Our Story
Once upon a time…
A young couple moved to Concord, NC with the fantasy of owning a little farm right outside of town. Instead, they settled down in their dream home IN town, populated it in rapid succession with three kids and an endless parade of dogs, cats, fish, turtles, and even a guinea pig. Years went by and suddenly that farm dream reemerged. The husband wanted a place to fish and hunt with the kids. The wife wanted to hike with her dogs and of course, she needed a little more room to garden…
…so here we go!
After a couple years of searching, my husband and I did find that farm ‘right outside of town’. We spent the next few years staying busy with the renovations of some sorely neglected buildings, exploring the land, building a barn (& filling it up!), learning about beekeeping, etc. etc.
But then Covid rolled around and suddenly I had a lot more free time. We put in a big garden, both vegetables and cut flowers. And that got me thinking and dreaming about selling those cut flowers. I also decided to “hang my garden design shingle” back out after a many years hiatus. Evidently, with everybody spending so much time at home staring at their yards while on their zoom calls, I had more work than I could handle!
Several years later here I am! Growing more flowers by the year and still occasionally taking on a design client when time permits
Gardener gone wild!
I recently heard that expression on a podcast about flower farming. And as a lifelong gardener/garden designer, it fits me to a T!
The transition from gardener to farmer has not been without its challenges. The designer in me wants to plant in drifts, with an eye towards textures and harmonious colors, while also ensuring multiple seasons of interest - just a few things that a well designed garden typically requires. A flower farm; however, operates under a much different set of rules! I’ve learned to plant in STRAIGHT rows, preferably all the same length to facilitate irrigation, netting, row covers, etc. I’ve studied and debated the merits of no-till vs. tilling for bed creation in really awful soil. I’ve agonized over succession planting, proper harvest techniques and cold storage of my crops (can you say beer fridge?). And then there’s the selling part - ugh! I’m still growing, literally and figuratively, and truly enjoying every second of it!
If you’re still reading this, thank you so much for following along and learning about the evolution of Little Farm! I hope you’ll let me add some beauty to your corner of the world this year!
~Teri
