Life & Work with Patricia Poulin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Poulin.

Hi Patricia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Dirty Boot Farm started in the Fall of 2019 when we moved into my new house/property. I had planted 1200 tulip bulbs in hopes of selling a few bouquets in Spring 2020. The farm started with me and now my ex-husband. When Spring 2020 came around the tulips were blooming and COVID was flourishing. I was also working full-time as a Respiratory Therapist in Flagstaff. In May 2020 our country had gone into a full lockdown and I opted to step away from the hospital temporarily as my son’s preschool had shut down and he was to start Kindergarten in the Fall via Zoom. I decided at that time to start running the farm full-time. Unable to go to farmer’s markets as they had been closed we started selling Spring bouquets and delivering them through no contact to porches of community members who were sending cheer to friends, co-workers, and family they were unable to see. We continued to sell bouquets through the Summer through no contact on our front porch and through subscriptions that were picked up or delivered.

In the Fall of 2020 Dirty Boot Farm had started to make a name for itself throughout the community and we were ready to grow for another season. In the Spring of 2021, I continued Dirty Boot Farm on my own now as a single mother (divorce, yuck) and went back to work at the hospital as a Respiratory Therapist. The farm will be starting its third season in 2023. We grow seasonally with flowers available from May through September of every season. Dirty Boot Farm sits at 6,500 feet and officially has just over 100 days of growing per season. It continues to evolve since the beginning. We currently offer locally grown flower subscriptions (CSA Shares) that customers can pick up or have delivered, we still operate an onsite farmstand where community members can pick up fresh blooms along with chicken and duck eggs. We will be adding a few vegetable varieties this season along with heirloom pumpkins in the late Summer. Starting in 2023 we will also be offering a Summer u-pick experience where you can come visit the farm, enjoy the views of the San Francisco Peaks and pick your own blooms.

I have spent much of this fall and winter learning how to grow the farm sustainably in business and growing so this can continue forward for seasons to come as a family-run farm.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. This past season I experienced a very expensive crop loss with our Spring blooms. Farming is not for the faint of heart. We had a very warm winter and in turn, we lost our entire Spring bulb crop of Tulips & Daffodils which accounted for over 6,000 bulbs. This affected our Spring subscriptions and Mother’s Day orders. During that warm Spring, we were also evacuated twice for fires that came too close for comfort in Spring of 2022. It was a full evacuation of all our farm animals along with my son and important belongings while I stayed behind to stand watch. We were spared, but it was stressful, to say the least.

During our second season, we placed a large high tunnel (cold frame) for growing. Growing at 6,500 ft comes with a multitude of challenges including hail in July and high winds in Spring and Fall. In October 2020 the freshly built high tunnel that was to house plants for spring was torn down by 75 mph winds. After heartbreak came determination and we found a way to reinforce and rebuild.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dirty Boot Farm focuses on bringing local blooms to the community. We are one small part of the small farm agriculture that is slowly dwindling in our community and throughout the nation. Bringing locally grown blooms means the consumer is able to purchase blooms that are grown and harvested within only a day or two before they take them home. This model not only decreases our carbon footprint but the product far surpasses any bouquet you would purchase in the grocery store or floral shop (unless they purchase from local farmers). There is a movement to bring flower farming back to the United States.

Right now the bouquets you purchase from your local store more often than not come from South America. This means they have traveled several days and have gone in and out of coolers before they reach the store. They then sit at the store and eventually make it into a consumer’s hands. This has taken several days of vase life by this point. I have been told by many customers that our blooms last up to 2 weeks and beyond before they finally expire; a huge difference from store-bought.

It is my hope that Dirty Boot Farm not only brings local flowers back into our community but also brings awareness that you can grow beautiful blooms in our difficult environment.

What does success mean to you?
For myself, I feel like the definition of success continues to change from season to season. The fact that I am still excited to grow for another season, the fact that I have a community that wants to continue supporting this tiny flower farm for another season. That to me is a success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/dirtybootflowers
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtybootfarm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtybootflowers