Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Parriman.
Hi Tracey , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our passion for flowers began to bloom back in 2011. We planted as many flowers as we possibly could for our July wedding, and were fairly successful at it! By the time of our wedding, we realized just how much we enjoyed the challenge and fun of growing our own flowers. Since then, we have continued to expand our floral offerings by growing new varieties each year.
In late 2015, we decided to take the plunge and purchased a small farm nestled on 2 acres in Midland, Ohio. Tracey quickly began pursuing her dream of flower farming full-time. We are now in our 9th year of full-time flower farming.
In addition to growing our own flowers, we also do our own arranging, making us farmer-florists! Having the flowers next to our workshop means we have access to them at their peak of beauty, also allowing a longer vase life, and the satisfaction that can only be found from using a local product.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Having a business selling a perishable product certainly presents its challenges. As with any farming operation, so much depends on the weather and that can make for either a good or challenging season. It took several years to get the hang of it, but with 8 seasons under our belt, we’ve faced many obstacles and have learned many lessons along the way. Having a degree and background in Horticulture before starting the business has really been helpful.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We do everything from running a farmers market and small retail grab and go flower shop in Milford, to providing bouquets to a small grocery store chain, while also offering full service wedding floristry. I love being able to be creative and design florals in unique and unexacting ways for weddings and events and also for our farmers market and retail bouquets. I think people are surprised by the variety of flowers that can be grown locally and also how long fresh local flowers last.
Our specialty is in early spring production. With heated greenhouses, we are able to offer flowers from February through November in Ohio – which is pretty neat I think!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Cincinnati! I think we have a lot to offer and a very supporting community. No real complaints here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Traceyraeff.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceyrae_farmerflorist/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceyraefarmerflorist/
