Molly Friedland

I have been farming vegetables and flowers since 2009 and worked for 8 years as an estate gardener on MDI. I have worked at 5 different farms in the past decade and a half, and have studied biodynamic, permaculture and sustainable farming. I got my undergraduate degree at Warren Wilson College in NC and majored in Sustainable Agriculture and Cultural Anthropology.

Currently my partner and I are growing 1.5 acres of specialty cut flowers on leased land in Hancock and Ellsworth ME. We started our business two years ago and it has evolved into a nice wholesale/retail mix of sales. We have a huge demand for premium flowers from the event/wedding industry here in coastal Maine, and we work with clients to customize their ideal event florals while keeping true to our sustainable farming/producing mission. We sell at a few local farmstands as well as wholesale direct to other florists and designers. We utilize regenerative farming practices and never use pesticides or fertilizers on our crops. We implemented a no-till system to our home property and use low-till methods at our leased plot. We keep honeybees and plant native pollinator friendly plants to create healthy and rich environments to encourage native pollinator health.

We would like to eventually work produce back into our farm system, but for now we are focusing on the flowers as they are highly lucrative and we are able to add value to our products through design. We are currently MOFGA Journey People and have taken their Farm Beginnings course, we are honing our entrepreneurial skills to create a sustainable farm business that will carry our family through the ages. We hope to find our forever farm in the next five years :)

Little Red Flower Truck LLC is a flower farm and a mobile, floral design business. We grow specialty cut-flowers in Ellsworth and Bar Harbor Maine and deliver them in a little red pick-up truck with a homemade flower wagon on the back. Our mission is to use sustainable and regenerative farming practices to produce quality flowers and floral products. Little Red Flower Truck LLC is owned and operated by Molly Friedland, farmer florist, and supported by her Partner, Caleb Hawkins, as well as a multitude of family and community members. Currently we grow perennial and annual flower crops on a half acre that we own in downtown Ellsworth, as well as a leased acre in Hancock. Little Red Flower Truck LLC serves wholesale accounts with local florists, offers a personal and business CSA, sells at pop-up markets and caters to customized weddings and events. We feel strongly about supporting other local farmers and feel that the more collaboration and community connections the more sustainable our farm and business will be. We value healthy ecosystems therefore we strive to steward the land we farm and create habitat for pollinators. We prioritize regenerative and sustainable growing methods and are intentional in creating a farm plan that is well suited to its natural environment. We hope to build a farm business that exemplifies and advocates for sustainable growing methods, as well as floral design methods. We value safe and healthy work environments and will ensure that all employees and clients are well taken care of and their needs are prioritized. In our first year of business we grossed $25,000 in the second year we grossed $65,000. We are confident in our abilities (farming, marketing, networking in our community) and are looking to find our forever farm to settling into in order to actualize our lifes dream.