Small Business Spotlight: Maple Haven Farm

On a family farm just outside Straffordville, you can find Carole of Maple Haven Farm tending to her local seasonal flowers. It is a beautiful farm with five massive maple trees lining the front yard to greet you as you drive up, each at least 150 years old. "It's one of the oldest farms in the area with a long history," Carole explained with a proud smile. "We feel so honoured to be a part of its story." 

​After moving to the farm roughly nine years ago, Carole decided to sell some roadside Christmas planters in December of 2018. Living at home with three very young children, Carole said she always found joy in being outside, soaking up the seasonal beauty of the area, and creating things with her hands, so the Christmas planters were a fun outlet for her. The following spring in 2019, Carole decided to try her luck at planting several annuals to see if she would enjoy growing, arranging and selling them as she did with her Christmas planters. She had planted perennials in her gardens before. Still, as her annual flowers grew and were able to be cut and arranged, her business ideas grew.

Maple Haven Farm also received an offer for a short video tour of the farm and flowers for Elgin County Living. "That was a lot of fun, and their media page features and connects local businesses [with the local communities], which is so vital," said Carole. As for learning curves, many stem from learning how to work with the flowers. Carole explained that not every flower makes a great cut flower, and they don't all grow the same way. Through trial and error, YouTube, talking to other growers, and time and experience, she continues to learn along the way while working to keep the business an enjoyable outlet. "Being a perfectionist, I obviously want to get it right, but accepting my mistakes as I learn and not being too hard on myself is part of that journey," Carole stated. It takes work to tend to the flowers, create arrangements, and balance the business with her life as a mom and wife. "I try to remember why I'm doing this and not bite off more than I can chew," Carole explained. "As soon as it becomes stressful, I've lost sight of what is important." 

​Carole then started advertising custom arrangements on a Facebook page and named her business Maple Haven Farm in honour of those beautiful old maple trees on the farm that was her sanctuary. "I figured if I only cover my seed costs at a bare minimum, then I'm paying for a hobby I love anyways," Carole said. "Anything beyond that is a bonus, but over time, I started offering flower subscriptions." She expanded to Christmas and Easter planters, custom arrangements, fall porch packages, Thanksgiving floral pumpkins, dahlia tuber sales, wedding DIY buckets, florals for small weddings, small funeral arrangements, and even wreath and centerpiece workshops. Carole especially loves her I-Come-To-You workshop events, which she runs for office parties, showers, girls' nights, and more. "Some people like the option of having a night with friends, but within the comfort of their own space," said Carole. "I enjoy coming to their venues, homes, or offices and to offer workshops on site. I also really enjoy offering buckets of blooms in bulk for the DIY-er." She also has done school fundraisers and silk floral arranging and can work on-site for business urns and planter boxes. 

​It's not surprising that Carole has become known as the flower lady around Straffordville, wearing the badge proudly. Her local, seasonal blooms allow her to offer custom arrangements for any occasion, often with various textures, unique blooms and colours. Carole is also passionate about spreading awareness about the importance of buying and supporting local flower farmers like herself. "I find I hear a lot of conversation about the importance of buying local when it comes to food, but what a lot of people don't realize is that about 90% of all flowers in the North American floral industry are imported from third-world countries," Carole explained. "This means poor wage pay and a huge carbon footprint to fly these flowers to wherever they end up. Knowing where your flowers are from is very important, and supporting local flower growers is just as important as buying local food!" 

​As her annuals have grown, Carole has come to cherish them and the array of beauty they bring. In addition to offering great varieties, several of her annuals are 'cut and come again' types. "The more you cut their blooms, the more they produce; it's like they are begging for you to cut them," Carole said with a smile. "They reward you with more blooms, and I find that incredible." She always posts updates to her Facebook and Instagram pages of what's in season and what she is offering. Still, the most rewarding part of the business comes from knowing all her hard work in the garden helps to brighten people's days. "Flowers are a universal language that we all understand," said Carole. "Sometimes you don't have words, you have too many words, or there are no words at all; and that's where flowers come in. They sit there silently, and yet they know just what to say. They feed our souls with beauty and goodness, and by growing and arranging them, I get to be a part of that." 

The next time you are looking for a pretty pick-me-up, the perfect gift, or even just for an enjoyable drive, check and see what Maple Haven Farms has to offer, and maybe plan for a workshop or two. 

Paige Palmer, EDC Summer Marketing Support

Paige is happy to be joining the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation as their 2024 Summer Marketing Assistant. She is completing her undergraduate degree this summer with a double major in Media and Communications Studies and Thanatology at Western University and King’s University College. She is excited to help to promote local vendors and businesses this summer, and is looking forward to trying all the delicious and unique produce and products at the Horton Farmers’ Market this summer! Outside of work and school she loves spending time learning about nature, animals, and gardening.