Ep. 92: Growing Tulips & Dahlias in Holland with FAM Flower Farm

There are some places on earth that flower people put on a bucket list and never quite cross off. Holland's flower bulb region is one of them. The fields outside Keukenhof, where tulips bloom in waves of color every spring and tourists from around the world stop their cars on the side of the road just to take a picture. For Linda and Marlies of FAM Flower Farm, that landscape is daily life.

Linda and Marlies grew up as friends in middle school, both surrounded by flowers. Linda married Henk, a tulip grower whose family has farmed the same land for 240 years. Marlies married Hubert, whose grandfather was a dahlia man and whose fields now produce millions of dahlia tubers a year. For most of their adult lives, the two friends watched their husbands grow flowers that traveled the world without ever knowing where they ended up.

Then, around a dinner table about seven years ago, an idea was born. Why not show people the beauty of the farm? Why not build a direct relationship with the gardeners who plant these bulbs? FAM Flower Farm became that bridge. A consumer brand built on top of two separate family farms, run by two women who can finish each other's sentences.

In this conversation, we talk about everything from harvesting tulips with machines that mow entire fields in a few hours, to selling complete dahlia clumps instead of dividing them, to what it means to be authentic in a world flooded with AI. We also talk about their new slogan, "Grow Your Own Happiness," and what they want every gardener to feel when they open one of their boxes.

What you'll hear in this episode:

* How two lifelong friends built a global brand on top of two separate family farms

* The magic of Holland's sandy soil and sea climate (and why most dahlia tubers in the world come from a few small kilometers)

* Why FAM ships full dahlia clumps instead of cutting them apart the U.S. way

* How AI, robots, and authenticity are reshaping flower farming in Europe

If this episode stirs something in you, share it with a friend who dreams of growing flowers, or visiting Holland someday. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Show notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/23/ep-92-fam-flower-farm-growing-tulips-and-dahlias-in-holland/

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