Meet Brooke Freeman | Farmer-Florist & Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Freeman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was a full-time mental health and substance abuse therapist wanting to get out of the office some during the height of COVID. I grew up in the country and my parents had farm land and my granddaddy’s old tractor. We use to have a garden around my little yellow playhouse growing up and I always enjoyed growing flowers with my family, so naturally when COVID happened, I started getting antsy in the office, and decided to start my own little garden, with the help of my husband and parents. This quickly turned into a passion and I decided then to pursue this more seriously.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our business started as a Flower Farm but soon after, we continued this growth with my parents into “The Cornealius Properties” which is now TWO venues that are open and operating. We have worked endlessly to create this dream and we are so excited both venues will be open this year to make more memories to come. We also work with “Wayne Cares” which is Waynesboro Clinic’s nonprofit arm. Both of my parents are licensed therapists as well and own the Clinic and have been running it for years. Wayne Cares was created to help those in need of financial assistance during difficult times and cannot meet ends meet. We proudly work towards supporting their cause as much as we can. None of this dream we have and are continuing to build has been easy, but with the help of my loved ones, parents, friends and husband this is becoming everything that I could’ve ever wanted it to be and more. What I want people to know about my brand is that I care immensely about our community and providing locally grown flowers to brighten peoples day and make lifetime memories.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s really funny anytime any of my friends come to town, I create an itinerary of things going on locally that we should do and no one ever wants to leave the farm, or the wedding venue. I always take a day or two to spend time with them doing other things and they always beg me to come to the barn to “work.”

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Linda Burroughs is a pastor at a local church/homeless shelter. She has always advocated for me to follow my dreams. She owns the House of Fordham which is a nonprofit organization who helps shelter people who are in situations where they are homeless and need shelter. They also run a thrift store to help fund the shelter’s needs. For the last 10 years Linda has made time for me on a weekly basis to pray and talk about goals of mine and just life in general. She has always been a big part of my life as she was my grandmother’s best friend and my “god mother.” She is a rockstar in the community.

Website: https://www.brookesfreshcutflowerfarm.com/

Instagram: brookesfreshcutflowerfarm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrookesFreshCutFlowerFarm/