MUSKEGON, MI – When it’s bitterly cold and Michigan is blanketed with snow, a small Muskegon County farm brightens winter with fresh flowers.
Despite a dreary forecast, September’s Flowers is currently growing with freesias, double tulips, poppies, delphiniums and gerbera daisies in its heated greenhouse while spring plants sprout in six other hoop houses (lightweight mini-greenhouses without the glass) at the Montague farm.
The colorful collection will be available at September’s Flowers’ first pop-up event on Saturday, Feb. 6. Starting at noon, the farm will be selling bouquets of “springtime cheer” to the community at Fetch Brewing, 100 W. Colby St., in Whitehall.
“People are just so excited to get their hands on some fresh, locally grown flowers,” said September Dykema, an owner of the business.
September’s Flowers is true family operation — run by September and Simon Dykema and their 9-year-old son, Rylan. They started the farm about a decade ago, initially selling vegetables at the local farmer’s market and pivoting to flowers in 2016.
For the past five years, the Dykemas have been steadily increasing their growing space and focused on supplying wholesale flowers to local grocery stores and florists across the state.
“It seems so magical, but there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it,” said Dykema.
Simon Dykema’s two decades of experience working at a nursery supply company helped them grow the plants, set up hoop houses and properly irrigate.
During peak seasons, September’s Flowers produces an estimated 200 bouquets a week and delivers weekly van loads of flowers to local florists.
“It’s a lot to crank out,” said September Dykema.
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The Dykema family runs the farm on their own, learning along the way. The work is rewarding, September Dykema said, especially hearing from customers who find “joy and happiness” in the flowers.
“There’s such a beautiful connection between our flowers with our customers, and how it makes them feel that they’re supporting something local,” Dykema said.
The farm is closed to the public, but September’s Flowers maintains a strong local support with more than 1,200 followers on Facebook and 1,500 on Instagram. They use their social media platforms to communicate where their flowers will be sold and updates on the farm.
During the summer, the family runs a two-acre U-Cut field at 6107 Eilers Road, about two miles away from their farm. The U-Cut field was closed last summer due to flooding and COVID-19, but Dykema said they’re excited to open it again this year.
“It’s beautiful up there,” she said.
September’s Flowers will also be launching a flower subscription program in the spring, where customers can pick up a weekly bouquet of flowers from the U-Cut flower shed.
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The Link LonkFebruary 06, 2021 at 07:15PM
https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2021/02/muskegon-county-family-run-flower-farm-provides-springtime-cheer-through-the-winter.html
Muskegon County family-run flower farm provides ‘springtime cheer’ through the winter - mlive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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