Bloomin' in the North Fork con't
Staying on top of what’s new with weddings, décor and life in general is just one of the details Daphne and her husband, Don, think about as they steward Zephyros Farm, a 35 acre mecca half way between Hotchkiss and Paonia, with a large pond, a clear view of Mount Lamborn, greenhouses, garden sheds, eight acres of vegetables and flowers, and 27 acres of pasture. The Land stewardship is very important to Don and Daphne; they share their acreage with Farmhand Harvest, who raises lamb on the rest of the land with rotational pasturing, which brings health to the soils.
Collectively, Don and Daphne have over 20 years of farming experience. Both studied biology in college, and while they don’t remember the flowers from the friend’s wedding where they met, they both knew that farming was in their future. They looked at farm properties all over the west and decided to land in the North Fork Valley not only because of the beautiful property they found but also because of the great community of farmers, clean water, access to markets and quality of life the valley reflected. Together with their kids, Sophia and Diego, they have created more than an organic farm; they have built a life and embraced the community here in the North Fork Valley.
Being a certified organic farm comes with unique challenges. Thrips, a minute black winged insect that sucks plant sap, are the biggest challenge in growing flowers organically. They chew on the petals. Dealing with the weeds is also hard—and it’s the expensive part because you have to hire people to pull them. It’s also a challenge to find untreated seed or bulb, but Don and Daphne do more and more seed saving each year.
Daphne’s strong interest in flower farming began in the two years she spent working at perennial nurseries in Germany. “There were flowers on every corner and in every household,” she says. She notes that a similar culture of flowers has “ramped up” in the United States and in the North Fork Valley. The Zephyros CSA for flowers is a good sign of that enthusiasm. That weekly burst of flowers puts a smile on many faces around our valley. Zephyros also sells flowers off the farm to drop-in visitors, by phone, at local businesses and at farmers markets in Telluride and Aspen. Flowers from Zephyros have graced weddings at local venues such as Wisehart Springs Inn, The Lodge at Needlerock and Agape Farm & Retreat as well as weddings around the Western Slope and wine events at Azura Cellars. Between all of these activities, Zephyros sell tens of thousands of stems a year.
In 2016, reflecting the growing emphasis on design work, Don and Daphne created a new branch of their business: Studio Z Flowers. With over a hundred varieties of dahlias alone and hundreds of varieties of other flowers, there is no shortage of color texture, aroma and beauty to go into the designs! Daphne is the main designer while Don calls himself a “sous chef” and they enjoy seasonal help from a few regulars:
“We have a crew of ladies who have bouqueted with us for years,” Daphne says, and daughter Sophia also helps. “They all have an eye for design and color.” Typically, they will make around 100 bouquets to send to market. One customer’s Facebook comment says a lot: “Lovely flowers and gals. I could feel the love you gals put into each bouquet last visit.” Daphne never gets tired of the smell of flowers! “You just never know when you’ll find me huffing sweet peas in the greenhouse!” she admits with a smile.
Staying on top of what’s new with weddings, décor and life in general is just one of the details Daphne and her husband, Don, think about as they steward Zephyros Farm, a 35 acre mecca half way between Hotchkiss and Paonia, with a large pond, a clear view of Mount Lamborn, greenhouses, garden sheds, eight acres of vegetables and flowers, and 27 acres of pasture. The Land stewardship is very important to Don and Daphne; they share their acreage with Farmhand Harvest, who raises lamb on the rest of the land with rotational pasturing, which brings health to the soils.
Collectively, Don and Daphne have over 20 years of farming experience. Both studied biology in college, and while they don’t remember the flowers from the friend’s wedding where they met, they both knew that farming was in their future. They looked at farm properties all over the west and decided to land in the North Fork Valley not only because of the beautiful property they found but also because of the great community of farmers, clean water, access to markets and quality of life the valley reflected. Together with their kids, Sophia and Diego, they have created more than an organic farm; they have built a life and embraced the community here in the North Fork Valley.
Being a certified organic farm comes with unique challenges. Thrips, a minute black winged insect that sucks plant sap, are the biggest challenge in growing flowers organically. They chew on the petals. Dealing with the weeds is also hard—and it’s the expensive part because you have to hire people to pull them. It’s also a challenge to find untreated seed or bulb, but Don and Daphne do more and more seed saving each year.
Daphne’s strong interest in flower farming began in the two years she spent working at perennial nurseries in Germany. “There were flowers on every corner and in every household,” she says. She notes that a similar culture of flowers has “ramped up” in the United States and in the North Fork Valley. The Zephyros CSA for flowers is a good sign of that enthusiasm. That weekly burst of flowers puts a smile on many faces around our valley. Zephyros also sells flowers off the farm to drop-in visitors, by phone, at local businesses and at farmers markets in Telluride and Aspen. Flowers from Zephyros have graced weddings at local venues such as Wisehart Springs Inn, The Lodge at Needlerock and Agape Farm & Retreat as well as weddings around the Western Slope and wine events at Azura Cellars. Between all of these activities, Zephyros sell tens of thousands of stems a year.
In 2016, reflecting the growing emphasis on design work, Don and Daphne created a new branch of their business: Studio Z Flowers. With over a hundred varieties of dahlias alone and hundreds of varieties of other flowers, there is no shortage of color texture, aroma and beauty to go into the designs! Daphne is the main designer while Don calls himself a “sous chef” and they enjoy seasonal help from a few regulars:
“We have a crew of ladies who have bouqueted with us for years,” Daphne says, and daughter Sophia also helps. “They all have an eye for design and color.” Typically, they will make around 100 bouquets to send to market. One customer’s Facebook comment says a lot: “Lovely flowers and gals. I could feel the love you gals put into each bouquet last visit.” Daphne never gets tired of the smell of flowers! “You just never know when you’ll find me huffing sweet peas in the greenhouse!” she admits with a smile.