We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kate Keith. Check out our conversation below.
Kate, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
From the moment I submitted my application to obtain an LLC, I have been reaching toward a life that was on my terms.
I was tired of asking permission from my 9-5 for days off, to work from home, and hoping they would give me a raise with my performance review.
With the encouragement from my entrepreneur husband, I took the leap.
I wanted the flexibility to make my own schedule. To be outside with my kids all summer. To hunker down and relax in the winter.
I wanted to make my own money with no limit from corporate budgets and performance quotas.
Owning your own business is not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of ups and downs.
Allowing myself to ‘choose my tired’ made all the difference. Instead of working for someone else’s dream- I’m making my own.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Kate from Kate’s Flower Farm. I operate an organic urban flower farm in Farmington Hills, MI. We grow organic cut flowers for seasonal subscriptions, daily arrangements, and small events.
Our flowers are grown in our flower field on the back portion of our property while our flower arranging happens in our home studio. It’s the perfect combination to harvest in the morning and arrange in the afternoon.
Flowers grown here are done so without any pesticides or herbicides. We choose to use natural pest predators to manage those unwanted bugs (i.e. releasing lady bugs to eat the aphids that find our roses).
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My marriage to an amazing, forward-thinking CEO has changed the way I think about entrepreneurship, working for myself, and creating something long lasting for our children. Without his encouragement, I would not have branched out of the corporate world to think for myself.
He’s shown me that I am capable of doing big things and encouraged me to stay true to myself in business.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
This last growing season was a telling one. At the beginning of 2025, I told myself that if I couldn’t make enough profit to cover my business expenses, I would have to change the path of the flower farm.
I have invested lots of personal monies into the business but knew I couldn’t continue doing so.
I put a lot of work into the sales channels I utilized this past year. Obviously, our growing season isn’t year round in Michigan so I had limited time to make the sales I needed.
I’m thankful for the opportunities that arose during the season and the goals I surpassed even to my surprise. It felt great to finally use my business profits to keep the farm moving throughout the season.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Currently, the floral world is obsessed with sculptural pieces- orchids, amaranth, and antirrhinum are all big players.
While I don’t mind working with clients who like this sculptural style, the flowers I would use may differ to fit what I grow. Amaranth is a great flower that produces long draping effect- very modern and a gorgeous statement. I’ve grow this variety for several years now. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
Orchids are not something our farm can produce in southeastern Michigan. They are a specialty bloom and require a lot of care to grow them. Instead of switching my operations to attempt to grow this currently popular flower, I’ll steer customers towards something that fits the vibe but more affordable while retaining my current growing set-up.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work. In college, I was determined to help society by helping those who needed it most. I worked in many different areas of social work only to find that help was often hidden behind insurance billing codes, specialty referrals that were difficult to obtain, and red tape through the companies I worked for.
It was difficult for me to constantly feel like it was ‘out of my hands’.
I began to garden in my backyard one summer and I fell in love with the magic of it. Going from driving around and submitting detailed documentation to insurances to being outside and working with my hands made such a difference in my life trajectory.
Flower farming combined the creative nature of floral arranging to the physical labor of planting and harvesting to the scientific side of soil levels and growing healthy plants.
I’m still working out how I’d like my flower farm to impact my local community, but I’m proud to be building something that compliments me so fully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katesflowerfarm.com
- Instagram: @kates.flower.farm
Image Credits
Kate Keith
