A conversation with Rachel, the owner and head farmer of River and Sea Flowers.

Rachel is a third generation farmer who has a BFA in visual arts. She started River and Sea in 2016. The farm is certified organic, and they produce dozens of types of cut flowers, foliages, and other ornamental botanicals between April and November on about two acres of land, employing 5-7 people seasonally. Our team at Bloomiér admires Rachel, and we are so excited to share a piece of her story here.

A conversation with Rachel, the owner and head farmer of River and Sea Flowers.

Rachel is a third generation farmer who has a BFA in visual arts. She started River and Sea in 2016. The farm is certified organic, and they produce dozens of types of cut flowers, foliages, and other ornamental botanicals between April and November on about two acres of land, employing 5-7 people seasonally. Our team at Bloomiér admires Rachel, and we are so excited to share a piece of her story here.

A STORY TO SHARE,

Who are you? We would love to know more about who you are outside of work. 

I am a mother and a wife. I love being outside, exploring landscapes, and am drawn to plants whether they’re in a garden, on a farm, in the wild, or in a crack in the sidewalk. I have recently rediscovered my love of rock climbing after almost 15 years away from it and am itching to find the time in the chaos of farming to get back at it. My vocation is all consuming and requires a lot of sacrifices, but it feels like just the right place for me to be. The rewards are immense. Many years ago I thought I would pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture, but life happened. To my surprise I did end up working with plants within a visual design field, though not in any way I ever could have dreamed at the time.

Do you enjoy giving or receiving flowers more? 

Definitely giving! I love seeing people connect with the natural world through flowers.

What sparked your personal interest in sustainability? 

During my undergraduate degree I took some Environmental Studies classes that helped open my eyes to the effects humans have on the natural world. It helped me to recognize that the beauty of the natural world can’t be taken for granted, and I became passionate about protecting the land, water and air. Becoming a mother also pushed me to lead a more sustainable life by making choices that would help me raise environmentally conscientious kids.

What opened your eyes to the waste issues in your industry? 

When I began growing cut flowers, I knew that I preferred locally grown, more wild, and unique types of flowers than the usual floristry standards that were bred for a long vase life and the ability to withstand international shipping. After delving into the world of organic and sustainable cut flower production I came to learn about the extensive use of so many unsustainable practices in the mainstream floral industry. I was committed to making a dent, no matter how tiny, by displacing some of the flowers produced within the conventional commercial stream with my organic flowers.

What are the (sustainability) problems in the flower farm/cut flower industry? 

There are many problems within the cut flower industry. They range from the heavy use of chemicals banned in North America on cut flower farms in the Global South, with poor labour and environmental practices, to the huge carbon footprint of imported flowers that are flown across the world and maintained within a cold chain. There is also the use of toxic floral foam, excessive plastic packaging, and the chemical processes used in bleaching and dyeing dried florals.

The floriculture industry as a whole relies heavily on plastics, from weed suppression to propagation to irrigation to packaging. There are also a lot of flowers produced in greenhouses out of season that require huge amounts of fossil fuels.

What are the solutions that exist, and what solutions are you still looking for? 

The most simple way around these problems is to buy local flowers and to buy flowers that are in season. Know your flower producer and know how they are grown. Look for locally produced flowers and ask for them when the origins of the flowers before you are unclear. There are many alternatives to floral foam such as chicken wire, wool based products, and the creative use of water containers. I would love to use less plastic in our propagation system, and while we do reuse a lot, there is always more waste than I would like.

How do you find hope to persevere toward net-zero goals in your workplace?

Knowing that we are in a unique position to actively sequester carbon is great motivation. We’ve been working towards using more low and no till techniques at the farm, which helps to sequester carbon in the soil. Planting perennial crops and hedgerows is also really rewarding. We get to watch wildlife using it for habitat and forage, as well as watching the growth of these plants take off. Adding this carbon to our soil also improves soil biodiversity and the conservation of soil moisture, which in turn helps us to have more resilient plants. We’re excited to work more on carbon sequestration in the future.

We recognize that the work you are a part of is all around us and impacts our day to day lives. What message can you give to us as consumers in your industry?

