Glassblowing at the Farm

Bunny’s Flowers is proud to announce the reopening of it’s glassmaking educational experience to its list of learning opportunities. What does glassblowing have to do with environmental education, plants, and farming?

Bunny’s Flowers operates a farm on land historically recognized as part of Mechanicsville and Buckingham Township, where artisans, craftsman, and farmers were indistinguishable in their daily survival. Today, we continue this legacy by offering programs that include sustainable crop growing and craft rooted in natural materials such as soil, fire, clay, seeds, and stone.

Our farm lies across the street from the Moravian TileWorks — a functioning craft institution using fire to shape art from clay since the 1800s. Inside the nearby Mercer Museum are thousands of hand tools once used for both farming and crafting — including those for basket weaving, pottery, metalwork, and herbal medicine. Bunny’s Flowers integrates these same methods today as part of our work with crops, sustainability, and service to the community.

Our continuation of traditional practices also includes glassmaking techniques. Historically, glass was used for preserving crops, storing seeds, distilling tinctures, and scientific experimentation in rural environments. At Bunny’s Flowers Farm, our use of borosilicate glass tools connects to the same functional and educational practices seen throughout historical agrarian communities.

We are implementing a course that was designed for DelVal University called “Art Therapy by Fire: Flowers and Agriculture.” This concept ties together the concept of using scientific and artistic glass and how its used before, during and after the planting and growing process of plants and the many ways it is used in relation to farming and things we use in every day life.

Glassmaking
in Agriculture: The Role of Glassblowing & Flameworking in Growing and
Processing Crops

 

Glassblowing
and flameworking have deep historical and modern applications in agriculture,
providing custom solutions for crop growth, irrigation, and processing. The
precision and durability of borosilicate glass make it essential for
sustainable farming practices, research, and specialized equipment.

1.
Greenhouse & Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)

•
Glass Greenhouses: Traditional and high-tech greenhouses use specialized glass
to optimize light transmission, retain heat, and improve plant growth.

•
Custom Glass Panels: Flameworked and blown glass panels can be designed to
filter specific wavelengths of light to enhance photosynthesis.

•
Humidity & Temperature Control: Borosilicate glass is used for hygrometers,
thermometers, and monitoring equipment in precision farming.

 

Glassblowing
& Flameworking Applications:

•
Custom glass coatings and panels for UV filtration.

•
Glass moisture sensors for greenhouses.

2.
Irrigation & Watering Systems

 

Glassblowing
allows for the creation of custom irrigation components, ensuring clean and
efficient water delivery to crops.

•
Subsurface Irrigation (Ollas System): Traditional Ollas (porous clay or glass
watering vessels) can be made from blown glass, providing a slow-release
watering system for deep root hydration.

•
Custom Glass Connectors & Piping: Hand-crafted borosilicate tubing can be
used for irrigation systems, ensuring chemical resistance and long-term
durability.

• Drip
Irrigation with Glass Emitters: Flameworked glass drip emitters control water
flow, reducing waste in arid farming regions.

 

Glassblowing
& Flameworking Applications:

•
Borosilicate glass tubing for precision irrigation.

•
Handmade Ollas for subsurface watering.

•
Custom glass connectors for hydroponics and aquaponics.

3.
Plant Research & Extraction

 

Scientific
glassware is vital in studying plant health, extracting plant compounds, and
producing organic fertilizers and pesticides.

•
Glass Distillation & Extraction:

•
Steam distillation of essential oils from crops like lavender or mint.

•
Alcohol and solvent extraction for medicinal and botanical studies.

• Soil
& Water Testing:

•
Glass test tubes, beakers, and spectrometers are used to analyze soil pH, water
quality, and nutrient levels.

 

Glassblowing
& Flameworking Applications:

•
Handmade distillation units for botanical oil extraction.

•
Custom glass columns for chromatography (separating plant compounds).

•
Lab-made pH testing kits for soil and hydroponics.

4.
Food Processing & Preservation

 

Glass
is a superior material for storing and preserving agricultural products due to
its non-reactive nature.

•
Fermentation Vessels: Glass containers are used for brewing kombucha,
fermenting vegetables, and aging vinegar.

•
Glass Vacuum Chambers: Used for drying herbs, preserving seeds, and storing
perishable plant-based products.

•
Canning & Storage: Custom-blown jars ensure long-term preservation without
chemical contamination.

 

Glassblowing
& Flameworking Applications:

•
Custom fermenters for plant-based food production.

•
Glass desiccators for drying and preserving crops.

•
Handmade glass seed storage containers.

5.
Solar & Sustainable Farming

•
Agrivoltaics: Transparent glass solar panels allow crops to grow while
generating renewable energy.

•
Glass Mirrors for Solar Concentration: Used in solar-heated greenhouses and
water purification systems.

 

Glassblowing
& Flameworking Applications:

•
Blown glass solar stills for water purification.

•
Handmade glass Fresnel lenses for solar heating in agriculture.

 

Glassmaking,
particularly glassblowing and flameworking, has a profound impact on
agriculture. Whether through custom irrigation components, plant extraction
systems, or sustainable farming innovations, the ability to craft durable,
non-reactive, and precise glass tools supports modern and traditional farming
practices.