LOCAL: Brands, Businesses + Entrepreneurs | #34 | Moss and Madder Farm
Kitsap is full of incredible brands, businesses, and entrepreneurs who make LIVING in Kitsap a fun adventure.
moss and madder farm
Jodi Logue, OwneR
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Sitting just around the corner from the idyllic Olalla Bay, in the historic area of the Olalla waterfront between the towns of Port Orchard and Gig Harbor, lives a magical field of mixed florals. Jodi, the extremely fortunate farmer and owner of Moss & Madder, has lived on this marvelous dirt road shrouded in tree cover for most of her life. She and her husband Aaron built their dream home and farm against the backdrop of dreamy forestland. Moss and Madder Farm grew from a love of gardening and they now grow and produce specialty fresh-cut florals for weddings, u-cut, and local market sales. They also grow botanicals for dried products including wreaths, bouquets, and flower crowns.
Photos provided by Moss & Madder
About jodi
What was your first job?
“When I was 12 I was raising money to go on a trip to China so I worked for a local farmer friend mucking out a sheep barn and weeding her garden. She taught me a lot about the value of hard work and the joy of gardening at a young age.”
Where do you draw inspiration/creativity in your life?
“Nature, friends, books I read….and of course Pinterest if I’m being honest…”
About moss & madder
How did the idea of starting Moss & Madder begin?
“After years in my current nursing job, I wanted to continue learning so I did the responsible thing and started an MBA program. I quickly dropped out of the program though because it was so boring! But I was still looking for something to keep my brain growing. I’ve always grown flowers and loved gardening so I took the plunge to sign up for the Floret flower farming class that I had been stalking :) for a couple of years. I was just looking to learn how to grow my little garden better and have nicer flower beds, but after taking the course it seemed obvious that I needed to try being a flower farmer. It's funny because over the years whenever I had a stressful/bad day nursing I would joke that taking care of flowers would be so much easier! I love that I’m now working with flowers, it feels like destiny! Also, it turns out that people get a lot more joy from getting flowers than they do getting surgeries or pacemakers.”
The Genesis
Tell us the story of how Moss & Madder came to fruition.
“As I finished up the farming course, I started ordering a few packets of seeds….just some fancy ones that I learned about in the class. But then I ordered more seeds...and then a few more still...and then all of a sudden I had more seeds than I had room to plant! So we plowed up a weedy 1/2 acre field on the property and got to work prepping the soil for planting. Within a few weeks of hard work in the rain, we had a whole field of tidy farm rows of baby flower seedlings growing! These last few years, having loads of flowers available, I've been able to experiment and take classes in floral design - I have completely fallen in love with that work as well. I've become a major flower nerd!”
The Drive
Tell us what/who drives you to keep working hard towards your goals.
“I don’t give up easily, but my awesome husband helps and encourages me to do big things. I also feel very privileged to be able to do hard work with a healthy body since so many people in my family have had that opportunity taken from them. There is a degenerative neurologic illness that runs in my family that pretty quickly puts the affected person in a wheelchair, so being able to walk and work is a gift I never expected. And the dream of growing MASSIVE amounts of beautiful things to share with my community keeps me excited to ‘grow’ (ha!) this flower business.”
Love Kitsap
Tell us your fave local drink spot - coffee, tea, wine, tequila, whatever!
“I love Farmer Rosie for her lovely coffee and beautiful baked treats and I love Yoked Farmhouse Brewery for the yummy brews.”
Tell us your fave local spot for a comfort meal - what do you always order?
“Molly Ward Gardens (in Poulsbo) is one of our favorite spots for fantastic food, especially breakfast! We also love the magical sourdough pancakes at Oak Table in Silverdale...our favorite meal is breakfast. For a quick and delicious meal, we love the Taqueria el Guero Taco Truck in Purdy or El Balcon, and any of Alex's gourmet hot dogs from his Harbor Haute Dog stand.”
Live Kitsap
Out-of-town guests are coming for the weekend. What is the most important thing you share with them about the Kitsap Peninsula? Where do you absolutely have to take them?
“The Olalla waterfront of course! And then we take them to see the Bremerton Harborside Fountain Park, the ferries, and downtown Poulsbo for doughnuts at Sluys Bakery. If we have time we visit the Bloedel Reserve for a beautiful walk and Port Gamble for an interesting bit of local history and great views.”
Thrive in Kitsap
Where are your favorite places to get outside? What do you do when you go?
“I love to visit the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge and Heronswood Gardens in Kingston in any season. Each season has beautiful things to discover on the walking trails. We also really enjoy taking our two corgis for walks in the woods or on the beaches around Olalla.”
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