A Circuit of Flow(er)ing Energy

By Lanae Jackson, Production Assistant 

Over the years at Real Food Farm, people have planted lots of flowers. And with the support of Clifton Farm Manager Bryan and other Real Food Farm staff who encourage my extreme love of flowers, I have added a few plants to the different flower sites on the farm. For example, in the bioswale there are many perennial shrubs, flowers, and grasses that come back every year. We have flowers all around to bring beauty to the farm and to create a better aesthetic, but we also have flowers for our bee colony. Our various rain gardens, raised beds, and potted plants enhance the farm greatly by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects. Many of my fellow farmers want to build back the ecosystem and understand that having plant and ecosystem diversity is a big help in maintaining farm health. To quote Aldo Leopold, “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils.” Our flowers are so beautiful, and they do so much for creating a steady flow of energy at Real Food Farm.

About Real Food Farm

Real Food Farm works toward a just and sustainable food system by improving neighborhood access to healthy food, providing experience-based education, and developing an economically viable, environmentally responsible local agriculture sector.