We recently interviewed Juan Aguiar Bravo and wife Keeton Aguiar to learn more about their Blooming Reed Farm, our newest farm vendor.
Prescott Farmers Market: Tell us about yourself and how long have you lived in Arizona?
Juan: I grew up in here in the tri-city area and have lived here for most of my life. In 2013 I moved to Oregon and met my wife Keeton and we just moved back to Arizona about 2 years ago.
What do you sell at your booth?
We sell a variety of beautiful cut flowers and vegetables. Our top selling product is our Flower mason jar. It’s a beautiful floral display made with our seasonally grown flowers, and they vary in look depending the time of year!
How long have you had your business?
This will be our first year as a business.
How long have you been a vendor at PFM?
We were helping my father Fernando, from Aguiar Farms, for the past two years at the market, but this is our first year as solo vendors.
How do your products differ from store bought flowers and vegetables?
Our flowers and veggies are different from the store’s products because we grow everything right here locally in Paulden. We use pesticide free and spray free practices to grow all our plants.
Tell us about how you get ready for the market.
Thursdays we pick and arrange our flowers when they are in season. We get ready for the market by picking and washing veggies the day before. And right now since our market truck doubles as my other work truck, we have to reload our tents and weights and displays every week before market.
What’s special about your business?
What is special about Blooming Reed Farm that makes us unique is that our farm is a minimal-till farm. By not tilling our fields, we aren’t bringing up dormant weed seeds and we aren’t bothering the ecosystem underneath the roots. This will hopefully lead to healthier soil.
What are your plans for the future?
Our biggest plan for the future is to be able to offer better, healthier products through our no-till methods. We want to grow our Blooming Reed Farm to succeed as a business!
Why is supporting local agriculture and business important to you?
Supporting local ag and business is critical to any community because it means your money stays in the community and doesn’t just go to some big corporation. You’re supporting your neighbor when you support local ag and business!
What is your favorite product to buy from another PFM vendor?
My favorite product is Manuel’s coffee and Camp Grounds wilderness latte; I like coffee! Keeton says her favorite product is the lavender oil from Skull Valley Lavender.
Do you vend at any other markets?
We will also be selling in Flagstaff this year for the first time as Blooming Reed Farm!
How can we find you on social media?
You can find us on Instagram. Make sure to follow us to keep up on what we are bringing fresh to the market each week.
