Minted: an adjective that describes something newly made or recently produced. For Minted Flowers, a cut flower farm specializing exclusively in flowers and greenery for bouquets, the word has many meanings. “It is a connection to our town’s name, and you’ll almost always find a few stems of mint in a bouquet from our farm,” says Emily Yoshimura, who owns and runs Minted Flowers with her husband Jaison. “No matter where you buy our flowers, you’ll know they came from Mint Hill!”
Jaison and Emily Yoshimura weren’t always flower farmers. A graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in business management, Emily first met former Morehead State football player and Kinesiotherapy Masters recipient Jaison at work. At the time, the two were both working in the waste and recycling industry, which exposed the duo to the world of sustainable solutions.
A husband and wife team with a background in business may seem an unlikely fit for the cut flower world. “Our grandfathers had huge gardens growing up and we’ve always had a passion for it,” says Emily. “I came across so many fantastic cut flower farmers in the last few years, and after a ton of research and a little bit of convincing, Jaison that this could be an amazing venture, we decided to make a go of it!”
“There has been a major resurgence of locally grown cut flower farms, and nearly all of them are micro-farms,” continues Emily. “When we learned that the cut flower world moved away from home and consists primarily of imports, we wanted to be a part of the comeback.”
The impact of moving the cut flower market “home,” so to speak, is both economic and environmental. “Flowers last longer when they are sustainably grown, locally sourced,” says Emily, “and this makes them an affordable luxury that is positive for the environment. Our background in sustainability really helped us appreciate the need for these local producers, and we’re excited to step up and contribute to the number of farms that engage in this world.”
Residents of Mint Hill for going on four years now, Emily and Jason are be proud to be opening their business in a place that has come to hold special significance for them as the place they bought their first home together. It’s on a field at the back of this property that they grow their flowers. “It was farmed by the original owners for decades, the soil was wonderful,” says Emily. “There had been years of work and sweat poured into it, and when we decided on this venture we felt a small connection to the farmer that came before us.”
Although they’re only in their first season of selling flowers, Emily already calls it the most rewarding thing they’ve ever done together. “The pure joy that flowers bring can’t be matched,” she continues. “When you make someone a bouquet of farm fresh flowers and see the recipients eyes light up, it is truly the best thing ever because you know the love and work that went into each one of those stems.”
Minted Flowers has local pick up days once a week in Mint Hill. Beginning July 13, you can find them at the Cotswold Farmers Market, where they are the only cut flower vendor. Follow them on Instagram (@MintedFlowers) to keep up with the exciting new things they plan to roll out soon!
