Stacy Brenner, co-founder of Broadturn Farm in Scarborough, Maine, a candidate for Maine State Senate's 30th District
There is no denying that 2020 has been an insane year. I feel like the constant topics of conversation include resilience, reinvention, adaptation, innovation, not to mention pivoting or survival. UGH.
There's also no denying that many of you, have, like me, been deeply moved by what's happening in our world -- from social and racial justice to saving the planet, as well as keeping ourselves safe from the ever-present threat of contracting COVID.
It has been so encouraging to hear from guests throughout the past seven months, who have generously shared their personal stories around resilience -- flower farmers, florists and designers, and everyone touched by the wedding and events industry. The theme comes through in every episode and I'm grateful that the Slow Flowers Podcast has been a place to convene these conversations in a respectful and thoughtful environment.
Broadturn Farm, Scarborough, Maine
The year is not over, especially as those of us in the U.S. are entering the final weeks of what I believe to be a life-and-death election season. Against the backdrop of taking action to change our world for a better place, I'm delighted to introduce you today to Stacy Brenner, organic flower farmer, nurse midwife and candidate for Maine State Senate's 30th District.
Stacy joined me last February 2019 to discuss the theme of social entrepreneurship, and you listen to that episode here.
Here's more about Stacy, excerpted from her Stacy for Senate about page:
Stacy Brenner is an organic farmer and small business owner who co-founded and now operates Broadturn Farm in Scarborough. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she studied agriculture and plant sciences. Stacy holds two nursing degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent her early working career as a nurse-midwife, tending to the births of hundreds of babies at Mercy Hospital in Portland. She is a board member of Maine Farmland Trust and Board Vice-President of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Organization (MOFGA).
Raised in a working-class suburb in New Jersey, Stacy spent her childhood romanticizing country life. When she wasn’t watching reruns of “Little House on the Prairie,” Stacy would escape the suburban chem-lawns of her neighborhood to explore the wooded edges of the development with her brother. She always wanted to be a farmer. Like so many other folks from away, she was drawn to the state of Maine by its verdant landscapes, its supportive business climate, its thriving agricultural network and the amazing, hard-working people she met.
John Bliss and Stacy Brenner of Broadturn Farm, with their daughters
In 2002, Stacy, her five-year-old daughter Emma, and her husband, John Bliss, moved to Maine to become first-generation farmers. They entered the MOFGA farmer journeyperson program designed to support new entry growers, and taught themselves how to be farmers. In 2006, Stacy and John opened Broadturn Farm, which produces cut flowers and organic vegetables, hosts weddings, and runs a summer day camp focused on connecting youth with sustainable agriculture. Now employing 30 people at the height of the season, the farm is a thriving example of economic development on farmland protected with an agricultural easement funded in part by the Land for Maine’s Future program.
I've been watching along on social media as Stacy's campaign for Maine State Senate has gained traction, with amazing endorsements from a diverse group of supporters, including the Sierra Club, Emily's List, Maine Conservation Voters, Maine Education Association, several unions, Emily's List, Equality Maine, Planned Parenthood and other groups.
What follows is a fascinating discussion that to me, at its core, looks at the question: What can one person do to make the world a safer, more equitable,