Author Archives: John Holcomb

One Woman’s Search for Purpose Helps Her Find Purpose in Horticultural Therapy

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Ball Ground, GA

The Chelsea Korzenko you see today is not the Chelsea Korzenko from five years go. Back then, her world was dark and uncertain. She was grappling with a broken marriage, battling depression, and living with her parents as a single mother. The future seemed bleak, and Chelsea felt lost, not knowing what her next steps would be. But one ordinary day, when the weight of the world seemed unbearable, Chelsea pulled herself out of bed, made her way to the front yard, and sat down in from of this majestic tree. Little did she know, that simple act, would change her life.

“I grabbed the ground, and I remember that feeling finally of feeling safe and held, grounded. I looked around me, and for the first time I started seeing that color again. I started seeing trees blowing in the wind. I just, I felt present. Everything that was going on in my life that internal war happening was peace,” says Chelsea Korzenko, Owner, Daffodilly Farms.

It was this profound experience that led Chelsea to discover the power of horticulture therapy. She realized that cultivating plants and connecting with nature could heal, not only the land, but also the human spirit. So Chelsea embarked on a journey of healing and growth, immersing herself in the world of horticulture. She enrolled in courses, attended workshops, and learned the art of gardening as a therapeutic practice.

“So, we’re all very stressed, but there is research out there where they have evidence-based research where when you connect and use your hands, the cortisol levels decrease. And to me, that is such a powerful thing. As, as you work with your hands and step out into a garden, you know firsthand, honestly, it doesn’t really need to take research to understand that,” says Korzenko.

Nowadays, Chelsea is an aspiring horticulture therapist, interning at the Trellis Ability Garden where she is making a profound impact on the lives of others. With her gentle guidance and compassionate nature, she helps individuals find solace, purpose, and healing through the magic of plants.

“I have learned how to personalize the gardening activities with the people. And that is the biggest thing, is the client care and learning about their stories and figuring about where they are and where they wanna be. And having to find gardening activities to match that for them. And seeing what lights them up is really fun to experience and learn and being open to them and figuring out how to bring, you know, socialization is very key there,” says Korzenko. “So how to bring what I do over here in this farm to them in a social, you know, specific goals and learning that has been amazing for this, this profession. You can’t learn that in class.”

However, Chelsea’s journey didn’t end there.

“This is our sensory bin here. And we bring clients here to smell and feel all the different textures, to see the different patterns,” says Korzenko.

“Inspired by her newfound passion, she decided to start her own business, Daffodilly Farms, an oasis of serenity where people can find respite and discover the power of nature. The name was inspired by a life-changing trip to England, where Chelsea witnessed first-hand the breathtaking beauty of daffodils in bloom.

“I was obsessed with William Worsworth, the Daffodil poem, and visited his property, and he wrote that poem after he lost his baby. He went up on top of the hill, and there’s a spot, and I sat down and I saw it, and he looked across the beautiful green rolling hills of Lake Grasmere, and there was the daffodils blowing in the wind. And I got to see that. And I didn’t fully appreciate it then until my life turned upside down. And I felt that decapitating grief, and I realized, ‘oh, he found hope through flowers.’ And so when I was creating this farm, I loved daffodils. I didn’t really think that was the name, but then I was like, ‘you know what? I’m, you know, I’m silly. I’m fun. I’ve, I found that part of me again, daffodilly, that makes me laugh, that makes me smile. And that’s how it was created,'” says Korzenko.

Yes, Chelsea’s business is flourishing. And so is her personal life. She found love once again and remarried, leaving behind the shadows of her darkest days. Today, she is happier than ever, radiating a joy and purpose that inspire everyone she meets. When asked If she could go back in time and speak to her troubled self! Well, suffice it to say, the conversation would be one filled with emotion, and more importantly, encouragement.

