Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Linnemeyer. Them and their team share their story with us below:
It has always been a dream of ours to own a farm and teach our children where food really comes from. We bought our farm in 2018 and Wozani Farm was born! Wozani is Zulu for “come” or “to come” which is exactly what we wanted the farm to be–a place for people to gather and find community.
Liz, who grew up on a tomato farm in South Africa, came to Colorado for art school and received her degree in fine arts. She then went back to school and worked as a certified holistic nutritionist for several years. She believes that good health is centered around a plant-based diet. Perfect segue into why growing our own food, and teaching our kids how to grow their own food is so important to us. She also loves flowers! All sorts of flowers! Since moving to the farm this quickly grew into her passion and now is a full-time flower farmer. Flowers are now the primary crop that Wozani Farm produces, however, we still grow a lot of our own food, and excess produce is made available to the local community.
Rainer is a Nurse Practitioner and aspiring organic farmer in his off time. He has learned through his studies the importance of a plant-centered diet, especially when combating chronic disease. He helps Liz with the farm and manages the livestock on the farm. We follow regenerative farming practices, and that includes livestock management to bring back biodiversity and health to our soils.
We have 4 children that we are so glad can grow up on a farm and see where real food comes from. We have a 6, 5, 4, and newborn (2/3/2022) named Willa, Harrison, Margot, and Carolyn.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have definitely been some challenges. Before moving to the farm, we had a large backyard that we had converted to growing space with lots of raised beds. We also had backyard chickens. We thought we knew what we were doing, but were surprised when what we did in our backyard didn’t translate to farming on a larger scale. When you grow in a raised bed, you are working in a somewhat closed environment and can control soil health by adding bagged compost and soil additives, and we quickly learned that doesn’t work when growing in the ground. The farm prior to us was primarily used for horses and the back pasture had been overgrazed and was not in good health. Our biggest challenge over the past 3 years has been to improve soil health, which in turns increases crop productivity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Wozani Farm?
Wozani Farm was founded in 2018 in Frederick, Colorado. We are a local flower farm in the Denver Metro area specializing in cut flowers for wholesale, weddings, market bouquets, and our Flower Share (CSA). We also love sharing what we know and what we have on the farm with the local community so we have events throughout the year such as floral design courses, you-pick flower events, and farm-to-table dinners.
We as consumers in recent years are wanting to know more about where products are sourced and how they get to us. This is true for cut flowers as well. Roughly 82% of all flowers in the U.S. are imported, mostly from Central and South America. Supporting local flower farmers gives community members the freshest harvest available that is grown locally in their own communities. Environmentally, this reduces transportation pollution, energy usage from extended cooling, while increasing vase life of flowers and diversity in the market.
One of our most popular offerings is our Flower Share Program (CSA). CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Farmers who offer a CSA are selling a share of their harvest upfront. When they harvest from their fields, they set aside the first crops for the people who purchase a CSA share before they take their products to other markets. And socially, CSA’s offer an opportunity for people to build relationships within their communities, and they allow new farmers to sell smaller quantities when they are just starting their farms. Being part of a CSA invites everyone to love the land, its changing seasons, and the beauty it offers.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Our sense of community. We love meeting new people and inviting them onto the farm. We have made numerous long-lasting friendships. By supporting our local Tri-Town area, we build trust and returning customers.
Pricing:
- Summer CSA (June/July) – $150
- Autumn CSA (August/Sept) – $165
- Surprise CSA (Summer or Autumn) – $120
- Market Bouquet – $25
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.wozanifarm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wozani_farm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wozani-Farm-2022545964454985
Image Credits
Dana Martin
Jamina Noreen
