In October 2018, Scott and Jennifer Joray closed on a neglected 20-acre farm in Pittston, Maine, about seven miles south of Augusta. They’d already spent three years searching, and although the USDA maps deemed it undesirable farmland, they fell in love with the classic New England timber frame buildings, the even mix of fields and woods and the unique topography – some flat and some sloping toward the Eastern River.
At the time of the purchase, the couple was living in Massachusetts with their two daughters. They were both teachers; Scott, chemistry, and Jennifer, music.
“One day Scott came home and said ‘I think I am supposed to be a farmer.’ He had done a lot of studying with his students about soil health and where our food comes from and quickly learned there are big problems that need fixing, and he wanted to be part of the solution,” Jennifer said.
Eventually, after an extensive amount of research, they chose cut flower production adhering to organic practices, although they are not certified. Their first two growing seasons were remote. Each Friday, in their minivan, they carted flower transplants north on the interstate and were delighted to find upon their return on following weekends that many had grown.
In March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the family decided to move to Maine earlier than expected. Scott began farming full-time, and Jennifer took a music teaching position. They’re assisted by their homeschooled daughters and one part-time employee.
In six short years, Eastern River Farm has made a name for itself as a supplier of high-quality and diverse cut flowers for Maine’s wedding scene. “We’re known for variety as well as beauty,” Jennifer said.
The majority of Maine weddings occur from May through the end of October. To provide flowers during the spring wedding season, Scott and Jennifer rely on well-timed high tunnel plantings, many of which must be planted in late autumn and early winter. The tunnels are unheated.
They have three 100-by-16-foot Farmers Friends caterpillar tunnels and one 76-by-30-foot gothic high tunnel with a blown poly roof and double inflated walls. Had they had the financial resources at the beginning of their farming career, the pair would have opted for more high tunnels.
“Go directly for a more consistent tunnel environment. The bigger the tunnel, the more consistent the environment you’re going to create for yourself,” Jennifer said. “The highs and lows are more stable the longer and wider the high tunnel becomes.”
Overwintered specialty Italian pansies, sweet peas, Iceland poppies and double tulips serve as the focal spring flowers. Though they’re important for these early season weddings, Jennifer called their 5,000 tulips loss leaders. Tulips have a demanding harvest schedule (up to three times a day) and compete with the field prep and outdoor transplanting that occur at the same time.
As the season progresses, these earliest spring flowers are replaced by longer season autumn- and winter-planted tunnel species including snapdragons, delphiniums, nigella, feverfew, campanula and orlaya.
Some of these early season flowers must be started in the heated greenhouse early in winter (rather than autumn-planted) to be ready for late winter transplanting, such as anemones, scabiosa and fragrant stock.
The varied landscape of Eastern River Farm was a major draw for owners Jennifer and Scott Joray. Photo courtesy of Allie Richards
The flower season then shifts out of tunnel production into the flat fields close to their house. They cultivate about two acres of outdoor transplanted flowers planted in 70 70-by-three-foot beds covered with plastic. Summer focal blooms include lisianthus (plug grown), peonies, dahlias and foxglove. (Jennifer cautioned that foxglove is highly poisonous.)
A huge variety of accent flowers complement these showy blooms – bachelor’s buttons, cosmos, zinnias, larkspur, strawflowers and gomphrena. Eucalyptus is a common filler.
What their customers won’t find, however, are flowers known for their ability to travel long distances. “We focus on crops that don’t ship well. I don’t want to be associated with the look of wholesale, so we don’t, for example, do roses,” Jennifer said.
The time-consuming task of harvest occurs nearly every day. They used to harvest, strip leaves and then place the stems in buckets, but now they bring the cut flowers to a station close to their UTV. “So, one or two people cutting and one or two people at the Gator grading, stripping and sorting by color,” Jennifer said.
Then, the flowers are placed in buckets (or glass jars for more delicate blooms) and placed in a 14-by-20-foot cooler in the barn. Their goal is to not hold any flowers longer than a week.
Weddings account for 80% of their sales with the remainder sold to local designers and florists. Couples can choose from three options for their wedding flowers – full-service, a la carte and DIY.
With full-service orders, Jennifer and Scott travel to the venue and help with set-up. Full-service orders must be $6,500 or higher and include flowers, candles, linens and additional décor, but they more commonly run in the $12,000 – $18,000 range. “We only do a handful of those every season,” Jennifer said.
The most common request is their la carte service, and the farm can handle up to three or four a la carte orders each weekend. With no minimum order, couples can choose from bulk vines, delicate handmade crowns and boutonnieres, dog neck wreaths, corsages, edible charcuterie and cake flowers, several sizes of bouquets, centerpieces and ceremony arrangements, including arbor décor.
Jennifer is a self-taught stylist with a keen understanding of color and style trends within the floral and wedding industries. In her airy bouquets and arrangements, her goal is to let the flowers speak for themselves.
Jennifer said, “I teach style courses a few times each season. Stems need to be loose and airy. All the stems go in the same direction. Zero green leaves below the waterline or below your hand. And standardizing glassware is a big part of our a la carte.”
Finished orders are color-coded with tape and placed in an eight-by-12-foot cooler, and these orders (as well as their do-it-yourself option) must be picked up by the customer.
Eastern River Farm attributes their success in part to their highly organized procedural work style. Jennifer also pointed out that each year, as they continue to focus on their soil fertility (Scott has a doctorate in chemistry), plant health and yields improve. These efficiencies in production have given them more time to diversify into medicinal herbs and home-scale meat production.
“We’ve learned that anybody can turn a piece of land into a healthy farmable property. It’s just a matter of time, effort and money that the soil can be built up in any location,” Jennifer said.
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin
