An advocate for sustainable agriculture, Molly Gaeckle established Northerly Flora eight years ago. It’s a floral design studio and flower farm with more than 100 varieties of flowers grown in Minneapolis and Hudson, Wisconsin. “High-end florists in our area are shifting their buying to local,” Gaeckle says. “Folks are understanding the environmental consequences of flower shipping globally.” By buying locally, she adds, carbon emissions and packaging waste are reduced, and the plants create a local ecosystem for pollinators. In 2024, Northerly opened a studio space in South Minneapolis used for order pickups and flower arranging workshops.