Her Second Career Is Flower Farming

Her Second Career Is Flower Farming Frontier Farm Flowers of Waldo, Ohio, offers homegrown flower bouquets from spring through fall. For founder Elizabeth Lee, the path to this point has been unexpected. “From early childhood, I wanted to be an archaeologist,” says Lee. “I earned an undergraduate and a master’s in archaeology. I was ready to start work in the Pittsburgh area when my grandmother asked me to drive her to Michigan. When we arrived, my 18-year-old cousin had started a market garden business and asked for my help with harvest and delivery. We harvested the most beautiful tiny vegetables: perfect baby scallop squash, tiny carrots, and tomatoes that the kitchen staff gushed over. I thought, ‘I want to do this.’ I kept the idea in the back of my head.” In 2007, Lee moved to Marion County, Ohio, continuing her archaeological research focusing on 18th-century farm families. “I quickly realized I would rather be a farmer than write about historic farmers. The idea of naming our farm ‘Frontier Farm’ originated from the fact that our land is situated on what I consider the Ohio frontier. Starting our farm was a new frontier for us, too, since neither of us had any experience with growing for market.” Lee stayed home with her second child, growing vegetables and raising chickens for the family. “As we got better at growing and added our first high tunnel, we decided to try growing with the intention of selling at a farmers market.” Vegetables sold well to restaurants until COVID hit. “With the world in turmoil, I decided to grow more flowers in the garden to make myself happier. The farmers market in Delaware did open up that summer, so I sold a lot of flowers in addition to our vegetables. I was really hooked on flowers at this point.” Flowers remain the heart of the farm, although Lee continues to sell vegetables and free-range turkeys. “Today, we sell at farmers markets, to a local wholesale flower farmer, and to local businesses in Marion, Ohio.” She also sells through bouquet subscription services. “It works well for the farmers, since it guarantees some income before the growing season, when we have a lot of expenses. For me, it expands my season by at least six weeks. My farmers market doesn’t open until the end of May, but I have flowers in bloom in April.”  Lee warns against romanticizing flower cultivation. “The work’s physically demanding. I work intensively for 11 months of the year. Picking thousands of beautiful stems of flowers every week sounds fantastic, but quickly, you discover which species cause skin irritation after stripping the leaves off several hundred stems.” Similarly, she believes that flower farmers face unique challenges compared with vegetable growers. “Flower farmers have to be more on-trend than farmers growing vegetables and other agricultural products. I look at wedding magazines, the social media accounts of larger farmer-florists, and color trends, like the Pantone Color of the Year.” Even more challenging, sales can be unpredictable. “Flowers are a luxury item. Other agricultural products feed us. Flowers are often an impulse or special-occasion purchase, rather than a consistent shopping-list purchase at the farmers market.” Still, Lee encourages aspiring growers to try their hand at flower cultivation. “It’s rewarding, especially when the garden is in full bloom in the summer and so, so beautiful. There are numerous good resources available now, including YouTube videos, books and online classes. If you want to grow flowers, you should try it out. Even if you don’t sell hundreds of bouquets every week, even if you just grow enough to make a weekly bouquet for yourself, it’s just good to get your hands in the soil.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Frontier Farm Flowers, 4280 Berringer Rd., Waldo, Ohio 43356 (ph 740-251-7137; frontierfarmwaldo@gmail.com; www.frontierfarmwaldo.com).

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