In light of the challenges in May of 2020, Staci Armock decided to shed some light in her local community. She opted to start a roadside flower stand and each morning she was up early to make sure the flowers were put out in the stand by 5:30 a.m. By 6:00 a.m. every bouquet was gone!
Armock was serving her community just as everyone was getting up and going to work. She said, “It was exactly what I needed to motivate me to keep going. Although while living in the city there was not any room to expand, I knew I wanted to grow.” In the fall of 2021, she had gotten the opportunity her family had been waiting for.
Armock is a sixth-generation farmer, currently raising the seventh generation, so agriculture is a stable foundation of her life. “It’s a part of who we are,” she verbalizes when speaking of the importance of agriculture. When she and her husband, Russell, had gotten the opportunity to purchase the family farm, they were ecstatic! The farm mainly raises corn, soybeans, and wheat, but on a quarter acre of the homestead sits the garden which is the perfect size for her newly expanded flower business. This is where her creativity blossoms.
Staci and some of her flower beds!
She grows many of her flowers from seeds or purchases plugs from a wholesaler. Since buying the farm in 2021, the garden has continued to expand. Armock is now able to offer a subscription service within a five-mile radius from her farm. She sells to local florists and provides flowers for many different events like weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, holiday parties, and everyday gatherings.
With GreenStone's CultivateGrowth grant, Armock was able to attend the design class offered by Sweetwater Floral. Armock discovered Sweetwater on social media a few years ago and had looked at classes previously. Once she saw the design class open up, she had to make it work, even with planting season being right around the corner! With the help of the grant, she decided to pursue the weekend long course in April, even if it meant a weekend away from the farm.
One of the designs Staci was able to create during the workshop!
Being a self-taught florist, Armock, took the opportunity to further develop her skills and learn from mentors. She was able to learn about wholesalers and what it would look like to purchase from them, sell to them, or partner with them. The class also allowed her to develop her design skills with many different floral arrangement styles like boutonnieres, centerpieces, and bridal bouquets.
She vocalized that the biggest message from the class was efficiency and ensuring you are utilizing the best process possible to prepare the most flowers. After returning from the workshop, Armock has been busy running her own bouquet workshop and Mother’s Day sales. “I was able to go home and 10 days later I had a lot happening with the flowers, the course immediately took effect as to what I was learning and what I was doing on my farm,” Armock emphasizes!
Staci got to hold her own bouquet workshop just a few days after she got back from Sweetwater!
On Mother’s Day she partnered with two businesses by selling bouquets to them, and from her farmstand throughout the day. She said she was able to exceed last year's supplies and cannot wait for the growth to continue! Sweetwater’s course was able to fuel her growth. She is excited to continue to evaluate her crops and continuing to expand. Armock Acres speaks to a legacy of a generational family farm as well as the beauty in expansion and specialization.
GreenStone understands the importance of supporting education for young, beginning, and small farmers like Armock. We work to provide the educational and financial resources needed to help establish a solid foundation. To apply for a grant, visit our CultivateGrowth Grant page.
