Are you dreaming of starting your own small-scale flower farm? In this episode of the Backyard Bouquet Podcast, host Jennifer Gulizia interviews Erin Simmons, a successful flower farmer and mom of four. Erin shares her journey from being a lobbyist to trading in her high heels for muck boots and pursuing her passion for flower farming on Vashon Island.Erin provides valuable insights and advice for aspiring flower farmers, including tips on growing dahlias, daffodils, and zinnias, finding the right sales outlets, and the importance of connecting with mentors in the industry. She also opens up about the challenges of balancing family life and farming, offering valuable lessons on prioritizing and finding a healthy work-life balance.Whether you're a backyard gardener looking to take your passion to the next level or someone interested in the world of flower farming, this episode is packed with wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice. Tune in to learn from Erin's experiences and discover how you can let your backyard bloom with a small-scale flower farm of your own.In this episode, you’ll hear about: 00:02:03 – Erin’s background and journey into flower farming 00:06:06 – Involving her children in the flower farming process 00:11:05 – Growing daffodils and Erin’s favorite varieties 00:13:00 – Erin’s favorite dahlia varieties 00:23:23 – Erin’s favorite moments and experiences in flower farming 00:25:50 – Tips for buying dahlia tubers and finding new varieties 00:31:04 – Advice for starting a cut flower garden 00:36:37 – Selling flowers and finding sales outlets 00:40:03 – Balancing flower farming with family and personal health 00:44:31 – Plans and goals for the 2024 flower farming season 00:48:15 – Valuable advice for aspiring flower farmers 00:53:23 – The importance of mentors and community in flower farmingEpisode Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2024/01/23/small-scale-flower-farming-with-erin-simmons-handpicked-homestead/Learn more about Erin Simmons & Handpicked Homestead https://www.handpickedhomestead.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedHomestead***Rate, Review, & Follow The Backyard Bouquet***If you enjoyed this episode, will you please consider leaving the podcast a review? Your review helps make the podcast more discoverable to others and allows me to continue creating more episodes. I'd love to know what you enjoyed most about the episode.New episodes are coming every Tuesday to help keep your garden blooming!JOIN THE BACKYARD BOUQUET COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOKhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowergardeningSign up for my newsletter: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.myflodesk.com/nlw4wua8s3The Flowering Farmhouse: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Website