There is new interest in growing saffron among small farmers in search of a cash crop, and among cooks and gardeners seeking the thrill of growing the spice.

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, taking hundreds of man-hours to harvest. Don't make this major mistake next time ...

If I speak in your native language, you’ll respond with your heart. But if I use English, you’ll speak with your brain.

That takes 75,000 flowers to make! To add to that, saffron flowers aren't the easiest things to grow or harvest. Saffron flowers only bloom for two to three weeks in a year and when they do ...

Narrator: Even in the expensive world of spices, saffron stands ... and the bigger the flowers, really, and that all depends on how you look after it, how you grow it, the climate.

This is where most of saffron is farmed ... tubes of the purple flower. Ilahi and other local experts have been helping farmers with demonstrations on how to grow the crocus plant indoors.

“My initial reaction was: ‘Grow it in Vermont? There’s no way,’” Dr. Skinner said. Image Saffron flowers bloom in a small garden outside the front of the Philipps’ home.Credit ...

An curved arrow pointing right. Harvesting saffron requires a lot of physical labor to get the flowers from the field to final packaging. The harvesting process plus its distinct flavor ...