This week the kids and I ventured north to visit a fellow flower farmer.
Gretchen Hoytt with Alm Hill Gardens graciously spent the afternoon showing us all around her farm. It was so inspiring to see what she and her partner Ben have created in their 40+ years of farming. The volume they produce is staggering!
But what struck me the most during the visit was how bare bones their operation is. Nothing fancy or shiny new, just super efficient and practical.
It’s so easy to be lured into thinking I need to have the best of everything and that our set up should look magazine worthy all of the time. But what I’ve discovered is that the farmers who are truly successful ( ie: profitable and stable) rarely put on a show. Rather they spend their time and precious energy growing the highest quality plants and sharing them with their community.
What a gift to be invited into their abundant world for a day!
Tulips for Christmas
Lilies happily growing in bulb crates
A sea of Ranunculus and Anemones being forced in bulb crates
Jasper helping me document our adventure
Jasper took it upon himself to record individual varieties, what a guy!
A hoophouse filled with crates and crates of Tulips. Mind blowing!
Shallots for market
Elora discovering the magic shelling beans.
The kids collected an incredible mix of shelling beans to plant in their little vegetable garden next year. They are so excited to grow their own soup!
* A full interview with Gretchen will be featured in an upcoming issue of Growing For Market .
Alis Bec on
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