Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Habowski.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Sierra and my journey with flowers began in 2022 when I started growing cut flowers in the backyard of our 1-acre lot in Kawkawlin, MI. What started as a simple garden quickly became a deep passion.
Before growing flowers, my world revolved around (and still does) caring for others. I am a registered nurse and became a stay-at-home mom shortly after my first daughter was born in 2017. Fast forward to 2022, I then had two daughters at home with me ages 2 and 4 and was in love with motherhood but also feeling a little lost. Somewhere between loving my children and family so deeply, I lost myself in the midst of the beautiful chaos that is motherhood. My grandma passed away that year too, and I was just really in my feelings that year and realized that life is way too short, tomorrow is never promised, and that is what led me to growing flowers.
The work of motherhood is often so unseen, you can feel like you did everything in a day but somehow have nothing to show for it. Starting flowers from seed, tending to them, cutting them, and arranging them is seeing your work from start to finish. I needed that. In 2023 after reading into the local flower movement happening, I officially started Kate and June Blooms, named after my two daughters.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a business from scratch is hard, but when your product is at the mercy of mother nature, that takes grit. So no, it has not been smooth. Growing flowers, or really just farming anything is hard and not without its challenges. But then you also have to sell and market them, and that can be even harder.
Last summer was my third growing season in business. It was the year all the newness and excitement had worn off, and it was also very busy. There were tears and moments where I wanted to burn it all down. I quickly learned what is worth my time, and being a mom to young kids has shown me how precious that time is. So, this upcoming flower season I am heavily leaning into what is working for my family, business, and customers. This could change as I’m sure it will, but that is what keeps it exciting and what makes a business. You have to pivot, adapt, and keep going even when it’s hard.
As you know, we’re big fans of Kate and June Blooms. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kate and June Blooms is a small-scale flower farm located in Kawkawlin, MI near Bay City, MI. We grow specialty cut flowers, meaning flowers that you don’t always see at the grocery store and/or don’t ship well when imported from other countries. Our growing season starts in mid to late April and ends with the first frost which is usually in early October. Currently everything we grow is “field grown” meaning we don’t grow in high tunnels or green houses. A snapshot of what we grow are specialty tulips, ranunculus, zinnias, celosia, lisianthus, cosmos, dahlias, and the list goes on.
You can experience our flowers through seasonal flower subscriptions that can be delivered to you or picked up from our flower stand. We offer four different types of flower subscriptions: a tulip, summer, fall, and a bloom bundle where you experience all three seasons for the best value. Each subscription is unique and full of the season’s best flowers.
We offer a la carte wedding and event flowers. This is when you simply order specific items off of our flower menu. We found that people were looking for a different way of approaching flowers for their special day, for example: maybe someone just wants a bridal bouquet, boutonniere, and a bucket of blooms to DIY their centerpieces. Sometimes customers need more, but it is just a great option when fresh flowers are important to you, but you may not need a full-service florist. It does not matter how big or small your wedding or event is, we can take care of your florals while keeping the process smooth and simple.
We also move a lot of flowers wholesale to storefront and local florists. This has been a venture that I have surprised myself at how much I am loving. I am so grateful to cultivate relationships with some great and talented florists and business owners and honored that they choose my flowers to use in their design work and display in their stores. The feeling of seeing flowers I have grown used in wedding work and sold in stores in the great lakes bay region is so emotional for me. It’s seeing your work live out its life with someone else. Truly an honor.
Our self-serve roadside flower stand is another great way to get your hands on our local flowers. The flower stand runs on your honor, and we accept exact cash, check, and venmo. When we open, we are stocked with mixed flower bouquets and sometimes other goodies like bud vases and dried flowers. We encourage customers to follow us on our social media pages and sign-up for our newsletter on our website to stay up to date on our flower stand hours.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the local flower movement is here to stay and I can see it growing in the future. The majority of cut-flowers in the US are imported from other countries and many florists are now sourcing from local flower farms whenever possible and I think that is just amazing.
I also think that now more than ever we are craving real everything. Real people, connection, and beauty. Supporting and sourcing your flowers from a local flower farmer in your community is a great way to experience that realness we all crave in our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kateandjuneblooms.com
- Instagram: @kateandjuneblooms
- Facebook: @kateandjuneblooms
