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

What is Flowers for People?

Now celebrating our fifth year, Flowers for People is a multigenerational family farm project in Arcata, 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? What about the essential workers, community leaders, and visionary artists we admire and depend on? What about that person over there? They deserve flowers too.

Acts of kindness don’t have to be random. With just a little planning, intention, and neighborly solidarity, we can weave them into the fabric of our society—here and everywhere. Since we began distributing flowers in 2022, we have grown, arranged, and delivered 3,225 bouquets to individual homes, assisted living facilities, senior centers, schools, and other local organizations nourishing people’s physical and emotional health on the North Coast. This year, we look forward to touching even more lives with these simple, yet profound, gestures of love and care.

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, in fall 2021 we began to gradually transform Amelia’s large front lawn on Central Avenue in McKinleyville into a diverse and abundant flower garden. When Amelia and her family moved in the fall of 2025, we relocated our operation back home to Arcata, on the very same family land where we grew up.

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, end any war, 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.”

The scale of violence, trauma, exploitation, and injustice in our world can be overwhelming. In light of our intersecting and ongoing struggles, what does it mean to care for ourselves, one another, and the precious Earth 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.

Want to Get Involved?

Donate via GoFundMe: Your financial support will help subsidize the cost of seeds, soil amendments, water, farm supplies and equipment, and gas for flower bouquet deliveries. Thank you! Please share this link and help us spread the word!

Volunteer: Flowers for People is an entirely volunteer-powered project. We invite you to help us grow, arrange, and deliver flowers in our community. All people and commitment levels are welcome. Please reach out if you are interested!

Nominate a flower recipient: Do you know someone in Northern Humboldt whose life would be touched by a spontaneous flower bouquet delivery this summer or fall? Click here to nominate a flower recipient.

Become a community partner: Please reach out if your organization would like to help us share the gift of flowers in our community. Recent partners include Hospice of Humboldt, the Humboldt Senior Resource Center, Food for People, Timber Ridge, the Wiyot Tribe, United Indian Health Services, Black Humboldt, Queer Humboldt, Old Town Community Alliance, Arcata House Partnership, the Sanctuary, and a variety of local school garden programs.

Support the Wiyot Honor Tax: We live, work, and play on unceded Wiyot territory. In solidarity with our Wiyot friends and neighbors who continue to live here and maintain their sovereignty 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 at honortax.org.)

Contact Flowers for People via Instagram @flowersforpeoplehumboldt or simply click the “Contact” link below.

Thank you so much for your support.

With love,

Farmer Jesse