Record rain devastates dahlia crop at Guiding Green Thumbs in Chatham
Guiding Green Thumbs, a certified naturally grown flower farm in Chatham, New York, has suspended day-to-day growing after more than eight inches of rain fell on part of its land at the end of July, leaving vast areas waterlogged and much of its dahlia stock rotten.
Owner Shelley Haefner told reporters she found the losses almost overnight. Of roughly 2,000 dahlias on the affected plot, around 750 were badly wilted and showing clear signs of rot. After salvaging what she could by digging up tubers, she estimates only about 400 plants have so far been saved — and not all of those she expects to survive transplanting.
The financial hit is significant. Haefner estimates the farm will lose about $50,000 in sales across multiple seasons as a result of the damage. To cope, she has put the farm on hold for the remainder of August to concentrate on cleanup and to consider alternative income streams for the autumn.
"Literally overnight about 750 of these guys were wilted and that is very indicative of rot,"
Haefner said deposits of rock and runoff left by the floodwaters will need to be cleared before replanting can resume. While she intends to continue with some autumn activities, the immediate priority is stabilising the business and salvaging what remains of the nursery stock.
Short-term changes to income and activity
Guiding Green Thumbs plans to pivot towards activity-based offerings this autumn to generate income while the growing areas recover. Proposed activities include:
- Wreath-making workshops using locally sourced vine materials
- Dried-flower craft sessions and seasonal displays
- Children’s Halloween crafts and a pumpkin-carving event
Haefner said these events are part of a pragmatic response to a narrow seasonal cash flow problem. She explained the farm normally raises early-season working capital through a tuber sale in February, which will be constrained if fewer tubers survive to be sold.
Recovery timeline and community support
Rebuilding the dahlia collection will be a slow process. Haefner estimated it could take around three years to recover fully, saying losses of this kind amplify the usual difficulties of running an independent farm. To help bridge the gap, a GoFundMe has been launched to assist in rebuilding the affected dahlia collection of around 2,000 plants.
The farm has not closed permanently; rather, it has paused normal operations to regroup. Haefner emphasised she intends to remain at the site and rebuild, describing the recovery as incremental and dependent on both time and available funds.
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Rainfall on affected land | More than 8 inches |
| Dahlias on affected plot | ~2,000 |
| Plants badly wilted / showing rot | ~750 |
| Plants salvaged so far | ~400 |
| Estimated lost sales | $50,000 |
Local readers will recognise the knock-on effects sudden extreme weather can have on small producers — from immediate crop loss to longer-term cash-flow damage. The farm’s approach underlines a wider trend among small food and craft enterprises: when crops fail, owners increasingly lean on experience-led events and community support to keep businesses afloat until production can be restored.
Haefner’s outlook is pragmatic. She remains committed to the site and to the methods that earned the farm its certified naturally grown status, even as she faces the hard work of rebuilding stock and restoring ground affected by flood runoff and residual stones left by the deluge.
For now, Guiding Green Thumbs is shifting from being primarily a production site to a mixed-use space offering seasonal workshops and family activities while it seeks funds and time to recover the dahlia programme.
