I run Brave Blooms alongside my husband, Matt, and our son. We are a Native-owned flower farm, botanical apothecary, and licensed nursery in Rochester, Washington, growing premium, pesticide-free flowers, herbs, and botanicals. We create small-batch botanical soaps, skincare, bath and body products, and seasonal apothecary goods inspired by the plants we grow and steward. We also maintain a small flower breeding program, developing new dahlia and specialty cut flower varieties, and offer dahlia tubers, ranunculus corms, peony roots, live plants, and hand-selected seeds through our online shop.

Working with plants is both my life's calling and my healing path. My son and I are enrolled members of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and our farm sits near our ancestral homelands, which extend from the base of Mount Rainier to the banks of the Columbia River. With a background in environmental science, I strive to honor my ancestors by farming with reciprocity, growing with the seasons, nurturing healthy soil, and creating habitat for pollinators and wildlife. As an Indigenous woman, mother, farmer, and scientist, I carry that legacy forward. Our family's presence here today is a testament to the strength and resilience of my ancestors, whose sacrifices made it possible for future generations to continue calling this place home.

Native-owned businesses represent just 1 percent of businesses in the United States, and Native American farmers make up less than 2 percent of all U.S. farmers. Native flower farmers are even fewer. I am incredibly proud that Brave Blooms is part of this growing community of Native-owned businesses and farms.

Every flower, seed, plant, and botanical good you purchase helps strengthen Indigenous representation in agriculture while supporting a small family farm dedicated to caring for the land. Thank you for supporting our farm, our family, and our culture. I hope what we grow and create brings beauty, warmth, and a sense of connection into your life.

With love,

Iesha