Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
Harrison said they were experimenting with various flowers and creating beauty throughout their property. This year they decided to lean more into the flower side of their business and partner with local entrepreneur Carly Short, who is the co-owner of Heart Mercantile and LUNA Gifts & Botanicals.
Short will lead a cut-flower subscription program. Subscriptions available include:
- Four consecutive weeks of bouquets for $125
- Once a month bouquets (July through October) for $125
- Twice a month bouquets (July through October) for $225
- Weekly bouquets (July through October) for $400
“Oak and Ember’s approach to flower design begins with venturing into their gardens and flower fields to assess what nature has ready for harvest,” a press release from the farm stated. “Each bouquet is a curated blend of flowers picked fresh right before pickup, offering a fragrant and vibrant ensemble.”
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
About five or six years ago, Short started gardening. She said she always had a love for being outdoors, but described gardening as “healing to the soul.”
This is just the beginning for the flower subscription program. Short is excited to create beautiful, unique arrangements for the Dayton area and find out the wants and needs.
Their plan is to sell subscriptions and then grow enough flowers to match those numbers.
“One of the challenges for farms is growing stuff and not knowing where it’s going to end up,” Harrison said. “We really want to save our time and labor and really be mindful of what’s getting used and not wasted. We prefer for everything we grow to have a home before we put the seeds in the ground.”
This method can be described as community supported agriculture (CSA).
“CSA is a unique business model that empowers individuals to invest in and support local farms and farmers, the farm’s website says. “By participating, you become a valued supporter of our farm family and, in return, receive a share of the flowers grown on our fields.”
Oak and Ember Farms is in the midst of creating a place where people can be and belong.
“We’re working on building out an experience driven farm,” Harrison said. “It is a place we want people to come to actively and this spring we will be launching weekly public hours for our nursery space and just for people to come and enjoy the property.”
Other programs expected on the farm this summer include a u-pick flower operation, nursery, glamping/camping spots, chef’s dinners and much more.
Oak and Ember Farms also owns and operates REGENERATE Garden Co., focusing on helping homeowners grow beautiful, chemical-free landscape designs that also produce food, sequester carbon, capture rainwater and promote biodiversity with a blend of horticulture, ecology, and urban agriculture.
They also have a nonprofit organization that works with Kettering Alternative Program (K.A.P.), a division of Fairmont High School, to engage students through nature and regenerative farming immersion.
For more information about Oak and Ember Farms or to purchase a flower subscription, visit oakandemberfarms.myshopify.com.
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