FARM-TO-VASE DELIGHT

On the corner of M-50 and Hoagland Highway in Britton is a farm-to-vase delight that can be spotted from the road, waiting for visitors to discover its colorful offerings from dawn until dusk. Rows of tidy flower beds line the grounds. A wooden shed, housing handpicked bouquets with handwritten price stickers, bursts with spring color. Self-serve and familyowned, at From the Ground Up Flower Farm, owners Anthony and Brandy Dixon may run and operate this gentleman’s farm, but they leave the flower picking to the visitors.

“We started From the Ground Up Flower Farm not as a way to make a bunch of money. Rather, our goal was simply to share the beauty of God’s creation with the people who visit and even just drive by,” said Brandy. “Walking through the flower rows and watching all of the pollinators flutter and buzz around is really beautiful and inspiring! We want to share that experience with the community of Britton and the surrounding areas.”

The Dixons said the idea for a U-Pick flower farm came to them “randomly” after discovering the plot of land was for sale. “Anthony and I both really enjoy being outdoors and working with the land, so farming has always been a passion of ours. We do it for fun, overall, which is a good thing because having a flower farm is a lot more work than you might think! Anthony works full-time, and I am a parttime teacher and stay-at-home mom. This is a venture our entire family can work toward as a team,” said Brandy. “Having the flower farm allows Anthony and I to have a shared hobby/business, and it has strengthened our marriage and brought us closer to each other. Our kids Ryan (three) and Brynleigh (one) get involved, too. They like riding in the tractor and playing in the dirt. Ryan is old enough now to help plant seeds as well. He likes making his own bouquets, like mommy. The farm is really a family business all around.”

Even the farm’s namesake grows from deep family roots. “From the Ground Up” was the Dixons’ wedding song and became the theme of their marriage, a mantra that helped the farm blossom into what visitors see today.

The farm has been in operation since 2022. Last year, their first year of operation, Anthony said that zinnias became their most popular U-Picked flower, though their massive dahlias and sunflowers get a lot of attention from visitors as well. The Dixons hope to expand from bouquets and U-Pick flowers to herbs and maybe even other U-Pick options in the future.

“We are in operation from the time the flowers start blooming until the good Lord kills them off with frost,” said Anthony. “This year we will have about a dozen varieties of flowers to pick. We are also planning on planting some lemon basil, which is mostly to accent the bouquets, not for eating, but the smell is incredible.”

The Dixons said their farm is operated on an “honor system” because it’s all selfserve from sunup to sundown—visitors contribute to a cashbox outside of the farm or Venmo. Filling a quart canning jar is $10, bouquets range from $8 to $15.

“We love getting to meet our U-Pick customers! Everyone we’ve met has been so positive and has really been happy that we started such a place around here,” said Brandy. “We get to celebrate people’s anniversaries and birthdays with them when they come to pick flowers, and one couple even used our flowers in their wedding. It’s neat to have a hand in adding beauty to someone’s special moments.” n

By Renee Lapham Collins

of Tecumseh, already is making a name for herself as an entrepreneur. Hannah, who graduated June 4 from Tecumseh High School, was so inspired by the Hawaiian islands that she decided to craft her own food truck offering shaved ice. Unlike a snow cone, Hannah said, shaved ice is fluffier.

Snow cones use crushed ice, while Hawaiian shaved ice is thinly sliced to make a powdery, snow-like cone. The technique originated from Japanese immigrants in Hawaii who used their tools to shave ice from blocks and then flavored it with sugar syrups. The shaved ice is proving popular, winter and summer, for Hannah. This year alone, she has had her food truck all over Lenawee, Wayne, and Monroe counties. Hannah’s served up the fluffy concoctions at wrestling tournaments, baseball games, track meets, the LCS annual fundraiser, kindergarten round up, after prom at Sand Creek, fairs, First Fridays, grad parties, the Britton Fest, and many others.

Hannah will be at the Party on the Patio in June, and the county fair and R4 Extravaganza in July. Dozens more dates litter her professional “dance card” throughout the summer and fall, and all because she had the opportunity to try the frozen concoction in the Aloha State.

“We went on a family trip to Hawaii and I saw the culture of it,” she said. “I loved it. I thought this was something I could do.” Her “truck” is actually a trailer that becomes a little tiki bar, complete with a surfboard menu listing all 20+ flavors offered. There are regular and sugar-free options, as well as two toppings, sweet cream, and sour spray. She said she bought the trailer the week before her 17th birthday and worked to give it a face lift while she obtained her food handlers’ card and food managers’ card. Insignia did the design and made the wrap for the truck and Hannah said they were “absolutely great to work with.”

She had support from the high school and local communities as well. “TPS, the high school, they have been so supportive,” Danielle Stepp said. “They let her set up wherever and whenever she wants. Hannah has been on the phone calling the city, the state, wherever she needs to in order to get whatever permits are needed. The city of Tecumseh has been supportive and so has Adrian.”

Hannah said she was inspired to own her own business by her parents, who are realtors. She plans to take a gap year after high school and work on her business. Ultimately, she’d like to be a travel vlogger, and share her impressions of exotic locales with others. “Owning my own business means I can set my own schedule and travel around,” she said. “I plan to go to Florida in October for a month.”

