Hey there!
I’m Drew, allow me to tell you our story.
The Story of Clara Joyce Flowers
This is a part of my life that I love to share. Reflecting on where we’ve come from, the feats we’ve accomplished, and the visions I have for my farms future brings warmth to my heart. As you dive into our story, I encourage you to think about those who have come before you, those who will come after you, and those who you touch each and every day.
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Growing up as an only child was an adventure, and one that I would never want to change! I would spend the weeks of my summer vacations beside my grandmother Monica and great-grandmother Lillian. We would tend to the gardens at our familys’ historic dairy farm that was settled six generations ago in the rolling hills of Jo Daviess County, Illinois. It was during these moments that Great-Grandma instilled in me the value of caring -- caring for something as small as a carrot seed and tending to its every need in an effort to harvest the crop to feed our families. Right then, I knew I was hooked on agriculture.
When I was eleven years old, I decided I wanted a garden of my own. I shared my vision with my father and a spark was lit in our eyes. At first we “just” grew produce for our family and friends, but it soon grew to become more. By my eighth grade year, I was selling my farm fresh produce to our entire neighborhood as well as at local farmers markets, but I didn't stop there. By the time I graduated high school, I had built my produce operation, Groezinger Produce Farm, so that I was selling at local farmers markets, wholesale produce to local restaurants, and serving local families through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program all with the help of my friends and family. Great-Grandma Lillian was so incredibly proud of what I had grown, and who I had become.
Throughout the later years of my great-grandmother's life, I would often bring her flowers that I grew, and we would examine each little bloom. She always loved the orange ones. During one of our last visits, she shared with me her love of dahlias. We immediately dove into her memories of growing the luscious blooms, sharing them with her loved ones, digging them up after a heavy frost had come, and dividing and storing them over winter. Just two short months later, in September 2015, she passed away at the incredible age of 98.
In the fall of 2015, after the first frost, I gathered up my few scraggly dahlia tubers, packed them away as great-grandma had said and began preparing something beautiful.
In an attempt to create a meaningful name, for my quickly changing farm, I went to something meaningful to me -- family. One evening I sent my dearest friend, Olivia, a note asking her to tell me the name of a woman from her families past that she had never gotten to meet, but felt a strong connection to. She responded with “Clara”, her great-great grandmother, and then asked the same of me. My response was “Joyce”. Joyce Groezinger was my father's mother. She passed away from cancer in the early 90's before I was born. Joyce was a woman that I heard so many stories about while I was growing up. From the sounds of it, she was an incredible mother, gardener, crafter, and an all around amazing person. Though I never had the privilege to meet these strong-willed women, I knew their names had created the perfect starting point-- Clara Joyce Flowers.
With a name planted and a crop ready to hit the soil, the adventure continued.
Many of our clients note how unique our floral designs are and ask how I learned how to arrange in such an unkept and yet whimsical manor. I first started working in local floral shops during my time in high school. It was during these years that I learned the foundations of floral design. This was also the time period when I realized that there was a strong need for high quality local flowers.
There was always such a large gap between the conventional imported flowers we had in the shops and the types of gorgeous local blooms I knew I could successfully grow. I targeted that gap and never looked back. I took the basics of design, that I had learned, and made them my own.
Our floral work consistently has a natural element and flow that is ever-present. I draw my inspiration from the rows and rows of gorgeous floral product that surround me nearly all year long. Our designs are incredibly seasonal as well. Often times our wedding clients aren’t guaranteed a specific type of flowers, but are promised to receive the absolute best of the season, making us unique in yet another way.
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Presently, Clara Joyce Flowers grows specialty cut flowers and dahlias for wholesale cut flower production as well as for tuber sales to other farmers, gardeners, and dahlia lovers nationwide. Our cut flowers and foliage are sold to local wedding and event designers in the Chicago and Madison areas, shipped nation wide, and are used in our own wedding and event designs.
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Email: drew@clarajoyceflowers . com
