Flowers: Calling Attention to the Present Moment.
“I solemnly swear to only ask you one time per year to join City Park Farmers Market moving forward”... a message I sent to Artemis Flower Farm before last season. When I picture a farmers market, a bouquet hanging out of a straw bag accompanying fresh produce is usually what comes to mind. When I saw photos of Artemis’ Flower Farm a few seasons ago, I knew that the City Park community would fall in love with them as quickly as I had, and they simply needed to be a part of the vendor team. As you can tell from the quote above, it took some persistence, but this season Nelson and Helen of Artemis Flower Farm were finally able to join the market team as a rotating vendor and we couldn’t be more honored!
Artemis Flower Farm is located on a picturesque and highly productive plot of land surrounded by grazing fields that overlook the flatirons. Artemis is a founding partner in a like-minded group of farmers called the Tree House Collective that all lease a big plot of land together and share some of the more costly resources (rent, water, infrastructure, etc). Artemis is the only farm on the land dedicated to flowers, and it became abundantly clear the communal ecosystem is thriving and dynamic as soon as we started getting friendly introductions to the other collective members. Artemis co-owners, Helen Skiba and Nelson Esseveld, consider themselves an ecology-focused farm in which they put an enormous amount of energy and effort toward honoring the diversity of living creatures on the land.
As a flower lover myself, I was expecting to be caught up in the beauty of the whimsical blooms lining their farm (and let’s be perfectly clear - I was) but to my surprise… I was equally captivated by how thoughtful and technical their land stewardship is. Artemis Flower Farm is committed to organic techniques as well as biodiversity and soil health (all our farmers love their soil). While they do this in literally countless ways, here are some brief examples of what we saw as we walked the farm: cover crops were being used prolifically to put nutrients back into the land and rest sections of soil, tilling minimally, pigs were grazing in overgrown areas, aphids stake their claim on certain plants (and that’s ok), chickens nestle together on the side of the farm putting nitrogen back into the soil, butterfly weed is growing simply for the species to enjoy, non-utilitarian plants being planted and tended to simply for biodiversity, and they continue to seek out ways to bring health to the all the living elements all their land (people included!).
There was one moment where Nelson was peeling back a tarp to show us the past seasons' cover crop soil, when Helen noticed a jumping spider and without realizing vowed aloud to protect its web while they were peeling back the tarp. What many would consider pests or creatures in the way, Artemis Flower Farm welcomes as part of the natural ecosystem that is essential to the health and well being of the land. Flowers in themselves are captivating, but watching individuals care about the land with such passion, sensitivity, and consideration is truly awe-inspiring. It makes those stunning bouquets feel even more valuable!
About The Farmers:
One of the best parts of farm tours is getting to know the farmers' story and learning their ‘why.’ Helen has spent most of her adult life dedicated to the art and practice of growing flowers. She spent her undergraduate years studying English and her post grad years earning a masters degree in Agriculture from CSU. Sandwiched between her undergraduate and her post grad studies, Helen volunteered in the Peace Corps where she spent her time in Ecuador working on a multitude of things from crop management to teaching English. She first broke ground working on a flower farm as an intern at the Lyons Farmette. After working multiple years on that farm, gaining insight on floral farming as well as establishing her own floral design style (and meeting her now life/business partner) she decided to venture off to start her very own flower farm now known as Artemis Flower Farm in 2020.
Nelson was born and raised to appreciate the beauty of flowers since birth! He is originally from a small town in the Netherlands where he and his family import tulips (and have for over 70 years)! I’d consider Nelson a part-time Colorado native as he would spend six months out of the year in the Netherlands and six months out of the year in Colorado growing up through high school. Nelson is one of those people that seem to be naturally good at everything - he is a graphic designer by trade but has a multitude of other talents such as photography, cooking, and herbalism. Once the two connected at the Lyons Farmette where Nelson was working mostly with herbs and Helen mostly with flowers, they ventured off together to start something of their own. Nelson recently put aside his full time design work to join Helen on the flower farm full time!
Do Flowers Still Bring You Joy?
As with most things we do day in and day out, things can start to feel mundane, yet this couple feels anything but dull to the allure of flowers! As we neared the end of the tour, I wanted to know if flowers still brought them excitement or if the reality of working with them all day created some uneventful emotions… and their answers brought me a well of admiration for individuals who have truly found their calling.
Nelson answered the question first and his thoughts were concise yet confident… “Every day when I see a flower, I marvel at it... it's my route here.” What a beauty and rarity in our world to know and find rest in our paths in this world. While Helen’s was a bit more complex, “As a farmer I am a little less susceptible to the aesthetic beauty. I’m interested in efficiency, plant health and what can I do better, but in the end I am reminded that the whole point of flowers is to bring you to the present moment’. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that these ying and yang answers are the perfect pairing to why this young farm is already flourishing!
Why Do You Attend Markets?
With numerous paths to selling florals, why would one want to sell at farmers markets? It's no simple task to bundle tons of bouquets weekly, take them to the market bright and early, and stand in the hot sun all day selling them. The couple unanimously shared it’s their enjoyment of conversing with the community, getting to view other people's love of flowers first hand, and the simple act of getting off the farm is what continues to be worth the journey of market farming for them.
If you have ever seen Artemis’s bouquets, you may notice that they are not your typical bundles. They are full, overflowing, whimsical, and yet designed with intention. Their blooms are strikingly beautiful and since the majority of their flowers are native, they also feel oddly familiar to all of us Coloradans. With Helen’s love of snapdragons and Nelson's love for dalias, we do see quite a few of these sprinkled throughout their bouquets as well! Artemis Flower Farm is a rotating vendor this season so make sure to check the newsletters to find out when they will be at the market!