Flower Farming...big things come in small parcels

We started our flower farm with just gladiolas. We sold them down by the roadside and people would come from all over the place just to get some of these beauties.

Never despise small beginnings. That was one of the lessons my grandfather taught me. My papa was a unique character...his mother was Old Order Mennonite and when she was a teenager, she was shunned for cutting her hair and being with someone who was not Mennonite. My grandfather grew up in a home that was a cross between two worlds. His mom still did things the Mennonite way but his dad was the 'modern' one. My grandfather took both parts of his heritage and combined them together. He was never one to rush a project and would do the math in his head but he liked a good quality power tool! He instilled in his children and grandchildren a love for nature, especially flowers.

“When I was a boy”

My grandfather started many of his stories with that quote. He told of using horses and buggies around the homestead (they took the car to town). He told of summer days working the fields in the sunshine and fishin' in the rain. He talked about how great it was to harvest punkins (pumpkins) and eat his mom's homemade pumpkin pie. I LOVED his stories and most of all, I just loved being with him. He had a relaxed, optimistic outlook on life and his love for flowers was an extension of that. His flowerbeds were creative and he took great pride in them. I think he was able to pass a smidgen of that on to me.

“The earth laughs in flowers.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

For me, a flower is worth a thousand words.

When I see a flower, I marvel at it's intricate and delicate beauty. The design and scent of each is so unique and creative that I cannot help but marvel at it's Designer. No two flowers are identical and their captivating, ethereal beauty can move one to tears. No wonder we use flowers for weddings, funerals, to say good-bye, to welcome a loved one, to congratulate and to make a special person happy. Flowers are an integral part of our life and no matter where we are, they are a universal language of love. This is why I love flowers, this is why I am excited to grow them, share them and write about them

Our small beginning

Our flower farm, while it is around 40 acres, has only about an acre of flowers. We grow our abundance of flowers with passion and great care. It is AMAZING how much you can grow on an acre. With careful planning, design and funds, we hope to expand to 2 acres by 2020. This is made possible by our customers who support us and believe in what we are trying to accomplish. We live in the age of micro farms and it is not uncommon for micro farms to generate as much or more profit as a large scale farm. We believe in family farming and hope to pass on our love of flowers and all things farming to our children.

Following in my grandfather's footsteps, I use a model of farming that is as much about nature as possible. I grow my flowers organically, encourage beekeepers to bring a hive or two, use chickens as my tractor and compost the dead plants. My role model is Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm and she inspires me!

I don't despise small beginnings, great things come from them. I look forward to seeing what the next few years brings...I hope you will join me on my journey. If you would like to receive our newsletter, please subscribe here