> They're not big, fat things, and they got legs, and they got little wings, and they got... >> And they can stand.

They can walk on their own.

>> Right.

Right.

>> And they all walk.

>> No antibiotics, no... >> No hormones.

No junk.

>> No junk, no junk.

>> No chemicals.

>> That's... >> No poisons.

>> That's why Crane Dance Farms does what they do.

You two ladies run this farm?

>> Yes, we do.

>> So that's a lot of work.

>> Yeah.

>> And is this how your day starts every day, is you guys are up, and you're moving this, and you're doing the next thing, and you're... >> Pretty much -- except for market day.

>> Right.

Market day, yeah, you guys are down at the market.

[ Chickens clucking ] Don't you think the traction for organic and homegrown and farmed food just continues to grow?

I mean, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.

>> It does.

It does.

>> And that's so -- that's so nice for us as individuals.

>> Well, it's better for the planet.

>> Right.

>> This is a year that's been really hard for all farmers.

I think every farmer is trying to do the best thing that they know how to do... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...but especially the small farmers who are animal-welfare approved or who are into sustainability and regenerative farming.

You know, this is all about carbon sequestration, right?

>> Right.

>> Everything we do here is about that and saving the soil and making the planet a better place, not just for us and the animals, but for the bees and the birds and the flowers and the trees.

You know, it's all of that.

>> Yeah.

Is this Spotty?

>> This is Spotty.

>> Aww!

>> Her sister, Dottie, is over there.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Only I can tell them apart.

>> Spotty and Dottie.

I'm glad.

>> They're their old spots.

>> Yeah.

>> They're a heritage-breed pig.

>> How many pigs do you have?

>> About 100 right now.

>> Wow!

>> Our number's usually around 100 on the farm.

>> And what do you -- Is it just happy, happy pigs, huh?

>> Happy pigs, a variety of food, a lot of good minerals.

>> Being outdoors.

>> Being outdoors.

And they do have grain.

>> Uh-huh.

>> We grind that for them.

It's non-GMO corn and non-GMO whole-roasted soybeans, usually some sort of organic small grain.

>> They love you guys.

You can tell.

>> And this is a large black, and we call her Mulehead because she's... >> Stubborn.

>> Very stubborn.

>> [ Laughs ] >> But an excellent mom.

And you can tell that by how thin she is because she's giving all of her milk and everything she has to her babies.

>> So, you were telling me about perennial and annual pasture.

>> Yep.

>> What -- Can you show me what -- >> Sure.

This is perennial pasture.

>> Okay.

>> And there's clover in here that we planted.

There's actually chicory.

We planted this chicory, too, because that helps mine minerals.

You can see the chicory leaves.

>> Wow.

>> There's a few dandelions in here that are good.

Somewhere there's probably alfalfa and then a variety of grasses.

And so perennials sustain themselves year after year.

>> We wouldn't know by just -- This just looks like grass.

"Huh.

It's grass."

"No, it's perennial."

>> We work pretty hard to get nice, thick... >> It's beautiful.

>> ...cover.

>> And it's lush.

>> Yep.

>> How big is Crane Dance Farms?

>> Right now, we...

Between what we own and manage, it's about 200 acres.

>> Okay.

How did you name it Crane Dance?

When I first bought the farm...

In February -- I bought it in January, and in February, I heard this crazy, beautiful noise.

I didn't know what it was, and I saw these two birds fly into the wetlands on the back part of our farm, and I later learned that they were sandhill cranes.

>> Oh, okay.

>> And so they were here first.

It was their home.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And I decided that, whatever I did or whatever we did, we couldn't mess up their home.

Right?

>> Right.

>> And so we named it Crane Dance Farm and later learned, in Eastern philosophy, that the dance of the cranes represents the joy of life, so as a humane farm, we want to make sure all our animals have that.

>> The joy of life.

>> Perfect.

>> Oh, that's -- It is the perfect name.

♪ So, thank you for showing us around Crane Dance Farm.

>> Thank you.

>> We have a tradition on "Life In Bloom."

I have flower crowns for both of you.

>> Both: Awesome.

>> Alright?

>> Yay.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Let's see.

Oh, it's heavy.

It's heavy.

>> It is.

Yeah.

>> Heavy.

>> And I have the small head.

>> She's got the small head.

>> Alright.

Small -- [ Laughs ] Look!

I did really well in fitting.

>> You did!

>> Right?

Right?

>> Wow.

>> Yeah, it's good.

>> Thank you.

It's awesome.

>> Well, thank you.

I appreciate it so much.

Thank you for all that you do for our food, for the livestock, and just for making our lives even better, so I appreciate it.

>> Ditto.

Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> Likewise.

♪ >> We'll use this beautiful pork loin from Crane Dance Farms to create a wonderful roast with a lavender accent.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'd like to share one of our favorite cocktails -- the cucumber-infused gimlet.

We're using cucumber-infused vodka.

So, we went to the farmers' market and picked up some cucumbers.

Then I brought them back, and we peeled them.

I add the peel to the infusion because it gives it great color.

Then we slice up the entire cucumber along with the peels and put it in with the vodka.

Then we let it set for a couple days.

And look at how beautiful this looks.

It's got a great green color, and we're using that today for our gimlet.

We'll fill up our shaker with ice.

♪ We'll add a jigger of our cucumber vodka.

We'll add about 2 tablespoons of simple syrup and a nice splash of our fresh lime juice.

I love squeezing my own fresh limes.

It's a great way for us to get all that fresh citrus flavor and have a beautiful cocktail, as well.

♪ ♪ I also like to float a couple pieces of cucumber inside.

And it makes a beautiful drink.

It's one of my favorites.

♪ While goose eggs are delicious to eat, it gives us a fun opportunity to repurpose the shell for a flower arrangement.

Use a knife to gently break the shell.

Then you can enlarge the opening with a bunch cutter.

Empty the contents of the egg, and use it for cooking later.

Once empty, rinse out the egg with warm water.

You can sit the egg in sand so it will stand upright.

♪ Cut your flowers and foliage short and place them into the egg vases.

♪ ♪ ♪ You can gather your flowers together with bind wire and create a bundle, then place the entire bunch into the egg vase.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A single large flower can fill a vase, too.

♪ Be sure to replenish the water inside the egg.

♪ ♪ Zinnias are part of the sunflower tribe within the daisy family.

They are native to North America.

A few species are found in South America.

Zinnias are a popular garden flower that come in a wide variety of shapes and colors.

Zinnias are annuals and make wonderful cut flowers to bring indoors.

Zinnias are best grown from seeds, but you can also transplant them from nurseries.

Zinnias are very low-maintenance, and since they're also fast-growing, they tend to shade out weeds.

That's an extra bonus.

Zinnias are very heat-tolerant.

Zinnias are butterfly magnets.

In January 2016, NASA announced that a zinnia had blossomed on the International Space Station.

Zinnias symbolize thoughts of absent friends.

♪ We hope you've been convinced that a visit to the farmers' market will deepen your appreciation and connection to your food and flowers.

For "Life In Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

See you next time.

♪ ♪ [ Chickens clucking softly ] ♪ ♪ [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Laughter ] "J Schwanke's Life In Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... Albertsons Companies... with additional support from the following companies... CalFlowers... Design Master Color Tool... Smithers-Oasis... Sunshine Bouquet.

♪ Closed-caption funding provided by Ocean View Flowers.

♪ For everything flowers, recipes, projects, and more information, visit ubloom.com.

♪