Introducing Flourish Flower Farm: Where Beauty Blooms and Sustainability Thrives
Enveloped by the enchanting beauty of North Carolina's luscious Blue Ridge Mountains, Flourish Flower Farm is a boutique flower farm, floral design studio, and wedding venue that embraces sustainable practices while cultivating specialty cut flowers. They are one of Sugar Hollow Solar’s recent customers. We were so lucky to be able to sit down with Niki Irving, one of the owners, to talk about her experience and motivations for choosing us and solar energy.
Niki along with her husband, William Irving are the passionate individuals behind Flourish Flower Farm. Niki, inspired by her deep-rooted love for plants as the daughter of a landscaper and tree farmer, transformed her dream of becoming a Farmer-Florist into a reality. William, balancing his office job with farm life, brings his expertise in farm maintenance, acquired from helping his grandfather tend a giant vegetable garden during his childhood. Together, they balance their love for nature, hard work, the joy of creating beauty at their farm, and leading in sustainable business practices.
Situated on a picturesque 9-acre plot, just a short 15-minute drive from downtown Asheville, Flourish Flower Farm is a slice of paradise in old tobacco country. With its lush pastures, a babbling creek, gently wooded hillsides, and awe-inspiring mountain views, this farm is a dream come true for Niki and William. Sustainability is clearly at the heart of Flourish Flower Farm, and they focus on growing specialty and heirloom varieties while employing environmentally conscious practices, resulting in high-quality, organic, and fragrant blooms. What's even more impressive is that the farm is almost entirely powered by solar energy, thanks in part to a grant from WNC EnergyCAP. WNC EnergyCAP is a conservation assistant program that connects farmers and small business owners of rural Western North Carolina with free technical guidance, educational resources, and cost-share assistance to fund energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems for their operations.
Flourish Flower Farm's commitment to sustainability extends beyond their farming practices. By embracing solar energy, they've taken significant strides towards reducing their carbon emissions. Their solar system, consisting of 40 panels and a total size of 13.6kw DC, is estimated to offset 89% of their annual energy usage. Over the next three decades, this solar investment will save a remarkable 407.1 tons of CO2 emissions—equivalent to the impact of 5,750 trees growing for 10 years, 39,121 gallons of gasoline consumed, or taking 737 cars off the road for a year.
The decision to go solar was made even more rewarding through various incentives for their farm and small business. By taking advantage of the 30% federal tax credit, MACRS depreciation, and the WNC EnergyCAP grant, Flourish Flower Farm received $31,479 (about 80% of their total costs) in incentives.
Thankfully these incentives are happening in the commercial and residential sector so that homeowners, businesses, corporations and nonprofits can all find creative ways to reduce their costs for going solar. One of the biggest and most recent initiatives happened early in July 2023, when the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled an exciting opportunity for homeowners: the "Solar for All Grant" competition, with a staggering $7 billion in funding. This initiative opens up a world of possibilities, making solar energy more affordable for lower income homeowners than ever before. By tapping into this grant or one of the other mentioned incentives more people than ever are able to take advantage of reducing their energy costs and impact. Moreover, these solar programs are not just about affordability; they also contribute to advancing environmental justice, ensuring a greener and more equitable future for all.
For Niki and William, "Flourish" represents more than just a name. It encapsulates their vision of creating a favorable environment for their plants to grow and thrive, while also fostering personal growth and flourishing for their employees, customers, workshop guests, and wedding clients. They believe that by choosing local flowers, customers can make a positive impact by reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance imports. Flourish Flower Farm is proud to be part of the Slow Flowers, the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, and holds the Certified Local designation from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.
Flourish Flower Farm is not just a farm—it's a labor of love that aims to make the world a more beautiful and enjoyable place. Niki's expertise in creating lush, seasonally-inspired floral arrangements for weddings and special events has even led to the publication of her best-selling book, "Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting, and Arranging Beautiful Blooms."
Just like the bees buzzing around Flourish Flower Farm blossoms, Sugar Hollow Solar adds its own sweetness to the equation, infusing renewable energy into the mix. As Niki and William continue to nurture their flourishing farm and spread beauty throughout the community, they extend a warm invitation for you to be a part of the journey. Embrace the charm of blooming flowers, join hands with sustainable practices, and indulge in the sweet rewards of a greener future. If the radiant partnership between Flourish Flower Farm and Sugar Hollow Solar has inspired you to want to embrace sustainable living with a touch of solar sweetness, please do not hesitate to reach out for your free quote today.
Because together, we can cultivate a world where nature and technology intertwine, offering a bouquet of possibilities for a better tomorrow.