Image ofAlicia O'Hara, spouse Jon Sanford, children Andie & Jonah submitted by the author. Aby David Jonah, Pleasant Vale, Albert County Writer for Foods of the Fundy Valley
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In the heart of Alma, NB, where the rhythm of the tides meets the rolling hills of Albert County, flower gardener Alicia O'Hara has cultivated something extraordinary.
What began as a simple desire to bring fresh flowers into her home during the early days of COVID-19 has blossomed into Coastal Blooms, a thriving regenerative flower farm that's changing how local communities think about beauty, sustainability, and the power of keeping things close to home.
"I was never a gardener," Alicia admits with a laugh, reflecting on her journey from social worker to flower farmer. "During COVID, I just started playing around in Pearl's old garden behind the house, as the previous owner was known for her beautiful flowers. I thought I'd make myself a cut garden, and then I stumbled upon this online workshop from Floret Flowers Farm."
foodsofthefundyvalley.ca/
www.facebook.com/FoodsOfTheFundyValley
In the heart of Alma, NB, where the rhythm of the tides meets the rolling hills of Albert County, flower gardener Alicia O'Hara has cultivated something extraordinary.
What began as a simple desire to bring fresh flowers into her home during the early days of COVID-19 has blossomed into Coastal Blooms, a thriving regenerative flower farm that's changing how local communities think about beauty, sustainability, and the power of keeping things close to home.
"I was never a gardener," Alicia admits with a laugh, reflecting on her journey from social worker to flower farmer. "During COVID, I just started playing around in Pearl's old garden behind the house, as the previous owner was known for her beautiful flowers. I thought I'd make myself a cut garden, and then I stumbled upon this online workshop from Floret Flowers Farm."
Image of Alicia tending her garden submitted by the author. That moment of curiosity four years ago has grown into a model of innovative small-scale agriculture that perfectly embodies the "think globally, act locally" philosophy.
Operating alongside her husband Jon Sanford and their children 10-year-old Andie and 7-year-old Jonah, Alicia has created a largely online promotional and e-commerce enabled sales business that serves customers from Alma to Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and beyond, while maintaining deep roots in environmental stewardship.
A New Kind of Flower Power
What sets Coastal Flowers apart isn't just the stunning blooms that grace local weddings and dining tables, it's Alicia's commitment to regenerative farming practices that work with nature rather than against it. After losing significant soil to erosion during her first year, she made crucial adjustments that reflect her growing understanding of sustainable agriculture.
"We had a lot of rainfall, and our plot is slightly sloped with a French drain running through the middle," Alicia explains. "I lost so much soil to erosion that first year. It was a wake-up call—I needed to keep grass paths and grass along that drain. This year, I've hardly had any soil loss."
The farm's approach to pest control is equally thoughtful. Rather than relying on chemical interventions, Alicia and her family have integrated a flock of 16 ducks into their operation. "Unlike chickens, ducks don't do a lot of damage to the crops," she notes. "They're our pest control, and Andie helps me with their care. She even sells their eggs."
The closed-loop system extends to composting, where duck bedding combines with garden clippings, weeds, and kitchen scraps to create nutrient-rich soil amendments. "We're right next to Cleveland Brook, which is a little creek that feeds into the Bay of Fundy," Alicia explains. "I don't want to have fertilizers leaching into the water system. We need to be conscious of how even flower farming impacts our local environment."
Digital Innovation Meets Farming Traditions
While Coastal Flowers' environmental practices honor traditional farming wisdom, Alicia's marketing approach is thoroughly modern. Through her Shopify website and strategic use of social media, she's built a customer base that stretches from Albert County to nearby Dieppe and Moncton, creating what she calls a "floral supply chain" that supports other local growers.
The Alicia flowers-in-season-subscription model, offering spring tulip and daffodil packages, followed by Ranunculus subscriptions—provides customers with seasonal beauty while giving the farm predictable income. "It's similar to a CSA for vegetables," she explains. "People get flowers at their peak, and I know what I'm growing for."
The business model extends to wedding work, where Alicia collaborates with venues like Hopewell Highlands Weddings & Events, Hope Wellness Eco Resort and forms partnership with other local flower farmers when she needs additional stems or varieties.
"We all support each other," she says. "It's wonderful to be able to source locally and keep that money in our community."
Pickup locations at Salon Boheme in Dieppe, Piccadilly Coffee in Sussex, and her mother-in-law's front porch in Riverview demonstrate the kind of creative problem-solving that makes small-scale farming viable in rural areas.
Coastal Blooms walks their environmental awareness talk too. Their backyard greenhouse is a model of reduce, reuse, recycle put in practical practice. Husband Jon collected a number of old discarded residential windows and frames, scavenged used lumber into a rough pile, and out of the assorted mismatched items rose an attractive greenhouse that anchors the backyard production area.
Growing Beyond Flowers to Growing Tourism
Looking ahead, Alicia sees Coastal Flowers evolving into something even more connected to the community. She's working with Friends of Fundy on a pilot project focused on regenerative tourism, planning to offer on-farm experiences where visitors can walk the property, harvest flowers, create arrangements, and share local food.
"I love to see how people react to flowers and have that person-to-person exchange," she says. "There's a lot of healing that happens in the garden when you're outside in nature."
This philosophy extends to her broader message about accessibility and community. "Flower growing and gardening are for everyone," Alicia emphasizes. "Even if you don't think you have a green thumb, people are itching to share their gardening knowledge. I encourage people to just grab a shovel and try."
Embracing The Slow Flowers Movement
Alicia's work represents a growing awareness of what advocates call the "slow flowers" movement—the floral equivalent of slow food. The contrast becomes stark when she describes working with imported flowers: "The amount of pesticides on flowers imported from Colombia and overseas is staggering. You can feel it on them when you're working with them."
By keeping production local, Coastal Flowers eliminates the environmental costs of long-distance shipping while providing customers with fresher, more vibrant blooms. It's an approach that makes sense for a coastal community where the connection between land and sea shapes daily life.
"My garden is my exercise, my gym," Alicia says, hauling compost and tending beds with the same vigor others might bring to a fitness routine. The physical work connects her to the natural cycles that govern both her business and the broader ecosystem of the Bay of Fundy.
Lessons from the Coastal Flowers - Bay of Fundy
As climate patterns shift and communities seek more resilient approaches to agriculture, Coastal Flowers offers valuable lessons. Alicia's experience with increasingly variable weather—from hot, dry seasons to cold, wet springs—has taught her to work with natural systems rather than fighting them.
The farm's central Main Street location(Route 114), with gurgling Cleveland Brook running along the property edge providing the ducks with a water playground, and joining the Shepody Bay to the massive Bay of Fundy and beyond, provides both challenges and opportunities.
While the family has dealt with predation from a local fox family ("circle of life," Alicia notes philosophically), the coastal microclimate offers growing conditions that sometimes favour her crops when inland farms struggle.
"Many farmers find it too hot in Sussex and Moncton right now for Ranunculus flower growth," she observes. "There are benefits to coastal living, though there are drawbacks too. The microclimates really impact flower farming."
Seeds of Community Building, Connections, and Awareness
Perhaps most importantly, Coastal Flowers demonstrates how small-scale agriculture can strengthen community bonds while treading lightly on the land. From the New Brunswick government's digital marketing grant that helped establish her online presence to the network of pickup locations and collaborating farms, Alicia's success reflects the power of community support and creative partnerships.
"Support your small local farmers," she urges. "Get your food as close to home, get your flowers as close to home as you can. Think about the earth and the planet with the choices you're making in the things you love and enjoy."
As Coastal Flowers continues to grow and evolve, it stands as proof that innovation and tradition can work hand in hand. In a world increasingly concerned with sustainability and community resilience, Alicia O'Hara's flower farm offers a beautiful example of how to bloom where you're planted, quite literally, while nurturing both the land and the people who call it home.
For more information about Coastal Flowers' seasonal offerings and subscriptions, visit the Coastal Blooms coastalblooms.ca or follow them on instagram at @coastal.blooms and on facebook at www.facebook.com/coastal.blooms.farm
Coastal Blooms is an active member of Foods of the Fundy Valley and Alicia currently services as a member of the Board.
And if you're ever driving through Alma on Route 114 to Fundy Park, don't be surprised if you spot a flock of ducks making their way to the creek; they're part of the team that's helping this corner of Albert County bloom.
Operating alongside her husband Jon Sanford and their children 10-year-old Andie and 7-year-old Jonah, Alicia has created a largely online promotional and e-commerce enabled sales business that serves customers from Alma to Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and beyond, while maintaining deep roots in environmental stewardship.
A New Kind of Flower Power
What sets Coastal Flowers apart isn't just the stunning blooms that grace local weddings and dining tables, it's Alicia's commitment to regenerative farming practices that work with nature rather than against it. After losing significant soil to erosion during her first year, she made crucial adjustments that reflect her growing understanding of sustainable agriculture.
"We had a lot of rainfall, and our plot is slightly sloped with a French drain running through the middle," Alicia explains. "I lost so much soil to erosion that first year. It was a wake-up call—I needed to keep grass paths and grass along that drain. This year, I've hardly had any soil loss."
The farm's approach to pest control is equally thoughtful. Rather than relying on chemical interventions, Alicia and her family have integrated a flock of 16 ducks into their operation. "Unlike chickens, ducks don't do a lot of damage to the crops," she notes. "They're our pest control, and Andie helps me with their care. She even sells their eggs."
The closed-loop system extends to composting, where duck bedding combines with garden clippings, weeds, and kitchen scraps to create nutrient-rich soil amendments. "We're right next to Cleveland Brook, which is a little creek that feeds into the Bay of Fundy," Alicia explains. "I don't want to have fertilizers leaching into the water system. We need to be conscious of how even flower farming impacts our local environment."
