Monterey County, California is understood for its picturesque rugged coastlines, however for those who journey inland from Huge Sur, over the mountains and into the valley, you would possibly come throughout a farm sporting acres upon acres of contemporary herbs, flowers, regional greenery, and different lovely crops. (Its great scents would possibly even lead you to it!) By way of the yr, these crops are grown, harvested, and dried, all main as much as after they’re reworked into distinctive wreaths which might be shipped across the nation to adorn the properties of hundreds of shoppers.
That is Creekside Farms. The family-owned enterprise was began in 1988 by two mother and father, and at this time, greater than 30 years later, the corporate goes sturdy with 30 workers, 20 acres of farmland, and dozens of designs for each season.
Photograph by Creekside Farms
It All Began With Pepperberries
Whereas wreaths are actually their bread and butter, Creekside Farms really began out as a flower firm. Carol and Larry Umbarger had been searching for a technique to make a bit of additional revenue when their youngsters went off to school, so that they began promoting flowers. Nevertheless, the market was aggressive, and Carol knew they wanted to discover a area of interest in the event that they had been going to thrive.
“Carol was in Santa Barbara one time and seen there have been pepperberries hanging in an vintage store that had been $15 for just a little bunch,” explains Teri Umbarger, Carol’s daughter-in-law and the present designer and advertising and marketing and gross sales director for Creekside Farms. “She thought, ‘There are pepperberries throughout our valley—That is what I’m going to do!’”
The household began accumulating and promoting dried pepperberries, which ultimately helped them join with the upscale backyard life-style model, Smith and Hawken. In a stroke of destiny, the corporate requested if Carol would help considered one of its distributors in making wreaths, as they had been struggling to maintain up with demand. With no wreath-making expertise to talk of, the household accepted the problem.
“They discovered methods to make a wreath on a pool desk,” says Umbarger. “They put plywood over it, and made 3,000 wreaths in three weeks.” The remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
Photograph by Creekside Farms
Contained in the World of Farm-to-Door Wreaths
In a world the place almost all the pieces we purchase is manufactured in unmarked factories far, far-off, it’s at all times refreshing to discover a product that’s solely made by hand from begin to end. At Creekside Farms, each step of wreath creation takes place on their farm in Greenfield, California, from planting and rising the components to packing and transport out the completed product.
Domestically Grown Substances
In case you browse the Creekside Farms web site, you’ll see they provide an array of wreaths utilizing all kinds of supplies, colours, and patterns. That makes it arduous to imagine the household really grows most of their provides on their two farms—their newer 15-acre primary facility, and the unique five-acre household ranch.
Photograph by Ty Mecham
“We develop nearly all of our wreath provides,” says Umbarger. “We develop a number of herbs—culinary herbs and others that dry effectively and maintain their coloration. We even have eucalyptus timber, olive timber, and pepperberry timber.” They use the smaller of the 2 farms to develop the sweetest-smelling lavender, as effectively.
For components that aren’t conducive to California climate, they buy from different farms. “Through the fall and vacation season, we usher in greenery like cedar and fir, which doesn’t develop right here, however nonetheless attempt to incorporate one thing to make the wreaths distinctive to us—often a California inexperienced.”
Pure Designs and Pure Substances
Along with serving as the corporate’s advertising and marketing and gross sales director, Teri Umbarger can be the artistic power behind the corporate’s lovely designs.
“I design all our wreaths,” she says. “I take a look at what’s out on the web, in magazines, in catalogs, and one thing will catch my eye. I’ll use that as inspiration and tweak it to match our look, which is fairly distinct.”
Followers of the model might most likely decide Creekside Farms wreaths out of a lineup in, like, 5 seconds, however what precisely is it that makes the wreaths distinctive? Umbarger says it’s as a result of they pleasure themselves on valuing imperfection. “We use parts which might be pure, and we like our wreaths to be natural-looking,” says Umbarger. “I like them to be just a little extra wild and life like—not like a doughnut in an ideal circle!” She additionally explains that they preserve issues as pure all through the manufacturing course of, avoiding using pesticides and different dangerous remedies as a lot as potential.
The top consequence? Beautiful wreaths which might be eye-catching, aromatic, and completely adored by prospects.
This text was up to date in September 2023 with Creekside Farms’ latest handmade wreaths.
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