Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Greenlaw.
Hi Natalie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Jarred and I are high school sweethearts and parents to 4 young children. We started growing a small garden as a way to provide organic veggies to ourselves and our kids. We quickly learned the benefits of growing flowers alongside those vegetables as a way to protect the plants, flavor them, and ward off pests. Naturally, we started sharing the fruits (and blooms!) of our labor and Pura Vida Flower Farm was born. We expanded to our family’s 20-acre property and have added additional cultivation space every year since.
We became deeply impacted by the way flowers sparked joy among our community – and how flowers, a small thing, seemed to sit alongside life’s biggest moments: on a side table in a delivery room of a newborn baby, in the hands of brides, sitting on nightstands as precious individuals passed on, and in the room with individuals mourning, celebrating, and experiencing life’s biggest moments. We felt we had found our calling, and stepped away from our careers in the medical field and engineering to pursue flower farming full time.
We are deeply passionate about the way we farm our land, everything pointing back to the soil. We feel we are stewards of the land, for the time being, and we plan to leave it better than we found it. We do not use any synthetic chemicals and instead, we use ancient, natural farming practices to build a complex, microbial rich soil to feed our plants and the ecosystem around them.
As we continued to sink our teeth into the multibillion dollar US flower industry, we learned that over 80% of stems are imported from outside the US – many drenched in unregulated, harmful chemicals. We were inspired to become a part of the solution and our business has transitioned into linking arms with other growers across Florida to provide a real, obtainable option for florists and their clients. While we still have a long way to go, we continue inching forward on providing tangible solutions for accessible, organic cut flowers for our local community and beyond.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In some ways, it has been a smooth road, and in others, incredibly challenging. I am a 6th-generation Florida native, with both sides of my family coming from pioneer families and original citrus growers in our area, but no one directly taught me how to farm. We have learned everything from the ground up through books, the internet, mentorship from generous farmers willing to share their knowledge, and through failing time and time again.
Beyond farming itself, we have also had to learn business ownership, marketing, finances, and all of the administrative logistics that come with running a farm. Despite the challenges, the journey has been deeply worth it. Looking back, I can see how everything has slowly fallen into place over time. Even after a long and exhausting 14-hour day, I still carry the overwhelming sense that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing what I was created to do. That feeling makes every day exciting.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pura Vida Flower Farm?
Pura Vida Flower Farm grows specialty cut flowers with the intention of cultivating joy and meaningful connection through nature.
What sets us apart is our commitment to growing flowers in a way that prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability. We use natural, regenerative growing practices and focus on building living soil rather than relying on synthetic chemicals. We are passionate about producing flowers that are not only beautiful, but thoughtfully grown.
We currently offer flowers for weddings, events, and wholesale, alongside occasional seasonal bouquet subscriptions, local deliveries, on-farm u-pick events, and community-centered experiences. We are especially proud to be part of the growing movement to provide a real, locally grown alternative within the multibillion-dollar floral industry, where the majority of flowers are still imported into the United States.
At the heart of our brand is the belief that flowers mark life’s most meaningful moments and have the ability to bring beauty, comfort, and joy into everyday life.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that often surprises people is that we had 4 babies in 4 years in the very beginning stages of starting our business. While those years were exhausting at times, they were also incredibly special, and our children have become deeply woven into the fabric of the farm. They are often out in the fields with us catching bugs, harvesting flowers, and learning alongside us as we grow.
Fun fact: I’ve been skydiving 5 times
Contact Info:
- Website: https://puravidaflowerfarm.com
- Instagram: @puravidaflowerfarm
- Facebook: @puravidaflowerfarm