“Keep going. That’s what got me through the darkest days then, and it gets me through now. Now I know my faith is ahead of me. I did not know that then. All I saw was fear. I thought the future fear belonged in the future. I have learned through this process that fear doesn’t belong in the future. It’s only here. It can’t belong in the future. Faith is there, light and hope. And if you just keep going, I find that fear just comes behind you. It just walks behind you. If you just keep pushing through it,” says Korzenko.

By: Ray D’Alessio

Atlanta’s First Horticultural Ability Garden Provides Space for those with Disabilities

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Decatur, GA

When Rachel Cochran and Wendy Battaglia met a horticultural therapy training program, little did they know – this encounter would ignite a passion within them to make a difference. In 2017, they founded Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance. However, the concept for Trellis, that proverbial seed; well, it was planted long before that first encounter.

“Back when my children were in elementary school, we did a school garden and we had just finished building some raised beds at their elementary school, and we had spread all the wood chips around finishing the garden space. And at the end, a special ed teacher came out and said, is there any way for my kids to get involved? And my mouth dropped. And I’m thinking, you know, I never once considered a child that couldn’t get around this garden space. And from that day forward, I kept that in my mind thinking, you know, gardens should really be accessible to everyone,” says Rachel Cochran Co-founder of Trellis Horticultural Therapy Alliance.

Together, Rachel and Wendy created a service that supports, educates, and guides organizations and individuals through therapeutic gardening programs and accessible garden spaces.

On this day, we found Rachel fine-tuning what many are calling a groundbreaking project. – the ability garden at Collenwolde Fine Arts Center, the first wheelchair-accessible garden in Atlanta. Research has shown that gardening is a powerful tool when it comes to combating isolation and building self-confidence. Trellis, addresses the physical, mental, and cognitive health of various groups, including those experiencing mental health disorders. Or, in the case of Leroy Thompson, living with a long-term disability.

“I never questioned, why me? And I do know a lot of people ask those questions like, why me? I look at it like this; I can be in a lot worse situation. I could not be having this conversation with you today. So for whatever reason God spared me, I have to figure out what it is. If it’s to motivate others, if it’s to be an inspiration for others; I’ll do that. So I feel like that’s kind of, sort of the purpose behind it,” says Leroy Thompson.

“I mean, this place is beautiful. You come out here and you just instantly feel peace and that’s before you even connect and start learning the stories of the flowers and the vegetables and then the people behind it. I came in this scared to ask questions and they just opened the door. They, they took the time to talk to me on the phone, get me in. They invited me out here and I just saw instantly how warm they were, and their sessions just are proof of the lives they’re helping change,” says Chelsea Korzenko, and Intern with Trellis.

“They need an outlet. They need support,” says Cochran. “And so what we do is we provide the support as people, humans that understand what they’re going through, and we understand how to support people in a garden setting and to make it fun. And it’s not all about gardening, really. You know, what they teach us in our training is it’s not about the end product. It’s about the process. And our process is getting people excited about being outdoors, getting excited about this new learning potential that can be a recreation for them, and getting people together that have a shared history of injury or trauma and connecting those people so they feel like they are whole again.

As I watched him interact with others, and how he almost immediately embraced working in the raised beds, I can say without hesitation that Leroy Thompson thoroughly enjoyed his first trip to the ability garden. Will there be more trips? You bet!

“When I saw this ad in a spinal cord peer support group, I was like, this is what I want to do. And then also I’m able to be around others in my same situation. So there’s that bonding experience and learning some skills that honestly I think everybody should have,” says Thompson.

“It’s just like this spark, because I know what’s going through them. They’re feeling connection, they’re feeling that like discovery of the purpose and joy and beauty, whatever seeds they wanna start nurturing inside themselves. that that’s unfolding within them. And when I see that, I just want to help support them to keep, to keep asking those questions. Why, why is it like that? Why did I get an aha? And, have that in them when they go home? Because that’s, that’s what’s excavating underneath them,” says Korzenko.

