Plants travel.

Four years ago to this day, Flamingo Estate was born. As you may know, it was once just my home, but during that first week of the pandemic, we started selling veggies from the parking lot of my former bookstore. The intent was to help a farmer that was losing all her produce, expecting to sell a couple dozen boxes at most. That first Friday, we sold 300. The next, 600. We haven’t stopped since, and oh boy have we traveled far. 

Like our plant guides have taught us, we have thrown our seeds to the wind and mustered up as much creativity as we could: Gingerbread houses with Kelly Wearstler, Honey with LeBron James, Jam with Chrissy Teigen, motorcycles made out of candle wax, ice buckets by Gaetano Pesce, rugs made out of the wool of Moroccan sheep. We’ve made bath & body collections inspired by the smell of earth after rain and our beloved Tomato. Soaps made with Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil blessed by the Dalai Lama himself, and Soaps made with Sea Salt wild-harvested off the coast of Big Sur. It has been a wild adventure, and we have made such good friends along the way.

We’ve made clothing, olive oil, candles, garden tools, books, chocolate, and dish soap — despite everyone telling us we can’t be SO much. That we have to define ‘who we are’ by scaling our dreams down in order to fit in one box. The truth is, just like that very first veggie box, Flamingo Estate only answers to Mother Nature. Only defining ourselves by her methods and slow processes, and only working with ingredients that regenerate her soils and waters. We never quite know what will come from it. All we know is that we will be serving her and our creativity will keep on traveling because of it.

I recently learned that the Blackberry has one of the most intelligent ways of traveling, making its way to almost every continent around the world. By making its fruit incredibly appealing to birds and mammals, it allows its ‘end’ to be a new beginning. As the animals eat the fruit and digest it, they spread the seeds through their own droppings. Blackberry seeds have a hard seed coat and can remain dormant for an extended period, being born anew in entirely new locations and blooming only when they’re ready. Like the Blackberry, my ends signaled beginnings I could never have imagined. And like the animals that help disperse their seeds, Flamingo Estate couldn’t have made it this far without the wild genius of our friends. 

To honor this wild, beautiful journey of four years, we have an extra special Farm Box this week. In it, you will find Blackberries to honor the long winding journey. A fresh Cheddar Bun from Oat Bakery to honor the friends that have helped us along the way. And, a Lemon & Hawaiian Turmeric Soap Bar to honor the hands and ingredients that have given us beauty and nourishment since day one. You will also find Minneola Tangelos, Baby White Turnips, Brussels Sprouts, Persian Cucumbers, Purple Artichokes, Red Beets, Chard & so much more. 

And just like that, what was once just one farmer, has now grown into an incredible network of over 100 farms, chefs, artists, writers, makers, and visionaries chasing ideas and traveling to unknown lands with them. An eternal thank you to every single person that has picked and packed and delivered these treats. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you, for supporting this dream. 

And the biggest thank you to Harvey, who has filled my heart and head with ideas everyday since we started.

Happy birthday to us all. As always, cook a meal for someone you love. 

x Richard
richard@flamingoestate.com

This Week’s Recipes