About the farm
Flower Moon Farm is a 3 acre flower farm in Chester, NY — heart of the incredible Black Dirt Region of New York. The land is leased from the Chester Agricultural Center. Flower Moon Farm uses sustainable agricultural and organic growing practices.
About the name
The Flower Moon is the first full moon in the month of May. This full moon symbolizes the upcoming month of flowers beginning to bud and bloom in abundance.
If I’m being honest, I didn’t know the “Flower Moon” existed when I came up with my farm name. My thought process was along the lines of: Flower (okay, that makes sense) + Moon (the most beautiful celestial being in the sky and what I have been drawn to since I was young) + Farm (duh) = it sounds nice together! With that being said, the moon truly does hold such a special place in my heart and way of life. In Judaism, we go by a lunar calendar, using the moon as our guide to time our festivals, holidays and many rituals. There is also a special monthly holiday called “Rosh Chodesh”, celebrated on the New Moon of each moth. During the new moon, Jewish women gather together to learn, set intentions for the upcoming month and connect with one another. Even before I knew about the Jewish connection to the moon, I was just as fascinated. Whether it was learning about the moon in my favorite class (Earth Science), going to a “Star Party” looking through various telescopes to glimpse at the moon/stars/planets, or just being the girl who used to wear shirts with the moon phases on them.
I feel so honored to share the name Flower Moon with the beautiful Full Moon in the month of May.
About the farmer
Flower Moon Farm is owned and farmed by Nicole Bard. In the midst of 2020, I found my way to farming after years of backyard home gardening, and some balcony urban gardening. I started as an apprentice at Dig Acres on 18 acres of black dirt, where we grew a variety of vegetables that were sent to the chain of DIG restaurants in NYC.
In 2021, I tested my love of New York, packed up and moved to Michigan for one farm season to participate in Michigan State University Extension Tollgate Farm’s Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeship. Appreciative of my time in the Midwest and the knowledge I gained while farming 4 acres of mixed vegetables for a 100 member CSA, I knew I had to head back to the Black Dirt in NY for another season with Dig Acres.
In December 2022, Dig Acres closed the barn doors for its final season. My plans to begin a 1/2 acre incubator farm were halted, but a new venture was presented. I had about one month to grieve the idea of a regular paycheck and having the time to figure out the beginning struggles to working my own piece of land. Then it was time to write and propose a business plan, and begin the process of starting my very own farm!
2023 was the beginning of Flower Moon Farm and what a beautiful adventure it was. This inaugural year allowed me to vision, trial and error, explore and connect with farmers, florists, restauranteurs, customers, and meet lots of cute dogs. It was a year of a lot of “huh, I didn’t think that would happen” (good and bad) and “wow, this farm is so beautiful, even amongst the jungle of weeds”.
Wondering what you can expect in 2025? Same. Just kidding— I have a pretty good idea, but you’ll just have to stay tuned!
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So, that’s my farmer journey. The only things you need to know about me are the following: I love bagels. I am not a self proclaimed cat or a dog person, but I am in fact a self proclaimed bunny girl. I am essentially a copy and paste (in looks and personality) of my mom, and she is a copy and paste (in personality) of my grandma. When we’re together, it’s a whole thing. I only listen to new albums from start to finish. In 2023, I said goodbye to my 2007 Toyota Camry (RIP Carry), and said hello to my new Chevy Colorado. Her name is Trucky.
Thanks for supporting Flower Moon Farm!
-Nicole