Localicious: Flower Farms & Edible Flowers are Leafy Delectables

In the mood for a drive? How about a drive to one of those places that will leave a lasting memory? I’m talking about those quick little road trips that make the weekend all the sweeter. Grab your coffee, favorite playlist and a pair of great sunglasses. In this month’s article, we’re taking you to two different flower and edible flower farms that I consider hidden gems of Northern California.

First stop is 1792 State Highway 45, Glenn, CA. Welcome to Broken Oak Acres (brokenoakacres.com), offering vegetables and seasonal blooms. Broken Oak Acres is home to the Mann family and a handful of animals. “The property has a massive oak that lost a huge limb on Mother’s Day two years ago. That is how we ended up naming our little farm Broken Oak Acres,” Lindsay Mann explains. “Part of the limb now sits at the end of our driveway as a marker of sorts.”

Drive by their little farm, and you’ll find a fruit and vegetable stand filled with seasonal treasures. Lindsay says, “After a bit of thinking and wondering, we decided to grow a few rows of pumpkins and see if people would stop to buy them.” And people do!  Fresh-cut flower arrangements and pumpkins are offered up for sale in the back of an old pickup truck with a bed repurposed as a stand. And in the autumn, you will find pumpkin bouquets.

What’s unique about this family is their love for flowers. Lyndsay Mann says, “I have loved growing and working with flowers since I was a little girl and as soon as we bought the house, I set to planting things that made great cut flowers simply because I love them. A lot of the flowers we grow are actually edible. Sunflowers, basil, mint, calendula, chrysanthemums, Agastache, cornflower, dianthus, dill, hollyhocks, marigold, rosemary and pineapple sage are all edible offerings from our farm — some much more flavorful than others and some best as garnishes or a colorful burst in salads.”

One of the highlights for the Mann family is growing their family alongside their veggies and flowers. Lyndsay and her husband David are raising their daughters Evelyn and Sophia, ages two and one, on the nearly 8-acre farm. The couple enjoys spending their days farming and educating people about the value of utilizing what you grow. They are also beginning to host flower arrangement classes. Find them in the Gathering Marketplace in historic downtown Willows, 216 West Sycamore Street, Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For more edible flowers you can then take 1-5 north towards Redding, CA, where you will find an up-and-coming micro-farm. Heather Phillips of Little Sprouts Micro Farm (facebook.com/LittleSproutsUrbanFarm) has been offering edible flowers and microgreens to Shasta County since 2015. Heather says, “Our farm wasn’t planned. We have always had a vegetable garden with hopes of growing as much of our food as possible. We realized that our model diets require more hands and hearts than we have in our immediate family, and discovered that if we grow something well, we can use that to source the foods and people we believe in.” You can find Little Sprouts Micro-Farm year-round on Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1043 State Street in downtown Redding. Their produce is also available in select grocery stores in Shasta County and Butte County.

What’s better than knowing about these farms is visiting them yourself! Feel free to ask questions and learn why these farms are so crucial to our wellbeing.

Localicious is a monthly column celebrating food in the North State. If you would like to suggest a food-related business or organization, email us at  localicious@northstateparent.com.