About

I’ve always been a farmer, even before I grew flowers.

I grew up in Ohio on a fruit farm, where my family has developed a deep connection to the land over the three generations that we have called it home.  To this day, my favourite place on Earth is sitting barefoot on my parents’ back porch at the end of a summer day, cicadas buzzing in the trees, the sandstone steps still warm from the summer sun, and a bowl of freshly sliced peaches in hand.  You can see every shade of green imaginable sitting there as the sun sets behind a July tree line.  But my parents encouraged me to spread my wings, convinced that life had more in store for me than farming.  And so I did. 

I went to fashion design school, and all the exotic places that learning the art and then practicing it across a 10 year career took me.  I found the love of my life in Texas, and discovered that he was from the other side of the world.  He loved my Midwestern orchard stories, and I his stories of rambutan and purple motorcycles.  It turns out that exotic is a relative term.  After years in the manic fashion world, and with a baby on the way, fate brought me back to the land through flowers.  I invite you to join me, on this journey of connection and beauty, in the hopes that flowers will enrich your life as they have mine.

HOW I GROW

My first year farming I had designed the flowers for a spectacular dinner imagined and hosted by the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Huron, OH. It featured flowers from my field and fruit in every course from my family’s farm, Quarry Hill Orchards. As I was striking the event later that night, Farmer Lee Jones was thanking his staff for another fine presentation, and we struck up a conversation about what it means to be a local farmer.  He said that being local isn’t enough, you have to grow the best.  And he’s right.  It’s a mentality that I grew up with; we didn’t have the biggest farm or the latest-and-greatest equipment, but my dad grew the best apples and peaches.  So I set out to grow the finest quality flowers; flowers of unknown beauty that will make you beam with wonder and delight.

I feel strongly that such ephemeral delight cannot come at a price that will be paid for by generations to come.  As such, I use sustainable and regenerative practices on my farm in Dexter, MI.  These include no-till soil preparations, cover cropping, Korean Natural Farming inputs, moving hibernating toads to a safer spot for the winter, guarding praying mantis nests, and a thousand other small things that dictate how I interact with the ecosystem that my farm creates.  Establishing habitats to support native pollinators outside of my production area is a priority as well as a passion.  I am blessed to have a farm, to have land, and I use that privilege to leave our beautiful planet in better condition than I found it, one flower at a time.

I acknowledge that the land I farm occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinabewaki and Wyandot, as well as the Algonquin tribes of Chippewa, Potawatomi, & Ottawa. I further acknowledge that these lands were obtained in unconscionable ways from indigenous peoples. During my time on this land I hope to honor those who came before me, and help gently shape the world into one that is more just for those that I walk alongside and for those that will come after me.

How I Design

I create bespoke designs that speak to where we are in space and time; to Michigan and its glorious seasonality. If you’re getting married in September, I want create designs for you that embody the sun that is sitting lower in the sky, the cool morning dew, and the spectacular bounty of flowers that are available.  If you’re having a May baby shower, I want to create something for you that embraces the verdant flora that is emerging after a winter’s rest, the freshness of a spring rain shower, and the optimism of the months to come. 

My hand is delicate, and a bit wild.  I specialize in creating sophisticated color combinations, and love using color to create depth and movement.  I source first from my farm, then from my fellow local flower farmers, and further afoot only when necessary.  The designs I create are meant to inspire a deeper connection to the natural world around us and cultivate joy from within.

Join the Team!

This is the hardest work I’ve ever done, but it’s by far the most rewarding!

TITLE:

Farm Assistant

OBJECTIVE:

Energetic and hard working team members who aid in completing the necessary day-to-day tasks on the flower farm.  Positions are seasonal, beginning in April/May and ending in November.  Part-time positions are 16-24 hours a week, Tuesday through Friday, with Sundays as an additional option.  Previous experience in a complex, interdependent team environment (such as a farm, landscaping business, or busy restaurant/cafe) and an ability to balance having fun with keeping the farm’s success in mind at all times is highly desirable.  Ideal candidates are kind and empathetic humans.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

- Weeding quickly and efficiently

- Moving and spreading compost and wood chips

- Bed prep including broadforking, adding soil amendments, laying drip tape and landscape fabric

- Washing buckets

- Occasional mowing including string trimming

- Spring planting and on-going succession planting throughout the season

- Understanding proper stage of harvest and post-harvest treatment of all crops

- Harvesting efficiently and accurately

- Processing and bunching flowers with an eye for quality control

- Assisting with fulfilling weekly orders as needed

- Occasional studio work like prepping vases, packing for an event, and cleaning & re-shelving vases/containers

- Assisting with watering as needed

- Perennial plant maintenance as needed

- Understanding and performing safe and responsible use of tools and equipment

- Performing general operational duties such as cleaning the bathroom, trash removal, sweeping up, etc. 

- Assisting with end-of-season farm clean up tasks such as removing crop residues from the beds, digging dahlias, pulling drip tape, removing landscape fabric from field for winter storage. 

REQUIREMENTS:

- Must be able and willing to lift 50+ lbs. repeatedly on a daily basis

- Must be able and willing to hustle and be on your feet all day

- Must be able and willing to work in all types of weather conditions, including high heat, humidity, and rain

- Must have access to reliable transportation (farm is not accessible by public transportation unfortunately)

- Must possess effective and positive communication skills

- Must be goal-oriented and self-motivated in order to work independently on a regular basis

This position reports to the farm in Dexter, MI (zip 48130).  Compensation starts at $17.50/hr, plus flowers to take home on a whenever extras are available. Performance goals set to increase compensation quickly for the right employees.

To Apply:

Please send Resume and Letter of Intent to adrianne@marillafield.com  Please put “Farm Assistant Application” in the subject line.