Slupik Mini Farm

Slupik Mini Farm sits on the corner of Niwot Road and Redwing Place and offers a wide array of flowers, herbs, vegetables and artwork to the community. Slupik Mini Farm, founded in 2020, is the inspiration of Stacey and Dan Slupik and is very much a family business. Stacey Slupik sat down with the Left Hand Courier's Dana Jones to talk about the farm.

What is one quote (and who said it) that is close to your heart with regard to Slupik Mini Farm?

I don't know who first said it, and there are a lot of variations of it, but one quote we live by is, "Nothing in life worth having comes easy."

Tell us the inspiration behind Slupik Mini Farm and what makes it stand out from the rest? Give us a little history.

Our flower farm started from a desire to build something big, something beautiful, something that would touch people in a meaningful way. I had been home caring for our family for almost 15 years and was starting to feel a strong urge to do something for myself, something that would allow me to tap into my creativity, something that would connect me with people in a real way.

We had been fixing up our home and property for several years and there was a corner of it that sat empty. It was nothing but dirt and weeds. Dan (my husband) bought me Floret's book "Cut Flower Garden'' as a gift, and I felt an immediate connection. I enrolled in Floret's online course on how to start a small-scale cut flower farm, and it felt like it was exactly what I had been looking for.

So we got to work and turned that empty corner of our property into a flower field! We focus on growing flowers that are unique and exceptionally beautiful, flowers that make you really stop and look.

Our entire family has been a part of building our flower farm. It's not uncommon to see our kids out working alongside us. They cheer for us when we have success, and they cry alongside us when hail rains on the flowers or snow collapses our tunnels. They are as invested in it as we are. I think that people who visit our farm can feel that connection and the love that we've put into it, and I think that's what makes it special. In our fast-paced, screen-focused, post-pandemic world, I think that people are craving something meaningful and real.

Name a person, past or present, whom you admire or look up to - and why?

My grandparents have been my biggest inspiration in starting our flower farm. They raised their family in a home very similar to the one we've been fixing up. My best childhood memories come from being at their home, running around outside with my cousins, playing flashlight tag in the dark, celebrating holidays, being together as a big family. I knew from a young age that I wanted to raise my kids with a similar upbringing.

My grandparents loved to garden. My grandma still has immaculate gardens, and at the age of 91, she still loves to go outside and nurture her plants. My grandpa, who we lost a few years ago, loved to grow dahlias, especially the big dinnerplate ones. He was a happy man, always telling jokes. In all my memories of him, he has a big smile on his face. I think it was his guiding hand that led me to where I needed to be in starting my own flower farm.

We know that your community is important to you. Tell us what you feel is the best thing about it.

It's hard to put into words what this community has meant to us. We don't have much family here in Colorado, but it feels like we've settled into this great big family that has wrapped its arms around us. The network of farms, restaurants, shops, and people all working together, supporting each other, helping each other, cheering for each other - it's one of the best things I've been a part of!

What has been the best piece of advice given to you? Did it change the path you took to success?

My husband Dan has honestly been my biggest motivator. I can talk myself out of anything out of fear of failing, but he has a fearlessness about him that motivates me. When I first talked to him about starting the flower farm, he said to me, "What do you have to lose?" He was right - what did I have to lose by putting some seeds in the ground!

What is one piece of advice you would give someone interested in starting their own flower farm?

Grow the things you love, the things that bring you the most joy. You will take better care of them and have better success if you really love them. Don't get caught up in photos on social media of what everyone else is growing. You can't grow it all, so focus on growing what really inspires YOU. Create your own style!

What is your most favorite thing about owning and running Slupik Mini Farm?

The best part about growing flowers is that it has been a window into some of the most special moments in life. We've been a part of people's birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and special celebrations. We've celebrated with people, we've comforted them, and we've mourned with them when they've endured a loss. These are the most real parts of life, and it's incredibly special to be a part of them.

What is your most coveted memory so far with regards to starting up and running a successful flower farm?

We started our flower farm right as the pandemic was starting. We had a small farmstand that Dan had built for the kids to sell veggies on when they were small. We put that stand out by the road that first season with our flowers, and sometimes veggies from the garden, on it. One day I watched as a cyclist rode away from our stand with a big bouquet of our flowers and one of our giant zucchini sticking out the back of his jersey as he rode home! That was when I knew we had started something good!

Does Slupik Mini Farm offer anything other than flowers?

We sell our flowers through our spring and fall flower subscription, through our roadside stand, by the bucket, and through custom orders. We also sell pumpkins in the fall, amaryllis at the holidays, eggs, flower photography, calendars, and beautiful artwork and other creations made by our oldest daughter, Molly.

What do you want the Niwot Community to know about Slupik Mini Farm that they might not know?

We are always dreaming up something new! Sign up for our newsletter on our website, or follow us on Instagram, to see what we're up to next!

Address - 7018 Redwing Pl., Niwot CO 80503

To Volunteer - look at the Upcoming Events section on the bottom of our homepage to sign up.

Web - http://www.slupikminifarm.com

Hours of operation - Our season runs April thru September. Our flower stand is open Friday thru Sunday 10 a.m. -- 6 p.m. during those months. We also take custom orders through our website.

Team members - Stacey, Dan, Molly, Noah & Ella