“That Is how you heal. You know, you have to share these stories to move on. And this is what we’re all about here, is really connecting, socializing, you know, making a support network for the people that come,” says Cochran.

By: Ray D’Alessio

Summer Storms Damage Southwest Georgia Cotton Crop

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Doerun, GA

Things can certainly happen in a blink of an eye, and cotton producers here in Southwest Georgia know that all too well after recent storms brought high winds, hail, pouring rains, and even tornadoes that hammered their crop. It’s something Camp Hand, Extension Cotton Agronomist with the University of Georgia, says is a bad situation as seedling cotton is a vulnerable crop, but believes there’s still hope.

“Cotton right now is anywhere from first bloom if you planted early to just coming out of the ground, so there’s a lot of variability in our crop and the impacts on the crop, kind of depend on what stage it’s in,” says Hand. “The field that we’re at today, it’s probably the second week of squaring, which is where I would imagine most of our crop is right now, and this field looks better than it did a few days ago. It’s starting to come out of it a little bit, the terminals were broken out of this cotton, which means it’s kind of got to divert resources back to vegetative growth to compensate for that loss, but that’s kind of the situation we’re in right now is waiting on sunshine.”

However, according to Hand, at this point, it’s just a waiting game, as they won’t know the full scope of the damage for a while.

“It’s hard to tell what the losses are going to be right now,” says Hand. “I will say that depending on the stage of crop could change things. Seedling cotton is a little more vulnerable to something like this and if the hail was a little bit worse in seedling cotton fields and you see some sticks or like it broke off everything and coddle leaves were gone, then that plant is dead, but these right here, you still see green leaves, it’s still, you know, photosynthesizing, still working, so this crop definitely has got a chance and a lot of potential, and of course, whether it’s seedling and stuff like that, it kind of changes what we think about what we need to do going forward, but right now, we’re just kind of in a tough spot.”

Tough spot indeed, as Hand says it’s too late to replant, and says that the only thing producers can really do is wait on sunshine and warmer weather.

“The thing about it is, if you’ve got seedling cotton that was killed pretty much, today is what, June twentieth I believe it is, so I wouldn’t replant today and you can’t, because it’s too wet. So either you’ve got to stick with what you’ve got, or we’ve got to change course, because it’s a little too late to replant cotton. In terms of trying to bring it out of this, what we really need is sunshine and ninety degree days and that’s not really in the forecast, but on a day like today, this is exactly what the crop needs. There’s nothing you can spray, nothing really you can do to kind of hasten the crop coming out of this,” says Hand.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Soybean Growers Optimistic This Season

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Pelham, GA

Even though corn, cotton and peanuts receive most of the attention here in Georgia, there is another crop that’s seen a major uptick in planted acres over the past couple of years. While it might still be early on for soybean growers, so far, they have no complaints.

“Planting season went well. We had a rain come through and we were able to get the all of the beans in the ground in a couple of days,” says Walter Godwin, Owner of Godwin Farms. They’re calling for some dry weather. So, as long as we get a couple of rains here and there, I think we’ll have a good year.”

With prices approaching fifteen dollars a bushel, it’s no wonder more growers are considering soybeans as a viable option. Plus, they do grow pretty well here in the state.

“I enjoy growing soybeans. They’re not really a crop you see in Georgia a lot, but it’s kind of an alternative crop. If you don’t want to grow cotton or if your peanuts are limited, you could throw soybeans in the rotation,” says Godwin. “We grow a group seven bean, which is a later maturing bean, but we can have irrigated yields in the seventies and dry land yields in the seventies. It just depends on the rain.”

Just like with any other crop, it’s a delicate balancing act between controlling costs and using the proper amount of chemicals and fertilizer. Fortunately, it this year, hasn’t been quite as big a problem.