Look for the sustainable options. Ask questions and vote with your dollars. Buy flowers from farmer’s markets and from florists who focus on local flowers, and enjoy the past summer’s beauty in the form of dried florals through the winter when local flowers are out of season.

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your story with us.

River and Sea is located on Westham Island, at the mouth of the Fraser River, on the unceded territory of the Tsawwassen, Musqueum and other Hun’qumyi’num’ speaking peoples.

More work from Rachel can be found here: www.riverandseaflowers.com

A STORY TO SHARE,

Who are you? We would love to know more about who you are outside of work. 

I am a mother and a wife. I love being outside, exploring landscapes, and am drawn to plants whether they’re in a garden, on a farm, in the wild, or in a crack in the sidewalk. I have recently rediscovered my love of rock climbing after almost 15 years away from it and am itching to find the time in the chaos of farming to get back at it. My vocation is all consuming and requires a lot of sacrifices, but it feels like just the right place for me to be. The rewards are immense. Many years ago I thought I would pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture, but life happened. To my surprise I did end up working with plants within a visual design field, though not in any way I ever could have dreamed at the time.

Do you enjoy giving or receiving flowers more? 

Definitely giving! I love seeing people connect with the natural world through flowers.

What sparked your personal interest in sustainability? 

During my undergraduate degree I took some Environmental Studies classes that helped open my eyes to the effects humans have on the natural world. It helped me to recognize that the beauty of the natural world can’t be taken for granted, and I became passionate about protecting the land, water and air. Becoming a mother also pushed me to lead a more sustainable life by making choices that would help me raise environmentally conscientious kids.

What opened your eyes to the waste issues in your industry? 

When I began growing cut flowers, I knew that I preferred locally grown, more wild, and unique types of flowers than the usual floristry standards that were bred for a long vase life and the ability to withstand international shipping. After delving into the world of organic and sustainable cut flower production I came to learn about the extensive use of so many unsustainable practices in the mainstream floral industry. I was committed to making a dent, no matter how tiny, by displacing some of the flowers produced within the conventional commercial stream with my organic flowers.

What are the (sustainability) problems in the flower farm/cut flower industry? 

There are many problems within the cut flower industry. They range from the heavy use of chemicals banned in North America on cut flower farms in the Global South, with poor labour and environmental practices, to the huge carbon footprint of imported flowers that are flown across the world and maintained within a cold chain. There is also the use of toxic floral foam, excessive plastic packaging, and the chemical processes used in bleaching and dyeing dried florals.

The floriculture industry as a whole relies heavily on plastics, from weed suppression to propagation to irrigation to packaging. There are also a lot of flowers produced in greenhouses out of season that require huge amounts of fossil fuels.

What are the solutions that exist, and what solutions are you still looking for? 

The most simple way around these problems is to buy local flowers and to buy flowers that are in season. Know your flower producer and know how they are grown. Look for locally produced flowers and ask for them when the origins of the flowers before you are unclear. There are many alternatives to floral foam such as chicken wire, wool based products, and the creative use of water containers. I would love to use less plastic in our propagation system, and while we do reuse a lot, there is always more waste than I would like.

How do you find hope to persevere toward net-zero goals in your workplace?

Knowing that we are in a unique position to actively sequester carbon is great motivation. We’ve been working towards using more low and no till techniques at the farm, which helps to sequester carbon in the soil. Planting perennial crops and hedgerows is also really rewarding. We get to watch wildlife using it for habitat and forage, as well as watching the growth of these plants take off. Adding this carbon to our soil also improves soil biodiversity and the conservation of soil moisture, which in turn helps us to have more resilient plants. We’re excited to work more on carbon sequestration in the future.

We recognize that the work you are a part of is all around us and impacts our day to day lives. What message can you give to us as consumers in your industry?

Look for the sustainable options. Ask questions and vote with your dollars. Buy flowers from farmer’s markets and from florists who focus on local flowers, and enjoy the past summer’s beauty in the form of dried florals through the winter when local flowers are out of season.

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your story with us.

River and Sea is located on Westham Island, at the mouth of the Fraser River, on the unceded territory of the Tsawwassen, Musqueum and other Hun’qumyi’num’ speaking peoples.

More work from Rachel can be found here: www.riverandseaflowers.com