Person holding white flowers with a scenic background and 'Mission For Sustainability' text | Alaska Beauty Peony Cooperative | Homer, AK

Why Does ABPC Stand Out?

Farming is a family affair for our co-op, with multiple generations coming together to help handpick the tidal wave of more than 40 varieties of peonies that roll in during harvest time. With farms distributed over a range of elevations, we have the longest harvest period in Alaska.

Our growers run the gamut of types from original homesteading families to recent Alaskan transplants. No matter how long we have been here or where we come from, we are enthusiastic about sustainable farming practices to cultivate peonies along the coast and in the hills above Kachemak Bay.

Person wearing a pink cap and brown sweater holding white flowers Sustainability Farming | Alaska Beauty Peony Cooperative | Homer, AK

Our Sustainable Farming

  • Our farms practice regenerative agriculture. We believe it’s important to support biodiversity, resilience to climate change, and strengthen the health and vitality of farm soil.
  • Our plants benefit from our local marine environment where fish byproducts and kelp are used extensively to feed our flowers.
  • We encourage the use of cover crops to build healthy soils and to surround fields with pollinator strips of native plants.
  • We employ bee-friendly approaches to controlling botrytis.
  • Mycorrhizae fungi boost nutrient absorption-especially phosphorus-and improve soil structure, boosting plant health.
  • Several of our farms capture water in pocket ponds and use efficient irrigation practices for targeted watering.
  • Read more about our farming practices in a story published by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) about cooperative farmer Allison Gaylord of Willow Drive Gardens.

Our Community

Since 2020, we have worked with various Rotary clubs in Alaska + Kaladi Brothers Coffee on the "Send a Smile" program - for every peony bunch purchased, we donated a peony bunch to healthcare workers at hospitals on the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage.

To support local efforts to enhance food security, we have made our refrigeration system accessible to local business for use in our off season. Living at the end of the road here in Homer during COVID has made us keenly aware of what happens when the grocery stores are cleaned out. 

Whenever possible, we try to work with local businesses from farm supplies to marketing materials.

Sustainable Farming Pea Tendrils | Alaska Beauty Peony Cooperative | Homer, AK

Cover Cropping

Our peony fields are being prepped with a cover crop of Austrian field peas and buckwheat, a sustainable practice that enriches the soil, naturally suppresses weeds, and even provides edible pea tendrils for fresh, seasonal salads.

Promotional banner for certified Alaska-grown flowers with various logos and text | We Pride Ourselves in Producing Certified Alaska Grown Flowers | Homer, AK
Bouquet of pink flowers wrapped in brown paper with a business card on a wooden surface | Alaska Beauty Peony Cooperative | Homer, AK

Our Sustainable Packing

  • We’re proud of our efforts to use plant based and recycled packaging when possible.
  • Our tea sachets are plant based. Sugar cane fiber sachets ensure our peony tea is not steeped in a plastic tea bag.
  • We recycle gel packs from our local hospital and clinics to ship with fresh flowers.
  • We recycle Amazon boxes, packing paper and air pillows when shipping merchandise for our wholesale gift shops.
  • Our reusable ‘Pick Joy’ tote bag is made of recycled ripstop nylon and is a great option for use at the grocery store or your local farmers market.
  • Our “Tea for Two” wooden envelopes are made from Alaskan Birch!
  • Our pouches support a circular economy using both recyclable PE-PE film and post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, supporting a closed-loop system by reducing virgin plastic use and re-entering store drop-off recycling streams.
  • We partner with Alpenglow Skincare to manufacture our soap with minimal packaging.

Special Thanks To Our Community

As a relative young and continually growing cooperative, we could not be where we are today without the help from our Alaska community and global peony + wedding community. We would like thank the following people + businesses who have helped us shine: