Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT Longfield Farm!
Three questions with Elisa Bulgrin, founder of Longfield Farm.
Why did you start your business?
The story of Longfield Farm's business starts with Longfield, the home and garden. A loose concept of ‘Longfield’ had been in our heads since we first set our sights north of NYC to suburban life - some land, a place to raise a family, keep chickens, tap maple trees, dabble in a garden.
Though bucolic, the New Canaan property we landed on was otherwise a blank slate and we’ve spent the last 7 years shaping its landscape, creating a series of gardens which now surpass some twenty thousand square feet. This process has in turn shaped us as gardeners and in particular has fostered a passion for growing cut flowers - specialty varieties, grown with the seasons, no chemicals.
Though it’s still early days, this little farm of ours now produces a plentiful bounty that we are delighted to share with our New Canaan community, offering flower arrangements, seasonal baskets, occasional farmstands, and popups throughout town. Keep an eye out for our 1952 Chevy Dottie!
What is your best-selling product/service?
Garden-grown flowers are the core of our business, but our seasonal baskets have been so well received. These typically include flowers from the cutting garden, eggs from our chickens, and produce from the kitchen garden as well as favorite local provisions.
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
No local business has been more integral to our story than Copia Home and Garden in Vista. Jen and Peter Cipriano have been an invaluable resource for us. There is hardly a tree or shrub on our property sourced elsewhere and over the years they have been endlessly generous with their knowledge and advice.
Beyond our garden and its bounty, it would only make sense that we seek to offer products that fall into the small, local, and seasonal categories as well. We work with several purveyors from the area to bring our seasonal baskets to life - Red Bee honey from Weston, Horseshoe Farm maple syrup from Ridgefield, Tasty AF chili oil from Fairfield, Wonderland Jam from Monroe, Arethusa dairy from Litchfield, and more!
Visit Longfield Farm online here, and make sure to check out their Instagram page as well!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!