So how did I become a flower farmer?

I suppose it starts back home in Central Illinois, growing up with a mom and dad who liked to garden both out of enjoyment and necessity. That, coupled with the opportunity to design my own flower bed in front of our house on West Main, and taking flower arranging in Macon County 4-H, further fostered an interest in horticulture. Fast forward to college when I worked part-time over the summer in the Hort Lab at the University of Illinois and then later followed my mother's footsteps to become a Madison County Master Gardener with an ever growing garden of my own, mostly focused on vegetables, fruits, perennials and herbs. (In fact, I've often said that Doug and my favorite times together are spent out back, in our yard and gardens.) But the gate really opened to flower farming in 2019 when I accepted an early retirement option from a corporate marketing position (or 'recalibration' as I like to call it) and within just a few months of thinking about 'what's next', rediscovered a book on the shelf about flower farming. I flipped open the cover and found a note to myself: To the start of my dream! March 2007. Just 12 years earlier, I felt a calling to venture down this path, but more important life priorities came first (like being a mom to my amazing kids, working and volunteering). And then, in November of 2019, I had the time I needed to rekindle this dream. I began researching what it means to be a flower farmer, praying earnestly and asking if this is meant to be (and so far no major signs to the contrary -- if you don't count heat, pests and achy feet), as well as, I went 'back to school' and signed up for Flower Farming School at the University of Wisconsin. I've learned so much this past year, taking what I know about gardening and changing to a farming mindset. And a year later I am more committed than ever to turning this hobby into a sustainable small business that also brings joy to those who really do appreciate locally grown flowers. Bloom on!