FAIRFIELD — At Heart & Soil Farm, sunflowers and zinnias aren’t the only things in bloom — community connections and friendships are too. Two years after starting the Fairfield flower farm, owner Savanna Crossman is expanding her calendar of on-farm events to bring people together to learn and create. On top of offering pick-your-own flowers every weekend, Crossman has added evening classes where in addition to clipping their own bouquet, guests learn to bake sourdough, make art, arrange charcuterie and decorate cupcakes — all while bonding with friends and neighbors.
“It’s almost meditation,” Crossman said of flower-picking. “Everything else melts away and you’re just thinking about this beautiful thing you’re creating.” Backdropped by rolling green hills that have supported more traditional agriculture for centuries, Crossman walks guests through how to arrange a bouquet — from choosing a focal flower to selecting filler.
She then cedes the stage to another small business owner to teach their craft. “Almost all of the businesses I partner with are moms who have this side business,” Crossman said. “We’re all just trying to make it work and spend time with our kids.
” Last week, for example, Beth from Bumble Roots Herbal shared the benefits of growing an herbal garden and making your own medicine. Attendees learned how to make calendula oil and were sent home with seeds to start growing and collecting their own herbs. On Sept.
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