This flower farming thing is fun, intense, challenging and life changing. I wear a lot of hats, but those hats relate to what I value and my hard work benefits my farm, our family and the community I live in.
So many excellent relationships! I have really met my neighbors and love the way we pull together and support each other. I wanted to do a shoutout to all my neighbors, but realized this would be way to long. So I will have to start with the amazing Goffnet clan.
I’ve known Jean and Daryl Potter the longest. When we first moved to Mt Pleasant, MI 20 years ago, I locked myself out of my brand new home in my pajamas (no shoes and not presentable). I had no choice but to try to find a phone to call my husband, so off I went to meet my new across the street neighbors, in my shorty pjs, barefoot, bed head and all. I had to walk around their amazing field of sunflowers (her green thumb is impressive). They were so kind; let me perch, embarrassed, on their couch; and allowed me to wait the hour it took my husband to come home from Lansing. They have never reminded me of that day.
This year, Jean and Daryl let me convince them to grow the acre of sunflowers again. They threw in hundreds of gladiolus. We worked on this a bit together (but really, Jean has worked hard and been so diligent and Daryle is the tractor king). It is an awesome compliment to my zinnia! Looks gorgeous and I have access to these amazing blooms!
Around when Covid hit, Jean’s brother Bob Goffnet moved across the road (and I learned everyone is a Goffnet, or related to a Goffnet, or wants to be a Goffnet :)). Very quickly, we met Bob. Bob became my gardening buddy, he would drop by and chat while I weeded, kept an eye on our place, and brought my kids treats. We all loved having Bob in the neighborhood and he would keep me up on all the neighborhood happenings. Bob passed away this year and is greatly missed. The picture below is our first year farming and Bob's daily view (if he liked it or not).
Through Bob, I met Marilyn, the cake lady. https://m.facebook.com/MarilynTheCakeLady/ She is sister to Jean and Bob and makes amazing baked goods. Marilyn has been my neighbor for 20 years and we had never met! Now she gives me “atta girls”, promotes our work, and trades me cakes and cookies for flowers. Best deal ever! (This may make me a bad Mom, but I used her chocolate cake to bribe my son to do some dishes). She even came to a bloom bar I did at @PhillipsOrchards. I aspire to be the woman who can rock those sunglasses like Marilyn.
Again, I have more neighbors, more great community relationships and many more ways the flowers have helped build community. We have the best little neighborhood and for me and my family, the doors opened when we got outside and started growing our wee farm.
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