Margaret Hoff's backyard native flower farm attracts pollinators through sustainable farming practices and passive land management.
Hoff leaves most of her 20 acres of field and forest untouched, with less than half an acre that serves as her flower farm. Hoff describes her farming techniques as similar to "organic," though she is not certified to use an organic label. For Hoff, this means no pesticides, a focus on regenerating the soil, and leaving some flowers to grow just for pollinators.
Hoff opened The Flowering Farm in 2017 with her former farming partner, Betti Calhoun, with the goal of improving the land and attracting pollinators. Calhoun returned to her teaching career in 2020, leaving Hoff to manage the farm with help from her daughter, Acadia, and husband, Shannon Cook.
The farm operates as Community Supported Agriculture, where customers pay an established price and "subscribe" to receive flowers weekly or biweekly during the summer season, according to The Flowering Farm's website.
Read more at Athens County Independent