Digital Innovation Meets Farming Traditions
While Coastal Flowers' environmental practices honor traditional farming wisdom, Alicia's marketing approach is thoroughly modern. Through her Shopify website and strategic use of social media, she's built a customer base that stretches from Albert County to nearby Dieppe and Moncton, creating what she calls a "floral supply chain" that supports other local growers.
The Alicia flowers-in-season-subscription model, offering spring tulip and daffodil packages, followed by Ranunculus subscriptions—provides customers with seasonal beauty while giving the farm predictable income. "It's similar to a CSA for vegetables," she explains. "People get flowers at their peak, and I know what I'm growing for."
The business model extends to wedding work, where Alicia collaborates with venues like Hopewell Highlands Weddings & Events, Hope Wellness Eco Resort and forms partnership with other local flower farmers when she needs additional stems or varieties.
"We all support each other," she says. "It's wonderful to be able to source locally and keep that money in our community."
Pickup locations at Salon Boheme in Dieppe, Piccadilly Coffee in Sussex, and her mother-in-law's front porch in Riverview demonstrate the kind of creative problem-solving that makes small-scale farming viable in rural areas.
Coastal Blooms walks their environmental awareness talk too. Their backyard greenhouse is a model of reduce, reuse, recycle put in practical practice. Husband Jon collected a number of old discarded residential windows and frames, scavenged used lumber into a rough pile, and out of the assorted mismatched items rose an attractive greenhouse that anchors the backyard production area.
Growing Beyond Flowers to Growing Tourism
Looking ahead, Alicia sees Coastal Flowers evolving into something even more connected to the community. She's working with Friends of Fundy on a pilot project focused on regenerative tourism, planning to offer on-farm experiences where visitors can walk the property, harvest flowers, create arrangements, and share local food.
"I love to see how people react to flowers and have that person-to-person exchange," she says. "There's a lot of healing that happens in the garden when you're outside in nature."
This philosophy extends to her broader message about accessibility and community. "Flower growing and gardening are for everyone," Alicia emphasizes. "Even if you don't think you have a green thumb, people are itching to share their gardening knowledge. I encourage people to just grab a shovel and try."
Embracing The Slow Flowers Movement
Alicia's work represents a growing awareness of what advocates call the "slow flowers" movement—the floral equivalent of slow food. The contrast becomes stark when she describes working with imported flowers: "The amount of pesticides on flowers imported from Colombia and overseas is staggering. You can feel it on them when you're working with them."
By keeping production local, Coastal Flowers eliminates the environmental costs of long-distance shipping while providing customers with fresher, more vibrant blooms. It's an approach that makes sense for a coastal community where the connection between land and sea shapes daily life.
"My garden is my exercise, my gym," Alicia says, hauling compost and tending beds with the same vigor others might bring to a fitness routine. The physical work connects her to the natural cycles that govern both her business and the broader ecosystem of the Bay of Fundy.
Lessons from the Coastal Flowers - Bay of Fundy
As climate patterns shift and communities seek more resilient approaches to agriculture, Coastal Flowers offers valuable lessons. Alicia's experience with increasingly variable weather—from hot, dry seasons to cold, wet springs—has taught her to work with natural systems rather than fighting them.
The farm's central Main Street location(Route 114), with gurgling Cleveland Brook running along the property edge providing the ducks with a water playground, and joining the Shepody Bay to the massive Bay of Fundy and beyond, provides both challenges and opportunities.
While the family has dealt with predation from a local fox family ("circle of life," Alicia notes philosophically), the coastal microclimate offers growing conditions that sometimes favour her crops when inland farms struggle.
"Many farmers find it too hot in Sussex and Moncton right now for Ranunculus flower growth," she observes. "There are benefits to coastal living, though there are drawbacks too. The microclimates really impact flower farming."
Seeds of Community Building, Connections, and Awareness
Perhaps most importantly, Coastal Flowers demonstrates how small-scale agriculture can strengthen community bonds while treading lightly on the land. From the New Brunswick government's digital marketing grant that helped establish her online presence to the network of pickup locations and collaborating farms, Alicia's success reflects the power of community support and creative partnerships.
"Support your small local farmers," she urges. "Get your food as close to home, get your flowers as close to home as you can. Think about the earth and the planet with the choices you're making in the things you love and enjoy."
As Coastal Flowers continues to grow and evolve, it stands as proof that innovation and tradition can work hand in hand. In a world increasingly concerned with sustainability and community resilience, Alicia O'Hara's flower farm offers a beautiful example of how to bloom where you're planted, quite literally, while nurturing both the land and the people who call it home.
For more information about Coastal Flowers' seasonal offerings and subscriptions, visit the Coastal Blooms coastalblooms.ca or follow them on instagram at @coastal.blooms and on facebook at www.facebook.com/coastal.blooms.farm
Coastal Blooms is an active member of Foods of the Fundy Valley and Alicia currently services as a member of the Board.
And if you're ever driving through Alma on Route 114 to Fundy Park, don't be surprised if you spot a flock of ducks making their way to the creek; they're part of the team that's helping this corner of Albert County bloom.
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