Hannah loves every aspect of the business. She “loves the people. That’s the greatest thing,” she said. “I love talking to the kids, asking them how they did in a game or tournament.” Her mother said it is “neat to see that” trait in her daughter and praises her organizational skills. “She is so responsible and organized,” Danielle said. “That was never me at that age. I’m organized at work but at home, well, I’m getting better.” She gives her daughter a sideways look. Her daughter just grins.

Hannah’s entrepreneurial skills started in seventh grade, according to her mother. “Hannah wanted a Pomeranian puppy,” her mother said. “It was $870. I told her that if she raised the money, she could buy the dog. So, she made a bunch of ‘stress balls’ and sold them at the middle school for $2 each. She raised the money and bought the dog. “When she wants something, she figures out how to get it.”

Stepp said she has practically her entire summer planned out. She said she is “super excited” for the Lenawee County Fair this year. “I am really excited,” she said. “I’ll get to stay the entire week!” n

IKE MOST PARENTS WITH AMELIA AND SARABETH ARE FAMILY. JUST OVER FOUR YEARS AGO, FAMILY ROMP IN THE PARK THESE DAYS FULL. OLDEST DAUGHTER KENNEDY IS A FIRST THE IRWINS ARE LIVING THE ORDINARY HECTICNESS

CIRCUMSTANCES THEIR FAMILY WOULD ENDURE, MAKING KIDS AGED SIX AND UNDER, ALYSON AND PHIL IRWIN HAVE CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, ABOUT TO TURN FOUR. BY HOWEVER, THEY NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY DAYS ITS OWN EXTRAORDINARY JOY. IKE MOST PARENTS IS A FIRST GRADER AND TWINS AMELIA AND SARABETH

ORDINARY HECTICNESS OF A YOUNG FAMILY. JUST OVER WOULD ENDURE, MAKING AN ORDINARY FAMILY ROMP ALYSON AND PHIL IRWIN HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL. ABOUT TO TURN FOUR. BY ALL APPEARANCES, THE COULD HAVE IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES

EXTRAORDINARY JOY. IKE MOST PARENTS WITH THREE GRADER AND TWINS AMELIA AND SARABETH ARE HECTICNESS OF A YOUNG FAMILY. JUST OVER FOUR ENDURE, MAKING AN ORDINARY FAMILY ROMP PHIL IRWIN HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL. OLDEST TURN FOUR. BY ALL APPEARANCES, THE IRWINS IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES MOST PARENTS WITH THREE KIDS AGED SIX AND SARABETH ARE BUSY, CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, JUST OVER FOUR YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, THEY ROMP IN THE PARK THESE DAYS ITS OWN OLDEST DAUGHTER KENNEDY IS A FIRST IRWINS ARE LIVING THE ORDINARY HECTICNESS CIRCUMSTANCES THEIR FAMILY WOULD KIDS AGED SIX AND UNDER, ALYSON CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, ABOUT HOWEVER, THEY NEVER COULD HAVE DAYS ITS OWN EXTRAORDINARY JOY. IS A FIRST GRADER AND TWINS AMELIA ORDINARY HECTICNESS OF A YOUNG WOULD ENDURE, MAKING AN ORDINARY ALYSON AND PHIL IRWIN HAVE ABOUT TO TURN FOUR. BY ALL COULD HAVE IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY

EXTRAORDINARY JOY. IKE MOST GRADER AND TWINS AMELIA HECTICNESS OF A YOUNG FAMILY. ENDURE, MAKING AN ORDINARY PHIL IRWIN HAVE THEIR TURN FOUR. BY ALL APPEARANCES, IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY MOST PARENTS WITH AND SARABETH ARE BUSY, JUST OVER FOUR YEARS ROMP IN THE PARK OLDEST DAUGHTER IRWINS ARE CIRCUMSTANCESLIVING KIDS AGED SIX AND CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, HOWEVER, THEY DAYS ITS OWN IS A FIRST GRADER ORDINARY HECTICNESS WOULD ENDURE, ALYSON AND ABOUT TO COULD HAVE EXTRAORDINARY GRADERHECTICNESS

BY ALL

PARENTSEXTRAORDINARYAPPEARANCES,CIRCUMSTANCES

WITH THREE KIDS AGED SARABETH ARE BUSY, CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, OVER FOUR YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, THEY NEVER ROMP IN THE PARK THESE DAYS ITS OWN EXTRAORDINARY

OLDEST DAUGHTER KENNEDY IS A FIRST GRADER AND THE IRWINS ARE LIVING THE ORDINARY HECTICNESS OF A YOUNG CIRCUMSTANCES THEIR FAMILY WOULD ENDURE, MAKING AN ORDINARY

THREE KIDS AGED SIX AND UNDER, ALYSON AND PHIL IRWIN HAVE THEIR HANDS ARE BUSY, CURIOUS THREE-YEARS-OLDS, ABOUT TO TURN FOUR. BY ALL APPEARANCES, FOUR YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, THEY NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED THE EXTRAORDINARY ROMP IN THE PARK THESE DAYS ITS OWN EXTRAORDINARY JOY. IKE MOST PARENTS WITH THREE KIDS