Young Agrarians is celebrating the tenth year of the Business Mentorship Network (BMN) program in BC and the second year of the program in the Prairies! If you are a new farmer or the next generation to take on your family farm and need support to figure out the business aspects of your farm consider applying for the 2024/2025 cohort. The BMN offers business mentorships to a diverse array of new and young farmers/ranchers/producers. Through one-on-one mentorship, peer networks and online workshops new farmers develop the skills necessary to operate ecologically sustainable and financially viable farm businesses.
Apply for the 2024/2025 program here – applications processed in October .
Check out the Business Mentorship Network page for more information!
Over the next few weeks we will introduce you to each of the new farmers in the 2024 cohort to hear about the arc of their farming journey, what their hopes are for the season ahead and what inspired them to reach out for business mentorship. To access more of these stories head over to our blog here.
Cultivating Beauty: Fleuris Studio & Blooms at Glendenning Farm
Nestled in the revitalized orchard of Glendenning Farm in Victoria, BC, lies a floral oasis where creativity blooms alongside the flowers themselves. Fleuris Studio & Blooms embodies the essence of sustainable flower farming and artisanal floral design.
Fleuris Studio & Blooms was born from the vision of Julie Rémy, a photographer turned floral artist, gardener, and specialty cut flower grower. After traversing the globe as a humanitarian with a camera, Julie (she/her), born in Montreal, found herself drawn back to Vancouver Island, where she lived in her 20s. Inspired by the lush landscapes and abundant flora of the region, Julie envisioned a space where her love for flowers and artistry could intertwine seamlessly. Thus, Fleuris Studio & Blooms emerged as a haven for artisanal floral design, rooted in sustainability and a deep reverence for nature.
Central to Fleuris Studio & Blooms’ existence is its home, Glendenning Farm, a 2.6-acre picturesque orchard and forested area owned by Julie’s husband Dwight’s parents, Mary and Earl. Dwight is a full-time landscaper who initially helped transform the overgrown orchard into a more manageable land and regain the farm status.
Nestled on the Traditional land of the Esquimalt First Nations and the Songhees First Nations, the overgrown orchard was once part of the first active farm in the region owned by the Glendenning family, who purchased the land on the east side of ‘Lost Lake’ in 1876. The farm has been divided through the years and sold to other farming families and is now the only ALR land remaining on the current bucolic dead-end Glendenning Road leading to PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park).
It underwent a remarkable transformation under the stewardship of Julie and Dwight in the last 7 years. Together, they transformed the land into a vibrant tapestry of colour and fragrance and are still at it, improving on the infrastructures to make the farm truly magical. Today, Glendenning Farm serves as the backdrop for Fleuris Studio & Blooms, providing an abundant source of locally grown sustainable flowers for local florists and for Julie’s enchanting floral creations.
At the heart of Fleuris Studio & Blooms lies a commitment to sustainable farming practices. Julie prioritizes regenerative growing practices, nurturing the natural ecosystem of the farm. By cultivating a diverse array of seasonal blooms and being inspired by the garden, each floral creation is imbued with the essence of the local landscape. Every stem tells a story of sustainability and stewardship.
Julie’s journey at the farm, as the in-law caring full-time for the land, took an exciting turn when she was offered by Mary & Earl to take over the hobby farm business operation focused on fruit production, along with her own business, Fleuris Studio & Blooms’ operations at the farm. She applied to the Young Agrarian mentoring program, seeking to deepen her understanding of farming practices in British Columbia and facilitate the transition of Glendenning Farm from Dwight’s parents to themselves. Julie saw an opportunity to explore value-added products that could enhance both the farm and her floral business.
Through the program, Julie and Dwight were paired with two exceptional mentors who have been instrumental in shaping their vision for the future. Kendall Ballantine of Central Park Farm, and also a seasoned expert in value-added products and marketing and owner of Marketing for Farmers, has been guiding Julie with innovative ideas to leverage the orchard’s bounty for unique offerings and improve her online marketing and business management systems. Meanwhile, Matthew Vasilev of Twin Island Cider lends his expertise in orchard management, providing Dwight with invaluable insights into fruit production and regulations around possible ways to add value with the fruits from the orchard. Together, these mentors have empowered Julie and Dwight to envision a future where Glendenning Farm not only sustains itself but also enriches the lives of their customers and the community at large.
Fleuris Studio & Blooms stands as a testament to the transformative power of nature intertwined with boundless creativity and hard work. Julie and Dwight are creating a sanctuary where beauty flourishes and sustainability thrives. As they continue to improve the land and keep reaching for their goal to turn the garden into a magical destination for passersby’s heading to the park, Fleuris Studio & Blooms invites us to pause, breathe, and marvel at the wondrous beauty that surrounds us.
Find us at our website Fleuris Studio and Blooms and for more beautiful photos of floral designs we offer find us on instagram @fluerisstudiandblooms
All photos in this blog are the work of photographer Lia Crowe.
This program is made possible in BC with the generous funding support of Vancity and Endswell Foundation.