YA BUSINESS MENTORSHIP NETWORK – Fleuris Orchard and Blooms

Meet a Mentee: Julie Remy of Fleuris Orchard and Blooms

My name is Julie Rémy (she/her), and I am the owner of Fleuris Orchard & Blooms. We are merging our previous businesses, Fleuris Studio & Blooms and Glendenning Farm, into one unified entity. Our farm is located near PKOLS, the largest park in Saanich, Victoria, BC. We respectfully acknowledge that our land is within the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, represented by the Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tsawout, Tseycum, and Malahat Nations.

Who is your Mentor? 

We are fortunate to have two mentors: Kendall Ballantine of Central Park Farms, who advises us on value-added products, marketing, and backend systems, and Matthew Vasilev of Twin Island Cider, who provides guidance on orchard management and maintenance.

What were your goals for this season, and what did you do to try to achieve them?

Our three main goals for this season were:

1. Transition our wholesale florals from a cooperative model to an independent operation while maintaining sales and freeing up time for other priorities.
2. Explore ways to create value-added products from our orchard and investigate options for commercial kitchen collaborations.
3. Merge the family farm with Fleuris Studio & Blooms and clarify the succession process with my in-laws.

Did you meet your goals / did it work out?

The shift to our own online wholesale shop was a success—we nearly doubled our sales while saving time. We experimented with recipes and familiarized ourselves with farm shop sales requirements. Tracking production has been invaluable, but commercial kitchen regulations remain a hurdle for us due to my celiac condition and allergies. We are still seeking a partner with a safe kitchen that can accommodate our needs so I can both sell the products, but also enjoy them myself. The farm succession is progressing, though it’s a slower process than anticipated, fingers crossed that by the end of 2024, things will be a lot clearer.

What resources did you find most valuable to support your business during the season?

Having access to mentors was invaluable. Additionally, I learned how to better use QuickBooks for business management, not just tax preparation.

What were your best sales channels/avenues?

Wholesale to florists was our strongest sales channel, followed by recommendations and returning customers for our floral designs. This is encouraging as we continue to grow and refine our business.

Why do your customers buy from you (what is your unique value proposition in your market)?

Fleuris Orchard & Blooms offers a bespoke floral experience rooted in sustainability and artistry using flowers grown in our own orchard garden. We specialize in curating florals for weddings, subscriptions, commercial and editorial shoots, and workshops. Each design reflects the changing seasons and the natural beauty of our locally grown, eco-conscious blooms. We offer a personal touch, high quality, and meticulous attention to detail, making our florals meaningful and timeless for both clients and fellow designers purchasing our blooms.

What was the best piece of feedback or praise you got from a customer?

Strangely enough, one of the most rewarding pieces of feedback was from several wholesale customers who appreciated that we didn’t use packaging, helping all of us reduce our environmental footprint. This approach also saved us so much time and extra costs.

How did the Young Agrarians Farm Business Mentorship impact your business?

The mentorship provided us with clarity on many fronts, incredible support, and a wealth of ideas. Though it was difficult to connect as much as we wanted during the busy summer, the mentorship has been instrumental in helping us move forward and hope we can keep going.

I gained a better understanding of regulatory requirements for small farm businesses in BC, improved my ability to navigate farm transitions, and developed better backend sales organization. It also gave me valuable insights for refining my marketing strategy and consolidating multiple websites into a single, cohesive platform, which I aim to complete by the end of this year.

The mentorship provided us with invaluable connections and tools that have helped us gain clarity on our future direction and make significant strides forward.

What were one or two big, hard lessons this season you would want to share with other farmers?

I lost half my ranunculus crop to frost, and rabbits managed to breach our ‘rabbit-proof’ fence, destroying several flower beds. Protecting crops better against rabbits and climate change is a priority moving forward.

What were one or two additional victories, small or large, that you had this season?

I reached my sales goals, albeit modest ones. Progress is being made across all fronts, even if not as quickly as I would like. We are definitely on the right track!

What future plans and goals do you have for your farm and how will you achieve these?

1. Complete our new gift shop and second walk-in cooler for pick-ups by February. We are aiming for the gift shop to be ready to open in the spring as a unique space that showcases products from our orchard along local artisans. Note that we will not sell any designed florals pre-done in the shop as the value of our designs are too high to sell in a shop and are all pre-booked and designed specifically for each client…
2. Strengthen crop protection to better handle extreme weather conditions and focus on more resilient plants.
3. Our longer-term goals are still under wraps for now, but we’re excited for what’s to come!

What will you do differently next year?

Simplify! We’ll streamline production, reduce costs, and collaborate more with like-minded businesses. I also plan to establish systems so I can take time off and trust that everything will run smoothly in my absence.

What are you most looking forward to this winter?

I’m looking forward to planning our next steps, wreaths workshops coming up, connecting with local artisans, and finishing the gift shop so we’re ready to launch in the spring. And of course, I’m excited to start growing new flowers!

Where can we find you online? (website, FB, IG etc.)

We just transitioned our website to fleuris.ca. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @fleurisorchardandblooms and our email is hello@fleuris.ca.