Happy Father’s Day to my dad — the farmer who helped shape who I am today

I talk a lot about how my mom played a big role in my flower journey, but I haven’t shared much about my dad—and honestly, so much of who I am comes from him.

At first glance, flowers and farming might not seem like they belong in the same sentence. My dad has farmed his whole life—soybeans, corn, wheat. And now here I am, planting flowers. But what I’ve realized is that even though the crops are different, the heart behind it is the same.

We both plant seeds in the dirt and hope they grow. We worry about the weather. We fight off weeds. We pour in time, sweat, stress, and prayers. And then we wait. We hope. And if we’re lucky—we harvest.

I wasn’t super involved in Dad’s farming growing up—sports and school kept me busy—but the days I did spend with him on the farm are some of my strongest memories. I didn’t know it then, but they planted something in me too.

Riding in the combine felt so peaceful—sometimes perched on the tire fender (which Mom was definitely not a fan of, haha)—and I had no clue back then how proud I’d one day feel doing something so similar. I didn’t know if it was a good or bad year for our crops, but the act of planting and harvesting stuck with me.

Now, as I plant and harvest my own flowers, I feel that same mix of anticipation and reward that Dad must have felt all those years. And I get it now. The worry. The hope. The hustle when the weather doesn’t cooperate. The pride when something finally thrives. I may not be growing corn, but I am a farmer. A flower farmer.

And as wild as it sounded at first to some of our grain-farming friends, they’ve come around. They’ve watched the process, seen the growth, and now they stop by to see the blooms, cheer me on, and even share in the excitement. The foundation is the same—plant, nurture, grow, and share.

Today, I’m sharing a photo of our family at the Bowling Green Tractor Pulls—a tradition that’s been part of our lives for as long as I can remember. I honestly don’t even know when I started going—it’s just always been our thing.

Most people think it’s a “guy thing,” but not for me. It’s something I’ve always loved doing with my dad. Now I get to share it with my husband, our boys, and our friends. And let me just say—this crew knows how to do the pulls right! From paying for grass (lifesaver—if you know, you know 😂) to trying to toss Jell-O shots to Dad from the stands (and mostly hitting strangers like 10 rows deep 😂), it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year.

But that’s not the only special memory I have with my dad.

He used to milk cows growing up, and for years I begged to show dairy feeders for my 4-H project. Finally, my freshman year of high school, they let me—and it became one of the most rewarding summers I can remember.

Waking up early to fill buckets in the kitchen sink with hot water, mixing bottles, feeding calves, walking them, brushing them, halter-breaking them—it was a full-time job all summer long, and Dad never hesitated to help. It didn’t matter that we weren’t raising beef feeders (which my husband definitely had something to say about at the time, haha). It was something we bonded over, and the excitement of raising and seeing your success show in the show ring—even if it wasn’t a grand champion moment. Winning your weight class or, one year, even placing 4th overall made all the early mornings and hard work worth it. He showed up, every step of the way.

It’s another beautiful example of how he let me chase what I loved and helped me learn the hard work and consistency it takes to grow something meaningful.

Now I pour those same lessons into Beagle’s Cottage Blooms—my own little farm, just with a different kind of harvest. 🌺

Every flower I grow is rooted in the same values I learned bottle-feeding calves or riding in the combine. And I carry those memories, and my dad’s influence, with me every single day.

And speaking of growing… I’m so excited for everything coming up with Beagle’s Cottage Blooms!

🌸 Flower bar pop-ups are on the calendar
🌸 Workshops are in the works (yes, bring your friends—wine + flowers = yes please)
🌸 Special events and custom orders I’m pouring my heart into
🌸 And let’s be real… I’m already planning next year’s season too

This little flower farm of mine is rooted in family, tradition, and a whole lot of love—and I couldn’t be more thankful for the journey.

So here’s to the farmers. The dads. The growers. The dreamers. The ones who taught us that it’s okay to start small, and to keep going even when it’s hard.

I see you. I am you. And I’m so grateful. 💛