Meet Lizzy Beller, a younger flower farmer and Rodale Institute Farmer Coaching (RIFT) graduate.
After graduating from the RIFT program in fall 2022, Lizzy got down to begin her personal flower farm. Bubbly Hills Farm is a 3.5-acre farm providing all kinds of orchards, meadows, and gardens., in 2023 on a half-acre of land in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In her first yr as a farmer, Lizzy discovered tips on how to management pests with out pesticides and opened up new markets for her enterprise. Be taught extra concerning the joys and challenges of farming and the distinctive ups and downs of her enterprise in a Q&A with the farmer herself.
Q: How did you develop into desirous about agriculture? What introduced you to the RIFT program?
I used to be in my third yr of school once I broke my foot, and I used to be studying about diet as a result of I needed to heal quicker. I had by no means been in a position to heal rapidly or construct muscle rapidly. That led me down a rabbit path of non-public well being and I discovered how useful it’s to develop your personal meals. Then I began farming and I favored it a lot. I began rising all my very own greens and feeding myself and I felt so significantly better and healed so nicely. Then I grew greens commercially and that was tiring and never very enjoyable. I joined the Rodale Institute Farmer Coaching Program to be taught extra about natural farming, whereas additionally persevering with to work on a small industrial vegetable farm. Rodale Institute taught me tips on how to deal with massive volumes of produce and by engaged on the small vegetable farm within the vegetable backyard I discovered tips on how to get operations and turnover rapidly and I gained expertise in rising greens.
Q: What had been your key learnings from the RIFT program?
I significantly loved the farm visits and conversations with the farmers. The RIFT program helped me perceive the true challenges concerned in moving into farming, equivalent to getting land and creating the infrastructure for the farm. The farmers we met with admitted that they labored full-time till they obtained each a part of their farm so as and had been in a position to slowly transition to full-time farming. This was an enormous revelation for me.
Q: What recommendation do you’ve got for different small farmers and younger farmers?
You need to notice up entrance that your first yr goes to be a large number. That is it. You possibly can’t predict what pests you are going to have, which is able to most likely be your largest drawback. However it’s nice to have that have within the first yr so you possibly can be taught from it. You already know you are not going to make a revenue within the first yr since you spent a lot cash on provides and every thing else. So simply know that so long as you end your first yr, you have completed it. Set excessive targets, but it surely’s OK for those who do not attain them.
Q: How did you get into flower rising?
I began working with flowers at Rodale Institute occasions as a result of I used to be desirous about it and requested about it. I began serving to with some weddings that had been taking place. The extra I discovered, the extra I favored it. I noticed that individuals, no matter age or gender, simply blossom whenever you give them flowers, and I actually favored that. I am a little bit of a folks pleaser, and flowers actually make folks glad.
Q: Are you able to inform me about your flower farm?
Basically, I’ve 48 rows, every 100 toes lengthy, and I develop totally different flowers in every row. A few of the vegetation I develop are sunflowers (I particularly like White Gentle), strawflowers, rudbeckia, celosia, zinnias, and cosmos. I develop different issues simply because they’re strongly scented, and I really like scents. I develop ‘Mrs. Burns’ Lemon’ basil, cinnamon basil, and scented carnation for filler. I additionally develop perennials like pampas grass and pickranthus for a uniform type of greenery. I am nonetheless narrowing down my decisions, however my absolute favourite is lisianthus , often known as “lizzies.” In flower language, they symbolize gratitude. They final two weeks in a vase, aren’t delicate to ethylene, so you possibly can hold them cooler, and are simply actually stunning flowers. I really like them. And naturally, they’re known as “lizzies”…in order that’s one other factor. I promote my flowers in quite a lot of methods. I’ve hosted a couple of cut-your-own days. I’ve a flower subscription that features 4 weeks of bouquets and a cut-your-own day. I promote at a neighborhood farmers market. This yr I attempted it at a marriage and it went rather well. I’ve offered buckets of flowers for occasions earlier than and sometimes I promote wholesale to florists. That is solely my second yr rising flowers, so I am making an attempt every thing to weed out what I do not like.
Q: What do you want most about farming? What are the most important challenges?
Reducing off an armful of flowers might be my spotlight. I really like harvesting. Pests are a giant problem for those who do not spray them. However I have been studying extra about natural options, bugs that eat bugs, and I actually like that. My largest pest is thrips as a result of I’ve loads of corn and hay fields round me. I am not right here to eradicate them as a result of if I eradicate them, I am going to additionally kill all of the bugs that eat them. So as an alternative of spraying, I take advantage of pure predators like lacewings, mites, and murderer bugs that eat them. I additionally reduce off vegetation that appeal to thrips, so I’ve to surrender a couple of flowers, like snapdragons.
