About | Imoto Flower Farm

I am Michiko Murai, your flower farmer and florist! I am committed to growing for my community and providing access to locally grown flowers, natural dyes and everlasting floral art. I am a one woman operation regeneratively growing flowers in the Skagit Valley! This is my second year as a farm owner. I am dedicated to learning/practicing no till and regenerative farming techniques and finding peace and identity with my floral art.

Why Imoto

Imoto means little sister in Japanese because although I farm alone, I feel completely supported by a community of mentors, family, friends and passionate, resilient people.

Imoto flower farm is all about relationships.

With the land, I hope to deepen my own connection through thoughtful and intentional farming. Nourishing the soil as it nourishes me.
I want to explore my mixed identity with creative floral art; drawing inspiration from the art of Ikebana and the natural environment of PNW, my home.
I hope for more community. I want to participate in my local economy and help create community by adorning tables full of food, family and friends with beautiful flowers.

I am very grateful for my mentors, Koji and Lizzy at Makanai Farm and my farm hosts, the Swayne Family of Stoked Oaks Farm. Working for Koji and Lizzy for 3 years, I learned so much about regenerative farming, Japanese food/culture/shared experience that has been lost to me over the generations, and who I want to be as a farmer, friend and community member. Farming with the Swayne Family has shown me the importance and joy of sharing, growing and eating in community. I will forever be thankful for this opportunity to be their friend, grow with them and learn from them.

Practices and Values

Farming regeneratively and in community is an act of resistance against the industrial food system. I hope to live the rest of my years resisting and building local and regenerative food systems with these practices and ideals:

No till farming practice to support the microbiome health of the soil; protecting microorganisms, mycelium networks and soil structure.

Cover Cropping for fertilization, soil and water retention as it naturally mulches the soil surface during the winter months. No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides used.

Crop rotation and intercropping to naturally prevent pests and disease, use more space and understand relationships between plants!

Creating space and creative outlets for learning, observation and introspection.

Working towards a closed loop system where no inputs are from outside the farm. Limiting single use plastic, sourcing as local as possible and experimenting with amendments from the garden and local foraging for fertilization and pest management.

Farming in community. I am lucky to join an amazing movement of regenerative community growers in Western Washington including many Asian American, queer, women farmers.

Being open, adaptive and humble to new ideas and methods.

Growing flowers to explore floral Japanese arts like ikebana, oshibana and shibori. I hope to provide access and education to these arts in the future.

I am a guest growing in Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle and Stillagaumish lands.