Behind the Stems

← Behind the Stems28 jan · 1 u 48 min

Wild Flowers and Wild Focus. Flower Farming with Luen Free | Ep 35

Wild Flowers and Wild Focus. Flower Farming with Luen Free | Ep 3528 jan1 u 48 min

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Luen Free — flower farmer, former DJ and radio host, and one of the most thoughtful voices I know in the local growing space.

We talk about Luen’s path from nightlife and DJ booths to permaculture-style flower farming, and what it really looks like to build a values-led business that actually suits your nervous system, your energy, and your brain (especially if you’ve got ADHD).

This conversation weaves through:

How Luen accidentally fell into growing for wedding florists

Why naming her farm after herself changed everything

The reality of flower farming (heat, humidity, crop failure, and all)

Selling to florists vs selling to the public, and why one feels radically better

What florists often misunderstand about growing flowers

ADHD, hyperfocus, burnout, outsourcing, and self-judgement

Why showing up imperfectly online works (and how reels led to a book deal)

Moving the farm, changing climates, and designing a life that feels sustainable

We also get into roses, dahlias, local growing, pricing, creative energy, and why not every “successful” business model is worth copying if it drains the life out of you.