“If you don’t use the inputs, you’re not going to grow a crop. So, you got to have the inputs. You got to have the fertilizer. You got to have the chemicals, the preemergence, the postemergence chemicals to grow the crop. Input prices have come down a little since last year. We saw fertilizer come down from November of last year to March of this year a fair amount. Chemical prices have come down a little bit. They’re still hovering about the same as they were last year. Then there’s your Roundup, which has come down a whole lot since last year,” says Godwin.

If the increased market price and yield potential weren’t enough incentive, the timing of soybeans also provides a benefit for farmers as it gives them a source of income after most of the other major row crops have been harvested.

“To me, they’re an easy crop to grow, says Godwin. “They’re not a high input like peanuts or cotton is. They usually come off, well, they come off at the end of the year. So, we’re harvesting usually in October, November. We’re done with peanuts at that time. So, it kind of spreads our harvest season out a little bit so we’re not so rushed, and soybeans can go into your rotation and give you something else to grow that you might have more of an income off of.”

By: Damon Jones

Southeast Green Conference Gardener’s Dream

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Duluth, GA

It’s like walking through a garden lover’s fever dream at the Southeast Green Conference, as every type of plant, tree and equipment can be seen under one roof no matter how big or small. Add in the multiple breakout sessions, and it’s an event that helps keep both gardeners and landscape experts up to date on the industry.

“It’s just great coming back and continuing to learn. I’ve been doing this a while, but I continue to learn, and I continue to see collogues and network with them and this is kind of the premiere event for that here in the Southeast,” says Matt Widdon with Columbus in Color.

This type of experience is vital for all in attendance as the green industry continues to change and progress at a rapid rate.

“Now there’s all these other varieties and sturdier stems, greener foliage, less disease. It’s constant. That’s the way our industry is. It just continues to improve, to evolve,” says Widdon.

While it might be a bit intimidating for the beginning gardeners to sift through all of the different varieties and colors, doing a bit of preparation before even stepping foot in a garden center or nursery can make things much easier.

“Have a plan. Have a plan when you go, because you want to buy a plant that won’t overgrow your location. If you get a plant that overgrows your location, that’s going to increase your maintenance time, your maintenance costs,” says Craig McManus, McPlants Podcast. “If you’ve got a space, get a plant that will fit that space. Blooms, we all get excited about blooms, but don’t let color be the only thing you pick from. You know, looking at textures, looking at form, shape, does it fit inside of the spot that you want to grow it in?”

Once you have those flowers and plants in the ground, the biggest piece of advice is that gardening is anything but an exact science.

“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake because you’re not gardening unless you make a mistake. We all make mistakes. If you’ve been gardening for a long time, you’ve made a lot of mistakes. But, with that, you have had a lot of success because you’ve learned from your mistakes,” says McManus.

While this industry saw unprecedented growth during the pandemic in 2020, that interest has yet to wane as people are seeing multiple benefits of getting out into the garden.

“If you garden, you don’t need to have a health club membership because you’re outside. You’re burning a lot of calories. It’s healthy to be out in the sun, get that vitamin D level up. Your community, you’re connecting with nature, you’re connecting with a creation. And that’s so important that we as humans are connecting with the nature, with the native environments out there,” says McManus.

By: Damon Jones

2023 Blueberry Yield, Demand Good Despite Challenges for Growers

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Alma, GA

Here in Alma, Albert Wildes and his crew are hard at work harvesting this season’s crop of fresh blueberries – a time of year Wildes is no doubt excited to see, especially after having a couple of scares with mother nature, starting with the arctic blast late last year and some late freezes earlier this Spring.

“Fortunately, the blueberries were dormant enough it did a minimal amount of damage. After that time, we had some frost events, but not really extremely cold events,” says Albert Wildes Owner of Wildes Farm. “The southern high bush that was in bloom during that time on my farm, and most farms, had overhead protection to protect the bloom. The Rabbiteyes had not bloomed out, and we didn’t get a frost on the Rabbiteyes this year.”

Wildes says because of that, his yields on this season’s crop have been great so far and he even says the weather has been nothing short of ideal for harvesting as well.

