At Hidden Ridge-Our New Home

When I was looking to expand after a successful test run on small city plots, I turned to the Montgomery County LandLink for help. I’d read the ad of a landowner seeking farmer for about the size and area I was hoping for and asked if they could connect us.

I had no idea that Melane was already a seasoned flower grower. That the land I hoped to someday afford to put woodies and a greenhouse on, already had them. Located in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, Melane Kinney Hoffmann has been growing flowers and herbs at Hidden Ridge Farm since 2012. The 50 acre property is also home to horses and produces hay. It seriously feels like walking around in a Jane Austen novel.

The local cut flower movement has been pioneered by incredible and visionary female farmers. Many of them had to learn as they went, educating the public about what makes cut flowers different while honing techniques and new ways to think about producing a crop. Now they are turning around and pulling newcomers up the ladder with them. Melane’s generosity and mentorship are invaluable to me. I could not feel more honored (and lets face it, slightly nervous) to steward what she has built.

So if you have a bouquet with a hydrangea in it, or eucalyptus or viburnum, you should know that Melane planted that. If your bouquet has a snapdragon or a cosmo or a sunflower-she broke the ground so that someday it could grow. She’s been investing in our county and our industry for a long time and we are so lucky to continue to benefit from her investment.