Fieldfarms

Where creative ideas bloom

Dexter, MI

More than plants germinate in Janna Field's greenhouses: creative Fieldfarms business ideas grow as well. With a foundation in growing flowers since 1994, Janna keeps things fresh and her own enthusiasm level high by adding new products and income diversification to the Fieldfarms mix, always focusing on things she enjoys creating and doing. From hanging baskets to a dozen varieties of hot peppers, from painted gourds to seed saving workshops, Janna's enthusiasm for trying new ideas keeps her energy level high and business on solid financial ground.

Located on fourteen acres about ten miles outside of Ann Arbor in the southeast corner of Michigan, Fieldfarms' landscape covers a range of topography. "We have just about every kind of ecosystem here, including woods, a valley, pond and flat open growing space," explains Janna. Sprawling Ann Arbor development fortunately has not encroached on Fieldfarms due to a greenbelt initiative by Ann Arbor authorities, designed to preserve area agricultural land. Janna grows on two acres, including an acre of flowers, a half acre of vegetable and fruit produce and 4,000 square feet of greenhouse growing space. "My husband, Tom, likes to dabble in this side of my business and is always experimenting with our hoop house greenhouses," laughs Janna. "Right now we have four greenhouses, double plastic inflated, and heated only when necessary. I've found it more efficient to have smaller greenhouse spaces that I can then more specifically control to create different growing climates," explains Janna.

For sixteen years prior to starting Fieldfarms, Janna was a school bus driver during the day and a passionate self-taught, hobby gardener during her off hours. "My job situation grew quite dysfunctional and I was growing physically and emotionally upset over it all. Tom said to me, 'Let's get some land and start doing what you really want to do,' and that is how we ended up here," comments Janna. For several years Tom, who works in the automotive industry, provided the sole income as Janna got Fieldfarms off the ground. Today, Tom's job situation still provides family health benefits.

Flowers yield the core of Janna's business, fueled by her simple business philosophy: "Bottom line, I really love growing flowers, and I'm a firm believer in the adage that if you like what you're doing, the money will follow," adds Janna. Janna's flower growing portfolio covers over 2,000 varietals, focusing on unusual varietals that give her a unique selling advantage. "I'm always trying new flowers and am often the first to have something at market, which gives me a cutting edge," adds Janna. Creating interesting mixed bouquets, Janna grows a range of unique perennials including several different varietals of Echinacea and Achillea. Janna's favorite source for, as she puts it -- "weird seeds" -- is the Ethnobotanical Catalog of Seeds by J.L. Hudson, Seedsman. Her new favorite is the Petunia Integrifolia, the parent to many of the new varieties on the market but with a smaller flower. "It was gorgeous and took over everything," comments Janna.

Additionally, Janna expands her flower growing mix by using "Proven Winner" plug materials, These are branded, controlled and patented flowers that need to be ordered from a broker and cannot be grown from seed and must be sold with their identification tags. "I pay a higher price for these flowers but I've found they grow extremely well in my climate and the unique, beautiful varietals differentiate my flowers from everyone else," adds Janna. Janna orders her Proven Winners -- which come in 82 to 84 plugs per tray -- from Harris Seeds and has found their customer service very helpful, especially when she was just starting out. "I mix the Proven Winner varietals in hanging baskets which I have ready in time for Mother's Day and these have grown to be very strong sellers for me," she adds.

When Janna first started the business, she just grew and sold flowers at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market but quickly realized the drawbacks of having a limited selling season. "I then took on a part-time job at the City of Ann Arbor's Horticulture Department and the head horticulturist knew I had a greenhouse and asked if I would custom grow flowers for the city, which I did. I was then asked by Dexter Mill (who is still my customer) if I could custom grow for them. Now about half my income comes from bedding plants, both flowers and vegetables," explains Janna.

Wholesale interest remains so strong in Fieldfarms bedding plants that this could be all her business, but Janna remains committed to the weekly Ann Arbor Farmers' Market, and is one of the longest-standing vendors. "The interaction and feedback from customers and the relationships and friendships that have grown over the years keep me inspired and motivated and always provide new ideas," adds Janna. In an effort to sell garden products at market with an extended season, Janna first got into gourds: growing, drying and painting the gourds, creating flowered bowls, birdhouses and holiday ornaments. As Janna grows the items used in this craft sale item, the gourds still fall under Ann Arbor Farmers' Market guidelines that you have to grow what you sell, a guideline typical of farmers markets.

"I've always been a crafty person and enjoyed doing these kind of things. Now I'm just getting paid for it," chuckles Janna. Her fascination with herbs led her to research and experiment with soap-making; she now sells fifteen different varieties of 100% vegetable based soaps. "I make over fifteen different kinds of soap, including what I call 'safe' soaps that are regular sellers like oatmeal, lavender and peppermint. But I also like to experiment with soaps such as calendula, where I leave some of the flower petals in the soap for added texture and interest."

Every season Janna tries to add a new product to her selling mix, utilizing
dried and infused garden products. As these are not edible products, they are not subject to state commercial food licensing requirements and can enable Janna to bring them to market more cost-effectively. "They're all my small scale experiments as I can make a few, bring them to market and get some feedback and see how they sell" adds Janna with a laugh. Other products she's added include sachets, bath items, potpourri, felt catnip mice and, most recently, hand-poured candles in tins.

A newer diversification area for Fieldfarms is teaching workshops, primarily for area garden clubs which has proved to be a good source of income generation during the winter months. Janna has a range of 45-minute programs that are accompanied with slides and hands-on demonstrations: Soap workshop, the cutting garden, heirloom plants and seedsaving, sunny perennials and, of course, one entitled, "Gourds, gourds, gourds." Janna's interest in gourds led her to an annual workshop she teaches at a local elementary school which focuses on both the botany and historical aspects of gourds, including how gourds were used as communication signals for the underground railroad. "I charge $50 per workshop plus mileage, which not only brings in extra money, it helps get the Fieldfarms name out and often the garden clubs will then organize an outing in the spring to specifically come see me at market," adds Janna.

As far as the future goes, Janna, who just turned 50, is not operating under the "bigger is better" philosophy. "I want to keep things manageable so I can do everything myself and not have to hire employees," explains Janna. This has prompted her to get her web design certification to not only create and maintain her own site for Fieldfarms, but with an eye toward possibly adding paid web design to her diversified business mix, "particularly as I get older and need to cut back on the growing," explains Janna. But in the meantime there is no shortage of energy in Janna Field. If you're looking for her on Tuesday and Thursday nights, stop by the local gym where she teaches step aerobic class.