History of a Veggie-turned-Flower Farmer
It may seem counter-intuitive for a flower shop/florist to be offering a veggie CSA offering. Until you know the back story of how that came to be decided.
I actually have spent far more years farming vegetable crops than flowers – in fact, one year I did all of my vegetables in raised bed gardens that I built in front of a little house on Sherwood Street. I canned myself silly and then started taking vegetables over to the farmer’s market to trade with coffee and bakery vendors. I’ve run two vegetable CSAs as well – the last while also doing a full-time job (I just served fewer members).
It was while I ran my CSA in Pennsylvania that I realized the flowers were so much more profitable, and decided when I farm again, it will be as a flower farmer. Nevertheless, while I’m super enthusiastic to farm flowers this year – there was never a doubt that I’d be growing my own veggies again (like I do every year).
I decided to go ahead and grow enough for more families though when I got to know the Livermore/Red Feather Lakes community and realized 1. How isolated people can become up here, 2. that there are seniors in need, and 3. That it’s really hard to grow your own at these elevations, and we live in a total food desert!
2022/2023
So I started looking for land down lower (for flowers & veggies), and applying for grants to make produce work as a non-profit venture. I’ve had my fill of trying to farm vegetables for profit – God bless Chris Charboneau for all she does for our community – it’s slave labor. Harvesting buckets and buckets of flowers isn’t easy either – it just pays better!
This year I’ll be hosting wwoofers and workawayers again here at Cassidy Ranch. I had pretty good luck with my raised beds here last year, so I’ll be expanding those and adding hauled-in water (it’s not as hard as it sounds, especially using my growing methods, which conserve water ALOT). And me and the workers will be joining forces to farm the land in Fort Collins, adding in some floral deliveries along the way, while Missy and Ericca manage the shop!!
We’re looking for 8 more CSA members; for delivery in the Fort Collins area, or pickup at our shop. We’d love to have you join us! Check out our Vegetable CSA HERE, and our Market Bouquet CSA HERE.