“The yields thus far have been good. We have run into, in these Rabbiteye, we’ve run into some packing issues, but fortunately they’re doing okay. We haven’t had any big rain events. That’s what will really hurt you sometimes at this stage of the game, is you get a low down in the Gulf and you get about four days of rain then the berries will split. We haven’t had that, so the softs that we’ve had, we’ve been able to kind of work through them and everything’s been pretty good,” says Wildes.

One thing Wildes believes isn’t good however are berries being imported from other countries like Mexico and Peru that are undermining growers here in Georgia and across the U.S.

“To me, that’s one of the biggest challenges that we’re facing now is the imports. Unfortunately, those imports are being brought in by American companies, but we are facing that problem with Mexico and Peru as they’ve changed their varieties, they’ve moved to different elevations, and they can basically put them here anytime they want to,” says Wildes.

However, according to Wildes, demand has been strong this season, as he says Florida growers are still reeling after hurricane Ian last Fall and other areas are either behind or didn’t have their typical yields.

“Demand for blueberries has been strong. The market has been stronger than we expected. Part of it is from demand. Part of it, unfortunately for our fellow growers in Florida, they were hurt by the hurricane last fall and their yields were off, and I guess we took advantage of their misfortune, and I say I’m sorry for them. Also what we have heard is that perhaps California was a little bit late. Mexico didn’t come in quite at the time they were expected to, and perhaps not quite the volume that was expected,” says Wildes.

By: John Holcomb

New Honeybee Vaccine Now on Market

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Lyons, Ga

Over the past decade, there has been plenty of buzz surrounding the continual decline in honeybee numbers. While there are plenty of factors that contribute to the problem, there is one that might now have a solution, as the world’s first honeybee vaccine is now on the market.

“This vaccine is for American Foulbrood and American Foulbrood at this time doesn’t really have good management options,” says Amy Floyd, Regional Manager of Dalan Animal Health. “The only option for beekeepers is to burn their hives. So, although this isn’t a treatment for American Foulbrood, it is a preventative to help beekeepers hopefully have to deal with it less. So, the new vaccine is basically just dead bacteria mixed in an equius solution that is fed to the queen to vaccinate the entire hive.”

The vaccine is mixed into the food eaten by the worker bees, who then secrete their royal jelly, which is then ingested by the queen, immunizing the entire colony. It’s a quick, preventative measure that every beekeeper should look into even if their colonies aren’t yet showing signs.

“American Foulbrood tends to kind of come in waves,” says Floyd. “It’ll peak. It will get really bad in certain regions, certain areas, and then it will kind of dissipate and pop up here and there. It’s not the top thing that beekeepers worry about right now, but when you see it, you are really disappointed you are seeing it. So, it is nice that there will be another option for them for treating.”

This will also give beekeepers a little piece of mind heading into the always dangerous cold season, as it’s one less problem they will have to deal with.

“Beekeepers definitely see a lot of loss, hive loss over the winter every year still, specifically from varroa mites. So, anything that can help reduce the stress on hives and in any way can really help those hives be stronger going into winter so that they come out the other side,” says Floyd.

That’s not just good news for the bee industry, but agriculture as a whole, as these insects are responsible for pollinating fifteen billion dollars worth of food crops each and every year.

“Bees pollinate our food. A lot of crops and growers would not get the yield that they need in order for their business to be profitable, but also for the public to have enough food, because our population has grown so much. So, bees provide those pollination services that allow there to be enough food for everyone,” says Floyd.

With so many issues to deal within the industry, this is just the beginning for Dalan, as they are already hard at work developing more vaccines for more diseases.

