From Agritourism to Tubers: Our Farm’s Transformation

We never set out to become dahlia farmers. In fact, if you had visited Flaming Acres a few years ago, you might’ve found yourself navigating a corn maze, sipping cider, or bouncing along on a hayride through our fall festival grounds.

Back then, our farm was built around experiences—agritourism at its core. We welcomed families, school groups, and curious travelers to enjoy the charm of country life, one autumn weekend at a time. And for a season, it was good. We loved the laughter echoing through the pumpkin patch, the smell of kettle corn in the air, and the way the land came alive with celebration.

But seasons change. And sometimes, so do callings.

Discovering the Dahlia

Somewhere between planting hay fields and stacking straw bales, we stumbled onto dahlias. It started as a small experiment—just a few plants, tucked into a spare patch of soil. We weren’t prepared for what happened next.

They bloomed.

They bloomed in colors we couldn’t name, shapes we couldn’t stop staring at, and quantities that made our hearts skip. And suddenly, something clicked.

Dahlias weren’t just flowers—they were an invitation. An invitation to slow down, to steward beauty, and to grow something lasting.

A New Kind of Harvest

As we leaned into growing more dahlias, our farm began to shift. The tractors still rolled, the early mornings still came, but the focus turned from entertaining crowds to nurturing plants—and ultimately, people in a quieter way.

Instead of hayrides, we now walk the rows inspecting new growth. Instead of carving pumpkins, we’re labeling tubers and planning bloom sequences. Instead of gathering families for fall photos, we’re preparing thousands of tubers to be shipped out in the spring—each one packed with care and rooted in purpose.

We’re no longer building corn mazes. We’re building legacy.

What Remains the Same

Though the activities have changed, our heart has not. Flaming Acres is still a place of welcome. A place where beauty is cultivated, not just in the field but in the way we work, the way we serve, and the way we connect with you.

We’re still teachers at heart—only now, instead of classrooms, we’re using rows of blooms and pages of planting guides to share what we’ve learned. We want to inspire your garden, encourage your heart, and help you discover the joy we’ve found in these humble, glorious tubers.

What’s Ahead

We’re growing more than flowers—we’re growing a farm into its next season. This year, we’re tending 2,500 dahlia plants across dozens of varieties. We’re preparing to open our online tuber shop, and dreaming about the first Flaming Acres Flower Festival in 2026.

It’s a quieter kind of farming. A simpler kind of celebration. But in many ways, it’s richer than we ever imagined.

Thank you for being part of our transformation. Whether you’ve just found us or you remember the corn maze days, we’re so glad you’re here. Let’s keep growing—together.

Have a WONDERFUL day!

Debra Flaming