Support Flower Farmers Devastated by Helene

My name is Emily Patrick, and I am raising money for my company, Carolina Flowers, which was flooded with 8 feet of water during Hurricane Helene. We are located in Marshall, NC, a town that was destroyed by floodwaters. We sell flowers throughout the greater Asheville area, and our sales outlets are under duress. Our fields are OK, but all of our indoor space is gone. This money will support our staff of 14 people as we transition to a new space — somewhere. Our payroll is about $30,000 per month, so this money will go directly toward wages for the month of November. If there’s any money left over, it will go to payroll for the month of December.

During Hurricane Helene, our production building and flower shop was inundated with 8 feet of floodwater, destroying our equipment and supplies. We stored all of our supplies for seed starting, growing hydroponic tulips, plant starts, seed, farm supplies, vases, refrigerators and so much more — all destroyed. More importantly, it destroyed a critical gathering place for our staff of 14 people and hundreds of flower lovers who gathered here to experience workshops and pick up orders for events.

We are determined to move forward. Employment in Western North Carolina is going to be critical to helping our community rebuild. We want to remain an employer so there's a reason for people to live here. Displacement is such a concern right now!

November is typically a difficult month in the flower business. I have spent all year preparing for winter payroll. This disaster strikes us at the worst possible time. We have been able to raise enough money to make it through October. We are asking you to help us make payroll for November and keep the money flowing to our staff.

Carolina Flowers is a 5-acre flower farm and floral design business. (Our farm is OK! We are so lucky!) Our mission is to create careers in sustainable agriculture in former tobacco country. We want to show the world what agriculture looks like when it's done right: supporting living wage jobs, creating a value-added product, protecting land and watersheds.

Now that we have experienced an environmental disaster, we are more committed than ever to riparian repair, restoring floodplains, sequestering carbon, building soil health, preventing erosion, supporting the ecosystem, and supporting the communities and families who make us who we are!