Farmstead Florals, which began as a passion project of founder Katherine Webb, has blossomed into a thriving agricultural business. Webb and her team of college student employees are on the brink of harvest season, preparing to distribute to the farm’s multiple florist and grocery store clients.
Farmstead Florals is in its ninth season of production. The business is located on the outskirts of Oxford on a piece of the Webb family’s property known as The Farmstead.
“This is not what I thought I’d be doing. But at the same time, I have absolutely no idea what I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing this, and I love what I do and have every intention of doing it for the rest of my life,” Webb said.
Webb was both inspired and encouraged by her parents to give farming a try. As native Lousianianan vegetable farmers, Webb’s parents bought The Farmstead land with aspirations to incorporate their own agriculture on the property. The Farmstead is a distinct operation from Farmstead Florals, offering a range of activities and services.
Within the 128-acre estate is a beautiful lake lined with privately owned cottages that often serve as lodging for vacationers. The property can also be utilized as a venue for social gatherings such as weddings, private parties and corporate events.
Webb was uninterested in crops, so she gravitated towards plants and spent the summer of her junior year in college at The University of the South experimenting with growing and selling flowers in Oxford. To her surprise, she fell in love with the gratification that comes with the physical labor required to run a flower farm.
Post-graduation, Webb decided to move to Oxford and pursue her flower-farming dream. Farmstead Florals started with three acres of land and has amassed a whopping seven. Webb said that from June to October, the farm will produce up to 10,000 zinnias — her favorite flowers — per week.
“Grow what you love, because if you don’t love it, then you’re not going to devote time and attention to it,” Webb said.
Webb’s flowers and floral arrangements can be found both locally and regionally. She acts as a provider for many different businesses, including Oxford Floral, among others in Memphis and Birmingham, Ala. She also participates in the Oxford Community Market, which takes place every Tuesday afternoon.
“There’s no shortage of ways to be in the flower business. Find what sparks that joy,” Webb said.
Another way Webb showcases and sells her work is through self-service flower booths scattered around the Oxford Square and in the student union on campus. The booths were her father’s idea and took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the community to brighten up their homes without requiring in-person contact.
“Overwhelmingly, more people enjoy it than abuse it, and I think that’s a testament to Oxford,” Webb said.
She enjoys seeing the ways people decorate using her flowers, offering inspiration to her own innovative methods. This winter, Webb focused on repurposing wilting flowers into new creations, such as her dried flower wreaths and bouquets, which can be found at Chicory Market in Oxford.
Webb is always looking for new ways to provide the Oxford community with flowers and is happy with how her business has grown and where it is going.
“Who knows what the future holds?” Webb said. “But for now, we’re happy where we are.”
This article is part of a team-up week activity that the arts and culture section of The Daily Mississippian is hosting. Each arts and culture staff writer collaborated with another writer to complete an article for this week of content.
