One thing we love about the floral industry is how diverse the business models can be. Today, Melissa Brown of Bee Merry Farm is on the podcast to tell us about her unique business model: a upick flower farm. A teacher by day and flower farmer by nights and weekends, Melissa has found this to be a widely successful venture within her community! There are countless resources for those in the floral industry, and Melissa is sharing some of her go-to’s when it comes to flower farming. Of course, there are lessons to be learned from flowers that cannot be gathered from books or articles—like confidence, bravery, and courage. Melissa also has a passion for creating art through flat lays! And she is GOOD at it! She’s sharing a few tips and tricks on how to create a flat lay for content (and beauty of course!). Bee Merry Farm, located in the heart of Skagit Valley in Washington, is a small-scale flower farm that focuses on cut flower production, community connection, and backyard beekeeping. An elementary teacher by day, owner Melissa Brown devotes evenings, weekends, and summers to growing and sharing flowers with others. Bee Merry Farm offers u-picks and on-farm events during the growing season; in the off-season, the focus shifts to dahlia tuber care and sales. Owning a flower farm was a dream Melissa never knew she had until she stumbled into it, and she wouldn’t change it for the world. Find them on Instagram @beemerryfarm and visit their website at www.beemerryfarm.com.