Check Out Brooke Freeman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Freeman. 

Hi Brooke, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started dreaming of building a cut flower business when I was working as a full-time mental health and substance abuse professional at Waynesboro Family Clinic P.A.  In 2018, my husband, my best friend, and I were in a catastrophic boating accident. After that, I wanted to spend a little less time in the office and more time with my family; taking better care of myself.  I needed to spend time in nature. 

Spending time with God in praise was my new focus… we had experienced a MIRACLE! You may have seen us on national news; we were about ten miles out in the Atlantic Ocean when our boat capsized. For the full story, read my book, Freeman: Through the Water, available on Amazon. 

My family’s lives were different after this. I started bouncing into my grandmother’s homes with flowers every week and their faces would light up! My parents had farmland and agreed to let me use a small piece of it, that’s all I needed at the time. I found an old tobacco greenhouse down the road that was no longer in use; my family helped me disassemble, relocate and reassemble onto our property. I gained access to an old Massey Ferguson tractor that had been my paternal grandfather’s; Dad let me use it as if it was mine! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every day spent farming, there are challenges. I think a big part of farming and also running a business is just figuring out a way to make things work as well as possible in the most efficient way and not run your help off by getting aggravated in the process! Also, learning to take criticism well has been a learning process. As the owner, I care so deeply that everything is done how I would do it, but I can’t always put my hand on every single thing. I am so appreciative of all the support I have from family and part-time employees. I wouldn’t be where I am today without everyone who helps behind the scenes. I vividly remember my first season alone, it was terrible. 

I live by lists and spreadsheets and my mom help me keep my calendar. My husband helps me send invoices monthly. My business is successful because I know I can’t do it all. The biggest challenge has to be feeling torn and stretched between my business growing so quickly and time with my family, the reason I started farming in the beginning. So much to do and so little time to do it! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We sell “market bouquets” in Goldsboro; available daily at EZ Bait and Tackle, Bicycle World, Funky Fresh Donuts, and in Snow Hill at The Farmer and the Dail! Also, we deliver to the Noun on Thursday and have a limited number of “market bouquets” there until sold out. We are grateful to have been supported by so many wonderful local businesses from the start. 

We have a CSA route for almost 40 weeks out of the year! “CSA” stands for community-supported agriculture! Our CSA route was born when the pandemic hit.  A bucket with fresh cut flowers is delivered to area homes and businesses every week filled with “the best of what is in bloom”! My CSA has become the backbone of my business. My farm could not exist and continue to grow without the families that are on my CSA.  They support my dream and my family seasonally! 

We also deliver flowers for an occasion, or our favorite, “just because,” Monday through Friday! We do ask that orders be placed at least a day before delivery due to the nature of our business. We like to deliver flowers by lunch and in order to make this happen, we like to cut the flowers the evening before. 

We do weddings! We offer a DIY package; big buckets filled with “the best we have in bloom”! We offer a “Pre-made you pick up” wedding package, it’s exactly as it sounds. We make all the things for you, but never actually go to the ceremony site. Lastly, we offer a “Full Service” option, it’s the most expensive package but also the least amount of work for the bride and the family and we strongly recommend it! 

Recently we have started with funeral arrangements, it’s not something we planned to take on but, it just happened naturally. My “Me-ma” passed away and we did her flowers. Word of mouth travels fast in a small town. So now we do funerals. 

We offer on-the-farm events; you can find more information on how to sign up on our website. 

What makes you happy?
The people that support me, the excitement they feel when they talk about my farm and my family’s story! It’s really not even about the flowers. It’s about something much bigger. Reaching people.  Loving people. The flowers are just how we’re doing it. The flowers get people’s attention, we’re just growing them! 

Contact Info:

• Email: brookesfreshcutflowerfarm@gmail.com
• Website: brookesfreshcutflowerfarm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookesfreshcutflowerfarm/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BrookesFreshCutFlowerFarm/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brookenealfreeman
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCd3T2UrgLk8EHA5DGeqMYsw

Image Credits
Simply Say Photography
Through The Linz Photo
Paige E Feete Photo + Film