“Dalan’s goal is to be able to create multiple vaccines for the beekeeping industry and other invertebrate species. This technology works similarly with invertebrate, through the invertebrate immune systems. So, there will be more products coming out soonish. They’re in the pipeline,” says Floyd.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Forester of the Year, Gabe Outlaw Dedicated to Industry

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Cochran, GA

For Gabe Outlaw, a forester in middle Georgia, there’s no such thing as an ordinary day, as everyday is different. Some days, he’s out burning off someone’s land, and others, like today, he’s working on this landowner’s management plan to get this property back to productivity. Whatever the day is though, you can count on him to take the role he plays in it very seriously.

“It’s a forty-billion-dollar industry in the state. Personally, I think my job at the local level is very important at the local level and hopefully even to a wider extent, regional, or hopefully a state level, but we interact with primarily landowners, but we work with them through tree planting. We give advice on tree planting, on harvesting, so, we have interactions with all sorts of contractors, loggers, tree planters, consulting foresters, county extension agents, and local federal partners. I really think we do make a tremendous difference. We certainly strive to help landowners do any and everything we possibly can to help them meet their goals,” says Outlaw, a forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission.

According to Outlaw, the work he does can be challenging at times, but says it’s extremely rewarding when he gets to see all of the work he does come to fruition.

“Probably, the most rewarding is to meet a landowner, have communications with them, give them advice, and then you know, we may write a stewardship plan for them, a ten-year plan. We may help them sign up for cost share programs, or do a prescribed burn for them, or get the county units involved to do fire breaks,” says Outlaw. “So, having that first contact with them, giving them advice, and following them throughout it, and just seeing the change of their property for the better, and even building a relationship with them that lasts for years, but just seeing your advice put into action by the landowners, you know, it’s a very rewarding feeling, knowing that they listen to you and that they take you seriously, and that your advice is being taken and ran with, and just seeing their property change, and hopefully educating them on things that they may not know, and helping them find the resources they need, and just watching their property continue to grow and be a manageable property they enjoy.”

As you can tell, Outlaw certainly has a dedicated passion for what he does. So much so that it’s helped him earn the title of Georgia Forester of the Year – an honor he says means the world to him that his hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I’m very appreciative that the hard work we do, and I do, is noticed and appreciated. Last year and even this year, it’s been very, very busy. Just to see that work recognized, I was totally, totally surprised by that, but I’m just humbled. I’m appreciative. I enjoy my job, I enjoy the people I work with, and certainly, to me, it’s about helping the landowners and always finding a solution. So, just to see that add up and culminate at the end of year and result in the award of Forester of the Year, that’s certainly something I’m very proud of,” says Outlaw.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Sweet Corn Harvest in Full Swing

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Bainbridge, GA

Nothing says Summer like fresh, sweet corn and producers here in Southwest Georgia are hard at work getting this season’s crop out of the field and to market. One operation that’s doing just that is Rentz Family Farms, and according to Manager, Kevin Rentz, other than a couple of hiccups, it’s been a decent season for growing sweet corn.

“It started off really warm when we started planting, then we had a cold snap which just kind of gave us some issues with some of these earlier fields we planted, but it’s starting to shape up now,” says Kevin Rentz, Manager of Rentz Family Farms. “We’re getting into some better corn. It’s been fairly mild all the way through though. Not really any terrible temperatures to hurt the crop.”

Rentz says that so far, this year’s harvest is going well, and the crop has turned out to be a good one.

“Harvest has been good so far. Like I said, we had a little bit of issue with our first few plantings from that little cold snap, but the corn quality is really picking up now. Harvest is going good. We’re fixing to be past the Memorial Day push, so, we’ll slow down for about a week and then we’ll start ramping back up for Father’s Day and fourth of July,” says Retz. “We try to make our first planting come off before Memorial Day. We try to get as much in the pipeline because that’s a big push. You know, barbecues and people going to the beach. So, we try to get a 100-150 acres out for Memorial Day, and then we kind of slow down a little bit. Then Father’s Day is a big holiday for cooking, then of course, fourth of July is a big one. So, we try to plant our acres to match the times when the demand is the most.”

