Episode 711: Flower farming as a second career with environmental educator Amy Brodbeck Linhart of Humming Harvest Farm

https://youtu.be/AMujMVQSGkM?si=2ZjthEzgpVZzdUH_ It’s early in the season, but Amy Linhart already has been harvesting from her crop of 13,000 daffodils to supply her main wholesale customer, an upscale regional grocery chain in the Seattle-Tacoma region. I visited Humming Harvest Farm in late March for a tour of the fields and new high tunnel, both of which allowed me to envision the bountiful year to come, Amy’s sixth farming season. She started farming flowers as a side venture to her full-time position as an environmental educator at Pierce College, and I’m so inspired by the ways this young flower entrepreneur is building a meaningful and sustainable lifestyle involving teaching and farming. Amy Linhart of Humming Harvest Farm (c) Rylea Foehl photography Today’s episode was so much fun to record because I was able to get away from the computer and visit my guest in person. It’s early in the season, but the drive was worth it. Amy Linhart of Humming Harvest Farm isn’t too far from my home – about 45 minutes to the Key Peninsula, near the shores of Puget Sound. Casey and Amy (left), (c) Katelin McDermott Photography; outdoor production studio (right) Fortunately, Amy’s daffodil season has begun, so we walked the fields to see those crops, and toured the future growing areas where cover crops are now thriving. We also visited the new high tunnel that Amy’s husband Casey Linhart recently constructed with the help of friends. They have set themselves up for a successful expansion to add more early season crops with the new structure. Humming Harvest Farm Amy Linhart is an environmental educator turned flower farmer who has spent the majority of her professional career learning from and sharing inspiration from the natural world. From working as a national park ranger in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, to her current position working as an environmental educator at Pierce College, Amy has a deep respect for the ecosystems that she calls home. Dried and fresh florals (left) and Grocery Bouquets (right) She and Casey met in Alaska, where they fell in love with exploring wild spaces… and with each other. They moved to Washington so that Amy could pursue a Master’s in Marine Affairs at the University of Washington. Soon after graduation, they moved out of the city to purchase land and dig in the dirt. Much of this land was covered in thick, invasive blackberries and now, after a lot of sweat equity, houses an abundance of flowers and vegetables. The annual fields at Humming Harvest Farm With big dreams and inspired by the local farming movement, Amy continually researches new ways to treat the earth more gently through her sustainable farming practices. You’ll hear us discuss some of these endeavors during my visit and our subsequent sit-down interview. I know you’ll be inspired. Find and follow Humming Harvest Farm on Instagram and Facebook Amy is a member of Slow Flowers Society, but her farm is also affiliated with:Gig Harbor Flower Farmers Guild and she distributes flowers through West Sound Floral Exchange, operated by Slow Flowers member Jodi Logue of Moss & Madder Farm, past guest of this podcast. Amy holds a signature mixed bouquet from Humming Harvest Farm And I can’t end this episode without sharing a little update on Amy and Casey, and yes, the news that their baby Alder Kay Linhart arrived on April 1st. I have Amy’s permission to share this wonderful news. She recently texted me to say: “Our world has just changed for the better. She’s just the sweetest. She’s met the cows from afar and has explored the daffodils in bloom. We’re already so excited to bring this little one up on the farm!” Congratulations Amy and Casey! News of the Week Riz Reyes (left); Dennis Westphall and Diane Szukovathy (right) In Slow Flowers News, this coming Friday, April 11th is our monthly member Meet-Up and the topic is all about hellebores – growing and designing. We're kicking off the two-month celebration of the forthcoming publication of THE FLOWER FARMERS: Inspiration and Advice from Expert Growers, which I wrote with Robin Avni, our creative director. You’ll be learning all about this new book – which will be published on May 6th, a visually compelling collection of stories and flower-growing wisdom to inspire gardeners and flower lovers alike. For the meet-up, we've invited three of the talented Slow Flowers members featured in The Flower Farmers, Diane Szukovathy and Dennis Westphall, owners of Jello Mold Farm, and Rizaniño "Riz" Reyes of RHR Horticulture. Together, they will help us pay homage to the "it" flower of the season. After all, the cover of The Flower Farmers features the luxury early season perennial -- straight from Jello Mold Farm. Robin will join me in hosting this special virtual session. Diane and Dennis will share their expert hellebore growing advice and Riz, an accomplished plantsman, will discuss gardening and design with hellebores. Bring your hellebore questions! P.S., we'll have a drawing for one free copy of The Flower Farmers.You must pre-register to attend – find the link in our show notes or at the slowflowerssociety Linktr.ee menu on Instagram. Click to Pre-Register for our April 11 (9 am PT/Noon ET) Meet-Up Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu. Thank you to Charles Little & Company for supplying our industry with some of the most beautiful and sustainably-grown design ingredients, available nationwide through their website at charleslittleandcompany.com. Based in Eugene, Oregon, the farmers at Charles Little & Company have been growing and drying flowers since 1986. New products and dried flower collections are added to their website at the first of each month. Check them out at charleslittleandcompany.com. Thank you to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience. It is a hub of knowledge, where seasoned experts and budding enthusiasts come together to learn, share, and support one another. The ASCFG is dedicated to empowering its members with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the world of cut flower farming. From educational workshops and conferences to online resources and publications, they provide a wealth of information and support for all things related to growing exceptional cut flowers. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at www.ascfg.org! Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com. Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week! Music Credits: Drone Pine; Gaena; Horizon Linerby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ In The FieldSong by:audionautix.com