This Minnesota flower grower calls herself a farmer — but state law says otherwise

MAZEPPA, MINN. – With sleeves rolled up and boots thick with mud, Allie Kuppenbender tends to the seeds of what she hopes will be her most successful harvest yet.

But unlike many of the farms dotting the Zumbro River Valley, Kuppenbender isn't nurturing corn or soybeans. She's using the fertile soil to cultivate rows upon rows of colorful flowers for her budding business, Bleed Heart Floral.

To Kuppenbender, the work feels a lot like farming. And the challenges she faces — from fighting pests and coping with drought to finding reliable seasonal help — would feel familiar to most other farmers here in the southeastern part of the state.

Yet, even with the dirt under her fingernails and long hours spent in the fields, Kuppenbender doesn't meet the legal definition of a farmer. The distinction has led to an ongoing dispute between Bleed Heart Floral and Wabasha County over how to classify the property for tax and permitting purposes.

"It's being treated as a hobby," Kuppenbender said. "This is not a hobby. It's not a backyard garden. It's our family's livelihood."

After several failed attempts at making her case to the county, Kuppenbender is now appealing to state lawmakers to classify floriculture — the practice of growing flowers for ornamental purposes — as an agricultural industry.

Kuppenbender said the designation would allow her business to qualify for savings under an agricultural property tax rate. It would also mean lower permitting fees and fewer regulations when dealing with the county.

"It's new here; just telling anybody what we do, we have to explain it," Kuppenbender said. "But once they see it, they all say this is a farm."

Kuppenbender's case has met with support from local lawmakers, who have introduced a bill this session that would modify the definition of agricultural products in Minnesota to include floriculture.

State Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said floriculture likely wasn't on legislators' minds when the existing law was written. But after learning of Bleed Heart Floral's situation, he said the business checks all the boxes in terms of what it means to be a working farm.

"She actually shared some of her financials with me, and I'm like, 'Wow, this much money generated from a business on 4 acres of land is amazing,' " said Drazkowski, who authored the Senate version of the floriculture bill. "They're a legitimate farm enterprise, and we need to help our farmers, whether they're the very smallest or the very largest."

The bill, which recently cleared a tax committee hearing, has bipartisan support from state Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud. Drazkowski said the two legislators are also working on language to help smaller-acreage farms qualify for lower tax rates as agricultural homesteads under state law.

Both measures would be a boon for Bleed Heart Floral, which blossomed in 2019 when Kuppenbender decided to return to Minnesota after spending several years in Washington learning the ropes of the industry.

What started as a small patch has since grown to include a new barn, three seasonal hoop houses and more than 100 varieties of flowers and foliage. The business also added 10 additional acres in 2024, with the hopes of ramping up sales through wholesale contracts, CSAs and special events.

Kuppenbender said that while harvesting flowers in Minnesota isn't for the faint of heart, she is optimistic demand for her fresh flowers will continue to grow — even in an industry in which 80% of products are imported from foreign countries.

"A lot of people don't see the benefit of growing flowers here, but with tariff changes and with climate change and the way that the younger generations are going, people care about sustainability," Kuppenbender said. "They want to know where things are coming from."