Producer

This established Oregon flower farm began in 1986 with Charles Little on 35 acres of nutrient rich soil along the Coast Fork of the Willamette River. Located at the foot of Mt.Pisgah in Eugene Oregon, our crops consist of foliage of all kinds; ornamental herbs, grasses and grains, unique sticks, pods and berries. A sizable part of our farm includes popular annual and perennial flowers such as larkspur, snapdragons, sunflowers, peonies, calla lilies, lavender. We have also devoted a majority of our acreage to woody shrubs and trees such as Viburnum, Ilex, Spirea, Weigela, Hydrangea, Cotinus, Lilac, Snowberry, Cornus, Eucalyptus, Specialty Conifers, Ornamental Cherries and Almonds.
Charles Little started raising everlasting blooms for the dried floral trade. Ever since, he and Bethany have celebrated the joy of flower farming in every season. “I was one of those young men who wanted to create a hippy commune and be a farmer,” Charles jokes. “I’ve always wanted to live on the land and make my living there.” Over the years, Charles Little & Company diversified into mostly fresh cuts, developing a solid reputation with Portland and Seattle area wholesale buyers.

Today, the flowers harvested from Charles Little & Co.’s fields satisfy demand for nearly every color, form and type of flower used in floral, wedding and event design. There’s always an eye-popping assortment of specialty cut-flower ingredients to choose from, including woody shrubs and trees, evergreen wreaths, and yes, a small percentage of dried flowers.

Charles and Bethany are prolific and passionate growers. Their field grown flowers are available up and down the west coast, including the Portland Flower Market and the Los Angeles Flower Market. During the summer, flower lovers can find the farm’s uncommon ingredients at Charles and Bethany’s U-Cut flower fields in Eugene, operating as Sparhawk Farms.

The Littles combine conventional and organic methods, adhering to permaculture or sustainable land-use design. Approximately 70% of the acreage is populated by naturalized woody shrubs, trees and herbaceous perennials that “require little care, little fertilizer or weeding, and are self-sustaining,” Charles explains. They use a spader rather than a plow and cover crop extensively to retain soil health. Our farm relies on the principles of regenerative agriculture to grow our rows and rows of lushly blooming fields. Over the years these plants have become naturalized and now require very little weeding or pest control. All crops produced on the farm are in-season and field-grown without the use of hoop houses or green houses. Our fields are cultivated with a high clearance tractor and hand weeded by our wonderful farm crew, which consists of long term local community members. These practice has given us a range of floral materials that distinguish us from many other growers.