I work at a Ford dealership selling parts as my 9 to 5 job. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I faced a six-month layoff and took the opportunity to create a 2,000-square-foot compost garden at my home. My goal was to produce "free, organic, quality food." In my first year, I ended up with 300 heads of lettuce, which meant we had extra to sell to friends and family. Unfortunately, while they loved the produce, I was disappointed to hear, “Oh, I just went to Costco; maybe next week,” when I asked for repeat business.

To enhance pollination and pest control, we planted flowers, which also added diversity to the garden. My wife made one post on Facebook about flower bouquets, and we were overwhelmed with orders, taking three weeks to fill them all. This success led us to pivot; my wife quit her job as a substitute teacher, and we bought a farm that came with three tenants.

Currently, we're nearly breaking even with a five-year goal to replace my wife's income as we continue to grow. Last year, we planted 1,000 tulips and sold out, so this year we quadrupled our efforts.

Farming brings me more fulfillment now than it did in my teens. My hope is to eventually transition to living on the farm and running a bed-and-breakfast at the flower farm.