Breaking out of hibernation
February 26th, 2019
Its almost spring here on the farm and we are trying to pull ourselves out of hibernation to start working. Cold weather is a huge deterrent to me when it comes to working on projects outside which ironically ALL of my projects are essentially outside. Just goes to show that not everything is butterflies and rainbows, even on a flower farm.
Looks like a whole bunch of nonsense, I know. Okay lets explain!
These three pictures are some steps that we take in order to get our greenhouse in order for spring. At Graceful Acres I try to have things done as organically and 'green' as I possibly can. With that being said I have decided to try and recycle pots as much as I can. I get the pots from a local landscaping company throughout the year and once spring rolls around again I pull out the disinfectant, buckets and gloves and dive in! Time consuming? Yes! But I feel very strongly that every little act counts and starting my business off utilizing green practices will ensure they are continuously used even as the company grows. I also make sure that I remove all of the old debris from the greenhouse floor and spray down the entire interior of the greenhouse with disinfectant as well. Personally I try to eradicate issues from the start so that way when I put my tender little plants inside they aren't subjected to any problematic fungus or disease (which may require me to use harsher chemicals) Growing my plants organically is HUGE to me, not only do I feel that it produces a stronger product but my green house is my workspace. I don't want anything toxic floating around in there with me.
On to what the guy in the blue hoodie is doing, the obvious answer? Cutting plywood. Full explanation? Cutting plywood to add some of the final touches to the interior of the shed. Yes! Thats right, the interior of the shed is finally becoming what I've been hoping it would. In this upcoming year I am hoping *fingers crossed* that it will be the farm stand/ office for the farm.
All of the pink stuff on the walls? Again shed improvements. I wanted to insulate the walls because I would like the ability to keep it minimally heated to store roots over the winter. A little itchy but worth it in the long run, because lets be honest nobody has ever said 'Oh dear, I have an overwhelming amount of storage." So I am doing my best to make the most of my little space! As a side note to all of you other do-it-yourselfers, always have the proper protective equipment for the job.
The rest of the pictures are just some of the beauty I have captured here on the farm. I hope y'all enjoy them as much as I did.
Spring!
Some of you may have some questions for me. Let's see if I can clear up some confusion.
CSA? What in the heck is a CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture, this is usually a feature that you find on vegetable farms. Well just to test it out I am going out on a limb to see if it can work on a flower farm. I am still working out the final details of it but heres what I am thinking so far.
I will be posting and placing the sign up for the CSA around mothers day, posting on instagram and facebook and putting an informational pamphlet at Robb's Ice Cream. The CSA will be a weekly pick up of a flower bouquet made up of the top quality flowers on the farm that week and will include a small amount of culinary herbs along with a couple simple recipes. The pick up would be at the farm stand and would most likely be a Thursday or Friday. (depending on my market schedule)
Market?
Yes, I said market. As in I will no longer just be doing wholesale! You will be able to catch me at a local market near you :) I am excited to embark on this new sector of sales and still have yet to figure out which market I will be in but be sure that I will keep y'all in the loop as I figure it out.
Farm Stand?
Again, YES! I am excited to tell y'all that I will be opening the gates and having an honor system at Graceful Acres. I am still unsure of the set up and hours but I will most likely just have cut flowers for sale. I will have an assortment of single stems that you can mix and match on your own and pre made bouquets available for purchase.
Phew! lots of explaining, but I hope that helped to clarify what the heck is going on around here. Thats all for now stay tuned for the next post