Local Texas Farm to Bring Culture and Community to Field to Vase Dinner

Our next Field to Vase Dinner will take us all the way down south to the Lone Star State at Arnosky Family Farms. Nestled in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, this family farm has made a name for itself as “the marigold capital of Texas.” Owners Frank and Pamela Arnosky have been active flower farmers in the community for nearly 30 years and with American Grown since its inception.

Frank & Pam in the marigold field

The Arnoskys have been part of Certified American Grown since its inception

Frank was on the initiation board back in 2014 and was involved in the DC Fly-In that year as well. He and Pamela have always made an effort to network within their profession, and American Grown has given them a chance to connect with likeminded farmers and advocate for American flower farms. They were also the hosts of a previous Field to Vase Dinner in 2016. Frank and Pamela are looking forward to having Field to Vase return to their farm next month!

The Blue Barn under the big open skies of Texas

Since its beginning, the Arnosky farm has become renowned for its family-friendly environment and majestic southern charm.  Visitors to the farm quickly become enamored with the quaint blue barn, which has become the “the face on the farm” locals associate with the Arnosky name. According to Pamela, the barn replicates the historic architecture of Texas Hill Country and is modeled after the original dance halls that were built in the area long ago. This barn will be serving as the site of the Field to Vase Dinner and will surely delight attendees with its welcoming atmosphere.

The Blue Barn with Marigolds

The Blue Barn Entrance

The Blue Barn Interior

For this dinner, the Arnosky family will be partnering with Texas supermarket chain HEB and HEB Blooms to design the tablescape. “Working with HEB is such a big deal–HEB is legendary here in Texas for many reasons,” Pamela said. “The HEB Emergency Response Teams show up FIRST after disasters, well before FEMA can. HEB Floral used ALL Local Flowers to thank Nurses for their work in the 1st year of COVID and folks always comment – HEB has great flowers, I always buy my flowers there! We all say “my HEB” or “I wish we had an HEB in our town.”  HEB is about Community and treats its employees and partners well.”

To the Arnoskys, community is what Field to Vase is all about. This dinner will celebrate Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and the diversity of the Hispanic population within the local community, although the farm has provided marigolds for cultural celebrations in the area for much longer. The timing also happens to overlap with the Indian celebration Diwali, another holiday of cultural significance in the region.

Pam with marigold skull planted in the fields

Flower fields at Arnosky Family Farm

Attendees can expect a plethora of marigolds, sugar skulls, a community ofrenda, and other imagery tied to Día de Los Muertos. Guests will have the opportunity to bring photos of their deceased loved ones and place them at the ofrenda to honor them.  “This dinner allows us to connect with those celebrating Day of the Dead and Diwali. It allows us to elevate the human connection to flowers and its importance in cultural celebrations,” Pamela said. “It celebrates the circle of life, elevates our celebrations, and pulls us to a greater connectedness far bigger than we are.”

Don’t miss this dinner if you’re around Blanco, Texas on October 15! It will be a unique floral and cultural experience that you surely won’t forget. Buy your tickets here before they sell out!

“When people come to the dinner and start socializing, they start to open up just like flowers themselves.”
-Pamela Arnosky