08/08/2026
I almost didnât go to the farmers market todayâŠ
I had a really long week and even longer Friday. I was worn down, burnt out and overwhelmed. The kids start school next week, itâs hot, and I was feeling like I didnât have enough variety planted this time of year to make beautiful arrangements. I had tons of gorgeous flowers just sitting in my basement, waiting to go to kitchen tables or brighten someoneâs day.
I knew that deep down I wanted to go, but I was so conflicted. This was always supposed to be for fun, it wasnât supposed to be stressful. But nothing compares to the joy that I get from bringing joy to others⊠I told myself to just take a Saturday off and step back. I went to bed and didnât set my alarms.
I woke up at 6am feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed. I hadnât made a single arrangement. The car wasnât packed and I had approximately an hour before I needed to leave. But in classic Jewell fashion, I made a last minute impulsive decision. So I threw together a few arrangements, made myself a coffee and grabbed my toddler to head to the farmers market.
Ottawa, today you gave me a reason to show up. You sold me out of my flowers today, but gave me so much more. This was the boost of confidence that I needed this week. The drive to keep doing what Iâm doing. Selling flowers in a small town isnât for the faint of heart. Youâre up against competition and grocery store bouquets. Youâre working hard every week to plant, water, w**d, cut, arrange and then sell. It takes the community choosing to support small businesses, and the commitment from the consumers to keep coming back week after week.
Thank you to everyone who came to the farmers market today, and every other weekend. Whether youâre buying flowers from me, or supporting other local farms itâs because of you that we continue to push through the hard weeks.
-Jewell Hamm