Don served six years in the Utah Air National Guard as an Intelligence Analyst, including one overseas deployment to the Middle East for Operation Enduring Freedom.
"It's great to know that there are resources for military veterans getting into farming. I'm looking forward to using some of the discounts available and submitting for next year's grant. I hope to meet other veteran farmers and learn from their experiences, and help any veterans interested in getting started with farming."
Heirbloom Acres is a commercial cut-flower farm located in the mountain valley of Avon, Utah, founded in March 2025. They specialize in producing premium, seasonal cut flowers for the local community, utilizing high tunnels and modern irrigation infrastructure to navigate the unique climate.
After many years of working an office job and sitting in front of a computer most of the day, Don realized something vital was missing. He needed a tangible way to get outside and work with his hands in the dirt. When his wife approached him with the idea for a flower farm, it immediately resonated as the right path for him and for his family. They are now in their second year, and he has found an incredible sense of balance. Being able to split his time between the cognitive demands of an office and the grounding reality of working the land has given him exactly what he was looking for.
"In uniform, service is about protecting the structural framework of a community; in agriculture, it is about nurturing the human spirit within it. Flower farming has taught me that man does not live on bread alone — we require beauty to please the eye and gladden the heart just as much as we require physical sustenance. The beautiful is ultimately just as useful as the useful. My sense of service continues through the daily, disciplined work of partnering with the earth to bring something life-affirming into the world. Being an American farmer means participating in a legacy of grit and self-reliance, while finding deep personal fulfillment in an operational mission that builds a more vibrant, enriched community."
