Farm safety is a key message in rural Illinois' and for a Macomb High School (MHS) horticulture class, they're putting their small business profits back into the community by donating proceeds to the Macomb Rescue Department.
'Bomber Blooms,' led by MHS Agriculture Teacher Kaity Bowman, is a class floral shop that brings floral design and the students' love of flowers into a program, 'Flowers for Farm Safety.'
According to Bowman, the class donates proceeds from its flower subscription service to the rescue department for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment.
Thanks to a donation from the Delores Beck family and subscribers to date, over $7,000 will be donated this year, she added.
'Through the subscription program, each month our students create and deliver more than 40 themed floral arrangements throughout the community. Thanks to our amazing subscribers and donations, we're able to support a cause that means so much to us,' Bowman said.
To further support the mission and give students meaningful, real-world experience, Bowman created the floral shop project.
Bowman explained that her students formed teams based on their interests, selected a shop manager and are now operating the working flower shop during the week of Valentine's Day.
'We look forward to continuing to grow the floral design program at MHS, sharing beautiful blooms with our community and promoting farm safety along the way,' she concluded.
To order bouquets for Valentine's Day, place orders at tinyurl.com/MHSBomberBloomsValentines by Friday, Feb. 6 The Bomber Blooms flower subscription sign-up will re-open in August 2026.
