Behind the Flowers

Collette started Sol Patch Garden in 2016. She began growing flowers in her grandmother's Forest Hills garden, right outside Pittsburgh, PA. With a background in vegetable production, Collette switched to flower farming upon moving to Pittsburgh in 2016. She currently owns and operates her urban flower farm in the same neighborhood she calls home: Braddock, PA. 

Collette is a first-generation farmer hailing originally from Brooklyn, NY, but maintains deep familial roots in Pittsburgh and Braddock. She became involved in agriculture while in high school when her family began raising chickens in their backyard under the name “Red Hook Poultry Association.” While at Allegheny College she pursued an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and graduated in 2013.  Upon graduation, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama to work at Jones Valley Teaching Farm for a year before moving to New York’s Hudson Valley to learn more about intensive vegetable production on Obercreek Farm’s 15 plus acres. With a desire to learn more about the intersections of science, agriculture, and social justice, Collette participated in the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) Apprenticeship program.  Through the apprenticeship program at UC Santa Cruz, she earned a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture in 2015.  And now in the spring of present day, she grows flowers with and for her people as a small women-owned farm and business.

Sol Patch Garden is small but mighty. It operates under the ethos of “flowers for the people.” Which is from a zine that was birthed by her dear friend Lucy White of @_loosepages.

The Sol Patch Garden Farm Crew

  • Lindsay

    CORE FARM HAND

    With us for three seasons now, Lindsay is a denim clad poodle who has been working with plants and flowers since 2014. When not basking in the warm summer rays of the flower field, she is sewing for Pittsburgh upcycling brand Flux Bene and her small fashion brand, Part-time Poodle. Some of her favorite joys include new flavors of potato chips, cats in windows, junk collecting, gupping around in water, and dyeing every article of clothing she can get her hands on.

  • Steph

    PEAK SEASON FIELD CREW

    Steph has farmed at Sol Patch for two seasons. She lives in Wilkinsburg with her sweetie and two cats. Coming from a visual arts background, she has spent time working in museum education and print shops. She loves making things, learning, and an occasional road trip. She will most likely become an avid bird watcher in old age.

  • Tim

    FARMER’S MARKET GURU

    Tim has been keeping our farmer’s market stand looking nice and tight for half a decade now! The word visual is what Tim has always gravitated towards as a passion and landed his full time career in video production/ filmmaking. Visually, he’s driven by an awe for the natural world - edible foraging, trees, fauna, and of course, flowers. His favorite flower that Sol Patch grows is the cupcake cosmos.

  • Georgia

    CORE FARM HAND

    Meet Georgia, the newest member of our team! Georgia fell in love with farming in 2019 through various work trade arrangements across the country. She is constantly stunned by the complexity, intelligence, and beauty of flowers. They weave pleasure into the mundane and bring creative inspiration. Georgia is a silversmith jeweler and runs Zag Metals out of her little apartment in Bloomfield. Her greatest joys are cuddling with her cat, trying new fruits, riffing bits with her gf, dancing, and laughing until she cries.

  • Rani

    THE GOOD LUCK CHARM

    Our resident mascot, Rani, supervises all farm work, chases birds, loves drinking from the flower buckets and keeps our field free of mice! We couldn’t imagine the farm without her.

  • Maria

    JACK OF ALL TRADES

    Maria was born & raised in Forest Hills, PA
    She graduated from Point Park University in 1984 and moved to New York City. Maria did her graduate studies at NYU & worked at Kings County Hospital for many years. In her 40s she changed career paths and worked as real estate broker. Maria & her husband raised 3 children in Brooklyn. Maria has always enjoyed gardening, backyard chickens and canning seasonable fruits and vegetables. On the Farm she's a jack of all trades. she helps with anything from farmers markets to weeding in the field.

  • Jake

    RESIDENT BUILDER

    Jake hails from central pa, a Susquahanna river rat. He's the business owner of J McCauley Works and loves all things wood related. His favorite construction projects are restoration focused, and luckily Pittsburgh has many homes that fit the bill. He’s a life long rollerblader, and one of his happy places is in the art studio painting window scenes. He can be found helping with any odd end tasks on the farm from late night tarp moving in the rain, to building the farm’s fence. Flowers have a newish spot in his heart, with one of his favorites being a full row of snapdragons.