- By Sherrie Negrea
- Business & Technology


VanApeldoorn, who calls herself a "farmer florist," owns Take Your Pick Flower Farm on Brickyard Rd, the only u-pick flower farm in Tompkins County. She is also a vocal proponent of the "field-to-vase" or "slow-flower" movement, which advocates the use of locally and sustainably grown flowers.
"Most of the flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from factory farms in Ecuador and Columbia," VanApeldoorn says. "When you think of flowers, you think beauty and romance. Our flowers have that fresh-picked look and scent, because they are freshly cut from our gardens."