November 21 2019

Meet a LoCoFloer: Butterbee Farm

L.B. and I took a walk on a brisk November morning to Bird in Hand for a chat for the blog. Let's jump right in:

I'm meeting my dad later for an end-of-season review.

Oh yeah? He's involved with the farm?

He named it. He's a great storyteller. When I was young he made up stories about an insect called Butterbee. He could make a flutter sound with his calloused fingers from working as carpenter.

Totes adorbs.

We arrive at the coffee shop. I go for a hot green tea and chocolate croissant. L.B. gets coffee.

What about Moms? What does Wendy do for Butterbee?

She's great. She is a health care provider and facilitates support group meetings.

You have a lot of strife among your staff?

Ha. Ha. No! My mom mentors me with leadership skills.

Like your newly elected position with the ASCFG?

Yes! I will be the Secretary starting in January. I'm excited to be getting in the same room with Jennie and Lenny.

Smart. Get some inside information.

Uh? Information about what?

Do you want to make an announcement? You know, for the blog.

I still don't know what you mean.

No, I get it. Making a move for the big chair. Taking down Jennie.

I think you are just trying to get some buzz for your blog.

That's right. Because whether you like it, or you don't like it, you better learn to love it, because it's the best thing going today! WOOO!

Everybody's looking at us.

Sorry. Sorry everybody.

What are you talking about?

The nature boy? Ric Flair? No? OK... What's a typical day like on the farm?

Every morning I meet my team at 7 am by the barn. We fill buckets with water, and then head out into the field to harvest. We cut as fast as we can until the late morning; then we either have deliveries or we spend the rest of the day planting, weeding, preparing new beds, and seeding. Everyone goes home at 4 pm.

Ugh! 7AM? What about off-season?

We take naps! Just kidding. Now we have heated greenhouses so we are still planting and preparing beds long after frost hits outside. We also have special projects we've been putting off. Liz and Jascha are building our new propagation house for starting seedlings.

This all sounds like a lot of work. Don't you have any other options?

Haaaahahahahahahahaahahaha! I could have been a contender! Farming is the best thing ever, don't knock it til you try it! I got into it by accident- my friend worked on a farm in New Hampshire and I hated college and thought I would try farming one summer to get away. I got hooked!

Wow, Marlon Brando. That's an old reference even for me. Bravo. Ok, there's Liz and Jascha. Who else is on the Butterbee crew?

Courtney and Erica are also on our badass team this year! We had Alex and Cathy work with us as interns through the Beginning Farmer Training Program. Jascha and Spencer, who work on the property we lease land from, lend a hand too. Curtis, Jess, and Alex swooped in to save the day when we really needed extra help. So many amazing people make this farm happen!

Who is the hunkiest dude in the flower biz?

Jascha. And Bob Wollam.

Wow. Really? Nobody else comes to mind?

Not really.

Moving on. Beginner Farmer Training Program. What that all about?

The BFTP is a program run by the nonprofit Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. It connects interns, or "trainees," with farmers so that aspiring farmers can experience hands on learning with mentors. I did the program when I started my farm, and my husband did it the year after. It's so helpful not just for learning to farm but also making farmer friends!

What about that time there was a police chase through your farm. Were you trying to reboot the Dukes of Hazzard?

Haaahahahahaha Yes that happened! Someone robbed a bank and he tried to get away by driving through the farm. It was crazy! Also, it turns out that when the police crash into your car while they're chasing a robber, no one reimburses you.

So the farm is on land owned by your old boyfriend's family. How weird is that?

This is true. Sometimes it's a little weird but mostly it's just kind of amazing how life works out, you know?

Are you coming to flower trivia night? Any predictions, trash talk?

I have assembled the BEST trivia team ever to walk the planet. Liz has won trivia here at the farm. Spencer plays trivia on the regs and knows a weird amount of random stuff. Courtney has been a flower farmer almost as long as I have. Alex is a farmer AND a florist, so she will know some stuff that the rest of us don't. If anything I'm the weak link here! Competing teams, IT'S ON! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!

What's the future for Butterbee?

We're at a really cool place with farm. We are starting to pull back from field growing. We have more greenhouses. Including the Frost House - named for Ellen

Nice.

And we are investing in the future with perennials and woodies.

What else do you want readers to know? Literally dozens of people read this blog.

To my dozens of future fans, I'd like to say: buy local! You don't have to buy everything locally- but try to invest just a little in your local economy every single week, whether it's your farmer's market, a craft show, your florist, your bakery... it makes a HUGE difference! It's better for the environment, better for building community, and more often than not, the products you are buying locally are higher quality.

Alright. Thanks for the chat, but I gotta go sling some Butterbee flowers. Obviously, I ain't no Bob Wollam. I just can't get by on my good looks.

Yep. I'm gonna pick up some treats for the crew on my way out. I learned that from LoCoFlo.

Important lesson. STELLA!

LB November 24, 2019
:) :) :)

Ellen Frost November 24, 2019
Hunkiest in the flower biz = Eric! Stylin' and profilin'!

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