Christy and Knut Feiker: Sharing the flower power

Christy Feiker came home from a business trip to North Carolina with tales of a flower farm she had seen there.

“She saw how much joy it brought to the people who were coming to that town,” her husband Knut recalled. “She wanted to bring something similar to our community, so people could connect outdoors and have the power of flowers.”

The couple decided to create Glory Flower Farm which opened last year on Church Hill Road.

Christy is a midwife and Knut is a chiropractor, but the pair has some agricultural background. Christy worked in the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin restoring native prairies while Knut was part of an organic vegetable farm at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.

In 2018, the pair moved to Vermont and after renting a place on a farm in Monkton, they moved to Charlotte in 2019.

“We moved because of the land,” Christy said. “The house was a major fixer upper.”

Knut added that the Green Mountain State was a good match for the couple because of their love for the mountains and desire to live in a place where people seemed more in tune with nature.

Knut was worried about the amount of work the flower farm would entail but said he and Christy are passionate about helping both people and the planet to heal. All four of their children – aged 8 to 21 – have been involved in the operation.

Christy described 2022, their first year, as amazing. “I just felt so grateful for all the people who came and gave us great reviews,” she said.

One woman told her it was the best outing she had ever done with her daughter. Several parents said it was the first place they had taken their newborns.

Last year, Glory Flower Farm was purely a pick-your-own operation, but this year the couple is experimenting with a 10-week bouquet subscription. They haven’t set an opening date but are looking at June 24 as a possibility. The farm will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

They’ve just suffered a bit of a setback with the freezing of 300 cosmos seedlings but believe that was the only damage from an unseasonably cold May night.

Christy and Knut are about to celebrate their 10-year anniversary selling dōTERRA essential oils. The duo are firm believers in natural medicine and feel that the line of oils complements their work. Christy said natural oils provide a solution for problems in areas including emotions, energy, and sleep.

“Essential oils are an empowering tool for the modern family who is looking to take ownership of their health,” she said. “It’s like a flower in a bottle.

Christy has been a midwife since 2005 and has been in the health care field as a women’s advocate for over 25 years. She attends home births and assists those giving birth in a hospital as a doula. Christy notes that natural birth isn’t for everyone but for those who want to have the experience at home, she is happy to provide that option.

“Birth is a deeply personal experience and making a profound choice on the way we want to give birth is empowering,” she said.

Knut works at Healing Point Chiropractic in South Burlington. He describes himself as a holistic chiropractor. His specialty is a gentle form of adjustment which focuses on the upper cervical region and helps people with musculoskeletal issues like headaches and back pain.

“I really believe we are much more complex than just our bodies,” he said, “and body, mind, and spirit are important aspects of our health and wellbeing.”

Knut also recommends lifestyle changes and the breaking of destructive habits to go along with the adjustments.

Last year, the Feikers held a Paint and Sip event at the farm which attracted 50 painters and roughly 25 others who were there for the food and cocktails. They are planning a similar event this year and will be hosting yoga with Roam and Om on July 20.

“Seeing people taking their time, picking flowers and letting their guard down is pure joy,” Christy said.

“Life gets busy with kids and work,” Knut said, “and you don’t always get outside enough, so it gives me an opportunity to be present and out in nature, nourishing myself and my soul.”