Stories Archive

Insights for getting started in agriculture

From mid-June to mid-August, the sun never sets in Nenana, Alaska, the “Land of the Midnight Sun.” Residents wake up in the middle of the night to find the sun shining brightly, people gardening and harvesting hay. This far-north phenomenon is a consequence of living on top of the world. Here, 100-pound cabbages aren’t outlandish, and flowers, vegetables, and all things green and growing often dwarf their cousins in the “lower 48.” That is until the harsh winter begins with six months of darkness, mounds of snow and subzero temperatures.

This is where Wanda and Milt Haken with Fox Hollow Peonies are pioneers in the commercial flower-growing industry. They started a small farm just south of Fairbanks with 200 plants in 2010. Today, they cultivate more than 5,000 plants, selling flowers to local consumers and businesses and shipping to florists and brides across the United States. Forging new ground isn’t easy. That’s why the Hakens sought trusted resources to guide them and found ways to connect with other producers to share their experiences and learn.

Finding reliable, science-based information is extremely important for new producers, especially those who are growing a new crop. The Hakens credit their insights to the Alaska Division of Agriculture and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for introducing peony flowers to growers in the state. Staff at the University Alaska-Fairbanks and the Division of Ag initially discovered that peonies – the top-selling wedding flower – bloomed in Alaska when they weren’t blooming anywhere else in the world. The university conducted research to help growers fine-tune best practices and the agricultural extension office offered support.

"If you're going to be successful, you need to love what you're doing."- Wanda Haken

Networking and learning from other growers is also significant. “My advice to someone thinking about starting a farm is to develop good relationships with fellow farmers in your area,” says Wanda. “They’ve gone ahead of you and made some mistakes you hopefully won’t need to repeat. Originally, we had a small, very close co-op of 24 farms here. At the end of the season, we all got together and shared our experiences, what we did right, what we did wrong, and we all learned from each other.”

Sometimes it can be easy to focus on the day-to-day work of growing a crop and lose sight of your marketing efforts. Wanda says a lot of people in Alaska were excited to start growing peonies but didn’t think about how much they were growing or how they were going to sell them.

Social media is so important these days,” Wanda says. “We market to brides and florists, so for us, Instagram and our website have been great marketing tools. And you need to start having a presence on social media long before you’re ready to sell. We spend three days on family vacations marketing to every florist in the area we’re visiting. Then they check out our website and follow us on social media to learn more.”

Over the years Wanda and Milt have grown their small farm into a thriving business. They continue to learn, experiment with different tools and techniques, and freely share their experiences with others. “If you’re going to be successful, you need to love what you’re doing,” says Wanda. “Farming and running a small business is extremely hard work. For me, I love seeing how our customers react when they receive their flowers. That’s what makes me happy and brings me joy.”

Read more stories from our Young, Beginning and Small customers.

Return to Stories home page.