A family farming adventure
By Lyndsi Naron, The Bolivar Bullet
Natalie Hardesty, originally from Biloxi, MS, is making her mark on the community petal by petal with her home grown pumpkin and flower business.
According to Hardesty, she spent her early years living on three acres in “gulf coast country” before her family relocated closer to the city when she was about nine years old.
“We always just had a dog or two no big deal,” said Hardesty.
Despite the urban setting, Hardesty said she dreamed of farm life, convincing her parents to let her raise a goat, chickens, and many other breeds of animals within city limits.
Hardesty, one of four siblings with two brothers and a sister, fondly remembers her brothers playing baseball at Delta State.
“That was the connection that got me loving this area,” said Hardesty.
According to Hardesty, the community’s warmth and hospitality left a lasting impression on her family during their visits to baseball games.
“People were so wonderful and inviting; we made such good friends that we didn’t even need hotel rooms,” said Hardesty.
Inspired by these visits, Hardesty decided to attend Delta State, majoring in Consumer Science with an emphasis on nutrition and dietetics.
“It was just the sweetest little community of people here, which kind of directed me to wanting to check into the school for my own self when I came to college,” said Hardesty.
While attending school, Hardesty met her now husband, Darrin, “a good old country boy” from Arkansas.
“We’ve lived here our whole entire married life and we’ll be married for 15 years in October,” said Hardesty.
Due to their shared love for nature, the family decided to buy a small plot of land and build a house outside Cleveland about five years ago and start a farm.
According to Hardesty, they learned the joy and beauty of “living off the land” by tending to a vegetable garden they started as a family. This grew bigger dreams within their hearts.
“My husband taught me how to garden and can our grown produce,” said Hardesty. “This is a skill he learned from his mom and grandmother. I just fell in love with this simpler, laid-back lifestyle.”
Balancing her work as a registered dietitian with her passion for homesteading, Hardesty emphasized her family’s collective effort in the venture.
“This whole flower farm thing is all hands-on deck,” said Hardesty. “My kids, my husband, we’re all doing it together.”
According to Hardesty, when she began the project she wasn’t sure if anyone would really be interested.
“This is really just like shot in the dark,” said Hardesty.
A few years ago, Hardesty tried to do a small garden and wanted to sell her flowers at the farmers market, but nothing really came to fruition until this past January. In January, Hardesty said she ordered “an insane number of seeds” and filled their laundry room with seed trays.
“We barely had room for laundry,” said Hardesty.
After filling her house to the brim with seeds, Hardesty’s husband and children built her a greenhouse and she was able to start her dream business.
“It really has been a family affair,” said Hardesty. “My husband and kids did the foundation work and irrigation system, and I planted the flowers.”
Hardesty said planting a garden brings her immense joy and so much hope.
“My grandmother’s name was Lillie Rose,” said Hardesty. “I always laugh and say a flower farmer was bound to pop up somewhere, because obviously the love for flowers runs really deep in my family.”
According to Hardesty, failing is always an option, but she doesn’t want to not try and wish she had.
“This is even good for our kids to see you don’t ever have give up your dreams God puts in your heart,” said Hardesty. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you’re given a dream that could benefit the world or community, it’s really important to try.”
When choosing flowers, Hardesty researched to find the best flowers for our area, ensuring they were heat tolerant and compatible with our local environment. She chose different types, shapes, and colors of top selling flowers to begin. These include: zinnias, sunflowers, gladiolus, wildflowers, and snapdragons, as well as various herbs, such as: rosemary, oregano, white dill, and different types of basil.
“I chose flowers that would produce a lot of blooms all summer long,” said Hardesty.
Looking ahead, Hardesty plans to expand her varieties of flowers in the next few years.
“My family and my God really are the top things that get me out of bed every morning,” said Hardest. “I feel closer to God when I’m in my flowers. It’s the most amazing creation.”
Her ultimate goal is to cultivate a thriving flower and pumpkin farm where families can gather and enjoy themselves, said Hardesty. She aims to bring joy to the community with the gifts she has been given.
Hardesty said she is humbled to have come into this community and received so much encouragement.
“The Delta is such a sweet place where they take care of their own people,” said Hardesty. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms.”
Hardesty realized there is nothing else like her pumpkin and flower farm around here and she is truly grateful for the support she has received.
“I just want to thank everybody and let them know we have more in the future and we’re excited,” said Hardesty. “We hope we can continue to bring more joy and happiness to those that participate in our life journey.”
When Hardesty isn’t working as a dietitian or in her greenhouse, you can find her spending time at the ball fields with her boys, camping, canning fruits and veggies, or directing the youth group at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.