Rediscovering the Joy of a Thriving Local Economic Ecosystem

Everything is delicious at the Farmers’ Market!

Shopping, for me, is a chore. Measured in dollars spent, most of my consumer energy goes toward browsing for the microphones, lenses and editing tools that sustain my art. Since nearly all of that gadgetry arrives by courier, my local shopping is limited mainly to the pleasures of the palate.

With another successful Saturday run to the Trenton Farmers' Market behind me, I opened an e-mail from another local farmer. This one happened to be the owner-operator and CEO of Dahlia May Flower Farm. You've probably encountered Melanie or her flowers if you've spent any time at all around town (or on Instagram). She has fans near and far, people who drive in to enjoy flower-harvesting workshops, to wander the nearly endless sunflower field, to buy stunning natural decor, or simply to head home with one of her famous bouquets bursting with colour.

Melanie Harrington and me catching the morning light.

The very next day, I rolled in at the crack of dawn to find Melanie atop a classic tractor, making trips between the flower fields and a refrigerator big enough to park a small bus inside. That she'd called me back for a return assignment was top of mind as we compared notes on running a local business. We came to the same conclusion: there really is an unseen economic thread connecting everyone in the Quinte Region. The business journeys we're all on are noteworthy, in part, because they continue. In an era of Amazon and faraway corporate ownership, it's a small miracle that any of us little guys survive.

But if we're truly fortunate, a steady base of customers will recognize the artful ways we grow flowers and tell stories right here in our home community. Here are a few images of what you'll see if you visit Dahlia May Flower Farm this week: