WE ARE A 1/8-ACRE MICRO-FARM +
GARDEN COACHING SERVICE
CULTIVATING BOTH SOIL & SOUL.
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OUR MISSION
OUR MISSION is to heal, empower, and grow community through small-scale sustainable agriculture,
toxin-free living + mental wellness education. We aim to empower and encourage others to find purpose, intuitive knowledge, and healing within themselves and with the land. We believe farming is a form of therapy that heals both body + soul.
toxin-free living + mental wellness education. We aim to empower and encourage others to find purpose, intuitive knowledge, and healing within themselves and with the land. We believe farming is a form of therapy that heals both body + soul.
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OUR STORY
The Flori•ish Co (aka Flor•ish Farms) was founded by Izzie (that's me!) at the tail end of 2020. The seed was planted when I started exploring my long-time interest in sustainable and regenerative agriculture at the beginning of the pandemic in March. I actually started out growing flowers, but I found myself in a rut and realized that farming flowers full-time as my main focus was going to be too high maintenance for my busy lifestyle as a full-time student and new farmer.
Around the same time, I became interested in toxin-free living when I watched a documentary about commercially grown flowers. The chemicals and toxins they use to grow flowers — in addition to industrially grown & GMO foods — are terrifying. Since I live in a food desert where it's almost impossible to access locally & sustainably grown food, I decided to start a micro-farm and make changes from my small corner of the globe.
Through my farming/gardening journey, I also learned that there's an amazing connection between agriculture and mental health. As a survivor of clinical depression and anxiety, working in the soil has helped me cope and start my healing journey from my personal trauma and made me feel grounded. When I did more research, I found out that there's a compound in soil called mycobacterium vaccae that interacts with our brain cells to produce serotonin — a natural antidepressant that helps our bodies run and function.
That's when the seed began to sprout (and eventually, flor•ish!): I knew that so many others were struggling with their own mental health, and I wanted to create a community around healing, using my own story as encouragement and guidance and offering garden coaching to help others jump start their own journey. I wanted to bring something to the table that I hadn’t really seen from farmers before: a creative and comfortable space that used food to bridge the gap between physical, mental, and spiritual health. At Flor•ish, we believe that healing is a major step/sign of growth and that we can find healing through working with the land and soil.
Around the same time, I became interested in toxin-free living when I watched a documentary about commercially grown flowers. The chemicals and toxins they use to grow flowers — in addition to industrially grown & GMO foods — are terrifying. Since I live in a food desert where it's almost impossible to access locally & sustainably grown food, I decided to start a micro-farm and make changes from my small corner of the globe.
Through my farming/gardening journey, I also learned that there's an amazing connection between agriculture and mental health. As a survivor of clinical depression and anxiety, working in the soil has helped me cope and start my healing journey from my personal trauma and made me feel grounded. When I did more research, I found out that there's a compound in soil called mycobacterium vaccae that interacts with our brain cells to produce serotonin — a natural antidepressant that helps our bodies run and function.
That's when the seed began to sprout (and eventually, flor•ish!): I knew that so many others were struggling with their own mental health, and I wanted to create a community around healing, using my own story as encouragement and guidance and offering garden coaching to help others jump start their own journey. I wanted to bring something to the table that I hadn’t really seen from farmers before: a creative and comfortable space that used food to bridge the gap between physical, mental, and spiritual health. At Flor•ish, we believe that healing is a major step/sign of growth and that we can find healing through working with the land and soil.
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WHAT WE OFFER
Personalized garden coaching + consultation sessions to get your garden flourishing. Learn about which crops grow best where you are, and which crops fit best into your lifestyle — plus different types of gardens and how different culinary herbs can benefit your health and facilitate different modes of healing — from general anxiety to PTSD. Izzie works with you directly to jump-start your garden and stays with you every step of the way. Learn more >>
What are the toxins used in conventional food, fashion, cosmetic, and household products? How do they harm us and the environment, and how can we learn how to avoid them? On my blog I share all the in-depth knowledge I've gathered on the harmful effects of chemicals and toxins, plus toxin-free alternatives to integrate into your life. Learn more >>
Mental health education, advocacy and awareness. We believe in the incredible intersection of mental health and agriculture, and offer shared experience, tips, and advice on achieving mental wellness through
garden therapy on our blog posts, video, and social media. Learn more >>
An important note: we are not licensed therapists or mental health professionals,
simply mental health advocates with a personal story to share.
garden therapy on our blog posts, video, and social media. Learn more >>
An important note: we are not licensed therapists or mental health professionals,
simply mental health advocates with a personal story to share.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IZZIE,
FOUNDER OF THE FLOR•ISH CO.
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HELLO! I'm a Caribbean American first-generation farmer and full-time student in the Northern part of the sunshine state of Florida. I'm also a survivor and warrior of clinical anxiety & depression. This was my first official growing season on the farm, but I've been exposed to agriculture for the majority of my life. Growing up, we always had a small family garden and guess who hated it? ME! I had literal tears rolling down my face when it was time to work in the garden, but my mom made me work alongside her anyway (thanks, Mom!) It paid off because I have a micro-farm now!
I turned to agriculture as I had a genuine interest in sustainability and locally grown foods — but it has turned into so much more than growing food. Working in the soil has given me new purpose and meaning and I honestly believe it saved my life. It's my mission to use my story and my journey to help others find healing, too. |
