Here we are about 6 weeks from our typical frost-free date and we are working outside under spring conditions. The warm sun on our faces, the birds chirping, the bees gathering pollen, and the worms plentiful in the soil as we work on cleaning up and turning over beds, sure feels like spring is just around the corner.
During our annual farm meeting on New Year’s Day we set a general tone of wanting to take the flower farm to the next level. To us, in that moment, that meant expanding from our existing garden beds to increase our flower production both in volume and in variety. It also meant investment in some infrastructure items, more T-posts, more irrigation for the new beds, and the big addition… a walk-in refrigerator to serve as a walk-in cooler to help preserve our flowers for delivery and events. We are also in the process of building a greenhouse made from reclaimed windows and with the help of a dear friend we have begun the process to add soil and level ground at the greenhouse site. In these moments it's starting to feel like a real flower farm, with so many goings-on, with work until the sun is nearly down. But as my wife stated in the late afternoon sun, as the clouds began to move in, “I could be out here forever.”
After all, this is not our current source of income, flower farming, it's at best a side gig that hopes to one day be a thriving family business that has the opportunity to provide employment and enjoyment to others. We are doing what we can to learn from the best in the business, learn best practices, and best balance life with our young family. Today we loved having our “little boys” ages 4 and 6, in the garden weeding and digging with us. It was a blast. Many more days to come. For now, on to enjoy this sunset, Tramonto.
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