According to Rentz, however, sweet corn isn’t the easiest crop to grow, as he says it’s fast paced and requires a lot of attention.

“It’s a pretty fast-paced crop. You know, once the seed’s in the ground, you’ve got to stay on top of it, getting your fertilizer out, especially, once it tassels. We’re pretty much trying to scout this stuff pretty regular; make sure no worms are in it. We have to come out and make some pesticide applications, but it’s very fast-paced. It’s a short season crop. You know, normally, seventy-five, eighty days, we’ve got this crop in and out, which is a good thing about it. I enjoy growing sweet corn because it’s so fast paced, and we can get another crop in behind it once we get this out,” says Rentz.

As you can see, it’s also a labor-intensive crop as well, as Rentz says it’s best to harvest sweet corn by hand.

“It’s gentler when everything is hand harvested, I mean they see every ear, they feel every ear. We try to throw out the bad stuff as it’s going, where if it was machine harvested, it would just take everything. There’s human error involved in that too, but it’s just a smooth operation. It’s kind of like a well-oiled machine the way they do this being hand harvested,” says Rentz.

By: John Holcomb

Business Is Blooming For This Graduate

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Adel, GA

If you’re looking for a little flower power around the city of Adel, you need look no further than Bailey’s Buds and Blooms, where a recent college graduate has turned her passion into a thriving business.

“I started working at one of the largest ones in Georgia in North Georgia called Whimsey Flower and I just really found my passion,” says Bailey Rayfield, Owner of Bailey’s Buds & Blooms. “I moved back down south, and I decided to invest in my business, so, I started building my greenhouse, built my flower barn and then I started cultivating my land here behind me. Ever since then, this is my third growing season and it’s just where my passion is.”

In those three years, Bailey has learned a number of valuable lessons such as time management, planting techniques and of course, dealing with the unexpected.

“No season is ever the same. This season has been by far the weirdest because we’ve actually had a spring here in South Georgia, which is usually unheard of,” says Rayfield. “So, you know, my flowers are a little bit later than usual. I planted some earlier in the greenhouse this season and the cold got them. That’s just kind of the things you have to adapt and change.”

Owning and operating a flower farm is anything but easy, as months of preparation and hard work in the fields go into creating each and every one of these bouquets.

“I start everything in the greenhouse from seed about the beginning of March. I try not to plant too early, kind of depend on that Easter rule that a lot of farmers go by. After they become seedling plugs, I transplant out into the field. I typically transplant into mushroom compost and then before I go into planting, I cultivate my land, till it, take soil tests, and add in fertilizer and Lyme when needed,” says Rayfield.

A couple months later, the flowers are ready to come out of the field. But to make sure you get the most out of all that time and effort, the proper timing and technique is essential.

“When you’re cutting a flower, you have to make sure you’re not cutting blooms. You have to make sure that you’re cutting at appropriate length, all those types of things. You wouldn’t want to cut them too late, and you don’t want to cut them too early. With sunflowers, you have to make sure that if you’re going to want it for several days then you’re going to have to cut it when it’s still closed up and then let it open out. A zinnia, the same thing. My bouquets typically last ten to fourteen days on a counter,” says Rayfield.

Those in the area will get a chance to check out this operation firsthand on June 17th, as it will host the area’s first ever Pick N’ Shop event, which will honor the Georgia Farm Bureau’s Birthday.

“You come to the farm, fifteen dollars to get in. That includes your U-Pick flowers for the day, and you’ll get a personalized Bailey’s Buds and Blooms cup as well to put your flowers in. You’ll get a decorative cookie and a water bottle, but, if you become a Georgia Farm Bureau member that day, you get in free and you still get U-Pick and all those types of things as well. So, we’re really looking forward to hosting this event at the farm. We hope to bring out the local communities, people throughout the state in to come see the farm, enjoy the outside. It’s a family friendly event,” says Rayfield.

By: Damon Jones