Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;

Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.

- James Oppenheim, “Bread and Roses,” 1911

Flowers for People is a multigenerational family farm project in McKinleyville, CA which puts organic, fresh-cut flowers in the hands of people in need.

In the face of scarcity and isolation, division and fear, Flowers for People is a vote for generosity and abundance, interconnection and hope. It’s about caring for the land and caring for one another—especially those members of our society who are too often undervalued, forgotten, and invisible.

Who in your life is hurting, grieving, or struggling in some way? Imagine how this person would feel if someone knocked on their door tomorrow to deliver a spontaneous bouquet of fragrant sweet peas. How would you feel?

This summer and fall, our goal is to deliver at least 200 flower bouquets to individual homes, assisted living facilities, senior centers, and other local organizations nourishing people’s physical and emotional health on the North Coast of California. Your financial support will help subsidize the cost of seeds, soil amendments, water, farm equipment, and gas for flower bouquet deliveries. (If we exceed our fundraising goal, we will be able to distribute even more of the flowers we grow.)

A brother-and-sister duo, Jesse and Amelia have been gardening together since they were kids growing up in an old farmhouse on the Arcata Bottom. With support from our family, friends, and community volunteers, we have been working since Fall 2021 to transform Amelia’s large lawn on Central Avenue in McKinleyville into a diverse and abundant flower garden. After a season of cover cropping, the soil is fed, 1,000 flower seedlings are transplanted, and the drip irrigation lines are in place. (Hoeing is ongoing.)

In the meantime, while our plants mature, we invite you to nominate local flower recipients and partner organizations in Northern Humboldt County. Who in our community do you think would benefit most from these flowers? Please click on the "Contact" button below to nominate flower recipients and get involved.

We acknowledge that we live, work, and play on unceded Wiyot territory. In solidarity with our Wiyot friends and neighbors who continue to live here in the Humboldt Bay region—known as Wigi—we will contribute 5 percent of proceeds to the Wiyot Tribe Honor Tax. (If you would like to make an additional contribution, you can learn more here.)

Flowers for People is rooted in the belief that flowers change lives. As a school garden teacher, community farmer, and caregiver, I have seen this happen with people of all ages and backgrounds. Of course, one humble sunflower or dahlia may not cure any illness, subvert the imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy, or reverse the climate crisis. But that same flower is likely to inspire at least one smile. If the moment is right, it may even lift a spirit or two, building another’s capacity to do the same for others. “To truly be free,” writes bell hooks, “we must choose beyond simply surviving adversity; we must dare to create lives of sustained optimal wellbeing and joy.”

As we reclaim and redefine the tools for thriving in the turbulent waters of the COVID era, what does it mean to care for ourselves, one another, and the land which sustains us? Let’s slow down and take a deep breath, smell the flowers, refocus our attention, and reimagine the world we want to inhabit.

Thank you so much for your support.

With love,

Farmer Jesse