We were lucky to catch up with Jane Magri recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I truly believe that my business was dreamt up by the countless hours I poured into my yoga, meditation and herbalism practices. The idea of launching my own herbal tea line came from the deep connection I had formed to the plant world when managing my own health issues. As I became stronger and healthier, I began to dive deep into plant medicines. Learning and growing with botanicals calls on stillness of the mind and an open heart . It was here where I learned to listen to the subtleties and magic that is in continual flow around us. This love of herbs and their healing brought me to my yogic and Ayruvedic training which brought another layer of depth to weave into this tapestry of healing. Again, I was asked to sit in stillness, meditate and go within to hear the subtle cues my body and soul were giving me.
As I tapped in, I found great peace which I wanted to share with the community. If I , a busy-minded fast paced, driven woman can step into the slow, so can anyone! From this place of peace, I was able to set intentions from the heart, which has been the basis for each and every one of my business ventures. It was like a bubbling up of creativity I couldn’t control, it just FLOWED.
The evolution of Wildflowers Farm has grown from planting the seeds, watching and waiting for them to culminate, and then work with the elements and surroundings, the needs of the community and my own purpose to create connections to nature through gatherings, bees and botanicals.

Jane, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Wildflowers has been our family farm where I have been blessed to raise my family on. The love, care and attention we have poured into the land was something we wanted to share with our community. From the healing properties of plant medicine, moving your body in sync with natures rhythms, to celebrating life’s most special moments, Wildflowers is a place to cultivate connection. What started as my own herbal tea line, grew into our farm apiary, Ayurvedic Yoga classes and retreats, to celebrating the seasons with music festi. Wildflowers weddings grew from these deep roots within nature, and allowed us to expand our reach meeting and hosting folks from around the world to celebrate the love of two people.
We expanded our events to a Friday night market which was born out of the pandemic, as a response to support our local farming and small business economy. It was a safe alternative to bring folks together outdoors. It has evolved over the years and has now become a local staple for all ages and stages in your life. With local vendors, musicians, chefs and bakers, we offer something for everyone. Our Friday night markets also provided a platform for me to launch my botanical cocktail line, where we make and create our own cordials, shrubs, bitters and rimmers for our farm- to- glass cocktails, SO much fun!
Whether it is seasonal events, deep retreats, weddings or gatherings, you will see a theme woven within it all- honouring and connecting to natures flow!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

We all had to find ways to pivot in 2020, and I am sure many can relate, that word still holds a sting! Here is my story of how I turned things around from a negative to a positive. We book our weddings 2 years in advance and had a FULL calendar for both 2020 + 2021. As we crept closer to the beginning of our wedding season, and this 2 week lockdown to “flatten the curve” didn’t seem to have an end in sight, we surrendered to the fact that I would have to postpone the majority of the weddings booked for 2020 and close down operations for that season.
Going from a bustling and busy farm, we were suddenly put right back into the stillness and silence which was the original space in which I first created Wildflowers.
As local market vendors ourselves, we saw the huge loss for our local farming and small business community that relied heavily on markets and events to connect and sell to their community.
With no bookings, and a large enough outdoor space to host my own market, I jumped at the opportunity to pick up where other markets had left off and launch our Friday night market within 2 weeks of conception, It was a wild undertaking, and one that was likely the biggest and best gift we could have received. Hosting the community, seeing local businesses thrive, and creating a safe and inclusive space for all to enjoy was and still is such a blessing.
As restrictions started to lift, we found ourselves being back in the creative mindset where we could dream up ways to make our Friday night experience unique to our area. We pride ourselves on our farm-to-glass cocktails, our local brewery collaborations, and our commitment to hosting local musicians to celebrate the arts, agriculture, and artisans.
Our formula? Surrender, stillness, trust with a heavy dose of hard work and determination!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I would say consistency, gratitude and building trust are the pillars which allowed my clientele to grow. I stand by the “word of mouth” being such a strong instigator of growth, especially as a destination venue. What experiences can we give our customers? How do we want them to feel when they arrive and depart our business?
Our loyal customers who have been with us from the inception 12 years ago have seen the consistency in our intentions. I would hope that they trust that we have their best interests at heart, that we have such gratitude for the support.
We have heard from so many who have attended our events that they heard of the quality of service we have provided , which drew them to us. To us, that is the best compliment we could ever receive.
Beyond our foundation, or pillars, there is a consistency in branding and posting that keeps our business present online.
We have also found by forming strong business relationships through collaborations, we have been able to support others and see growth which is mutually beneficial.
Finally, finding purpose in the work, and to be of service to community has built trust. We want to bring our own successes into the hands of others who may need the assistance and support. By teaming up with local charities, we have been able to raise thousands of dollars each season which goes right back into community projects. This has never been a strategy, but a source of deep satisfaction in the work, which ultimately is what it is all about, right?

Contact Info:

• Website: wildflowers.farm
• Instagram: @wildflowersfarm
• Facebook: @wildflowersfarmlife

Image Credits
Natalie Rose Photography Rachel Helm Photography Wyton Weddings