Vikki’s Flower Farmers grew from a grassroots effort due to Covid19 creating a cooperation of Hmong Farmers
On March 25th, 2020 photographer, social entrepreneur and Human Connectivity Conservationist, Tara Clark, asked her friend, Xee Yang-Schell how her parents and other flower farmers were going to generate income following the closure of Seattle’s Pike Place Market due to Covid-19. Xee hoped they would be okay. When Tara offered to host a makeshift marketplace, flower farmer Vikki Cha quickly bundled 50 dozen tulips and drove from her family farm to deliver them into the city. Vikki & Tara never could have imagined or planned for what the 2020 fresh flower season became. Working together over the following 10 weeks, with the help of countless volunteers, they found homes for over 19,000 dozen flowers providing $420,000+ to 52 Hmong family farms. Not only did people purchase flowers to brighten their homes, but they are gifted bouquets to friends, businesses, strangers and organizations to spread love throughout our city. The effort became known as the Flower Power of Love.
Vikki Cha is hoping to continue working together with Hmong farmers that have difficulty accessing the Seattle market. In 2021, along with flowers from her farm, she is hoping to provide a distribution channel to the Seattle market for many other farmers as well. How many farmers she is able to help will depend on you, the Seattle buyers.
The grassroots effort has relied on our community sharing with friends, family, colleagues and strangers via Facebook and Instagram. Please consider joining our #FlowerPowerofLOVE share on all your social media platforms, forward flowerpowerseattle.com to everyone you know and place your orders today. THANK YOU!