Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
How can we share our support for marginalized community members through our businesses? Here are some easy steps you can take, even if you are in a very homogenous area like ours.
Post a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement on your website. No potential employees or customers should be nervous to work with you. Sharing a statement is an easy way to convey that message.
Here is our LFF statement for inspiration. If you choose to add one to your business, you’re welcome to take inspiration from our words below, but please make sure that you make your statement your own. If you’re at a loss for words, try ChatGPT— it might be able to help you!
Love is what we do.
Little Farmhouse Flowers is a small, woman-owned business in the Adirondack Park in New York State. We are proud to serve clients of all colors, genders, and gender expressions. Your love is welcome here.
Non-discrimination policy: We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations.
We also hold deeply a concern for our natural world on local, national, and global levels, and do our best to maintain a business that is responsible and sustainable. We are vocal advocates for sustainability and environmental reform in our industry.
Small town. NOT small mind.
While we work to do these things well, we also know that there is always room for growth and improvement. We are open to feedback from our customers, employees, and occasional observers on how to to do these things better. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, and suggestions. Owner and lead designer, Linda D’Arco can be reached directly at linda@littlefarmhouseflowers.com.
Show that you work with a diverse group of people and or clients. Show your team in your marketing, in your social media. Show your clients.
If you don’t have a very diverse reach and you’d like to, take steps to get there. Set up photo shoots with LGBTQ+ couples. Set up photo shoots with BIPOC models. Share job postings on message boards in the communities you hope to reach.
Foster a support cohort: Feature BIPOC and LGBTQ+ vendors on your website and through your recommendations.
Celebrate and honor relevant holidays, and not just the standard white, anglo-saxon religious holidays. Offer a special arrangement for other holidays, too. Most of us can just as easily make and market a Kwanzaa arrangement as we can a Christmas arrangement in terms of the ingredients we have available that time of year.
Call out injustice when you see it. We can build allied networks in our community by standing up for people who are being wronged. When news came that a racist slur was painted on a wall in a nearby town on the jogging route of a favorite local leader, we sprung into action and started a vocal and public fundraiser using our flower sales for their organization.