We’re Laura and Ben Hardie, the accidental farmers behind Forward Always Farmstead in Waterbury, Vermont.

When we bought our 3.5 acres in Waterbury, we never imagined we’d become flower farmers. Ben is an engineer and program manager, and Laura is a content strategist and writer.

Both of us come from generations of farm families, so the itch to grow things has always been in our blood. Growing things gave us something we were missing.

Our farm started because it helped us:

• Work with our hands and get away from our desks and busyness
• Teach our kids about plants, seasons, and the cycles of life
• Share extra food and plants with our neighbors and community

What started as a simple desire to plant a few flowers, Christmas trees, and food for our family slowly turned into something bigger.

Today, Forward Always Farmstead is a quarter-acre flower farm growing fresh-cut flowers, dried flowers, and lavender. We share them with our community through a self-serve farmstand and you-pick events.

Flowers have a special way of changing a moment. Like how a bouquet can remind you that the little things matter. Or how the scent of lavender can give you a simple reset. Or, how just being outside with your kids and having them identify a flower, like a calendula, feels like a win.

It’s not a huge farm (we were hesitant to even call it a farm). But it’s given us a lot.

At the end of the day, if we’ve spent time outside together, grown something, and shared it with other people, that feels like a good thing.