The
Farm
Anderson Acres is a 200 acre estate located in Kent, Connecticut. Its land has been in agricultural use since the early 1900s. After being tended to by three generations of the Anderson family, for whom the property is still named, the farm was purchased by the Saltz family in 2011.
Its rolling hills, pastures, and wetlands are being preserved in conjunction with the Weantinoge Land Trust, ensuring that this lovely acreage will remain ecologically sound for generations to come.
Through Michelle Saltz’s vision, Anderson Acres has developed a small-scale flower production operation. The farm also includes a private homestead, with its own vegetable gardens, mushroom yard, berry bushes, and fruit trees.
Learn more about the farm’s history here.
Owners
Ron & Michelle Saltz
Ron and Michelle Saltz have always been happiest when interacting with and caring for the natural environment. Adventures in nature, whether hiking or concocting a meal with their own garden vegetables, are essential aspects of family time together with their daughters Ally and Hannah.
Michelle had studied floral design, gardening, and sustainability at the NY Botanical Garden and Stone Barns when the couple encountered Anderson Acres for the first time. They instantly fell in love with the land and its history, and reviving the farm became the next chapter in their family story.
OUR
TEAM
Michelle Saltz
OwnerMichelle’s passion for flowers stretches back to early childhood. She remembers creating hobby gardens with her dad and cutting flowering branches off the neighbour’s trees--to their dismay--to make bouquets for her mother. It was always her dream to cultivate gardens of her own and to have enough to share their beauty.
She began studying floral design when her own children were young and partnered with florists to create beautiful events. After a few seasons of vegetable and chicken farming, Michelle decided it was time to follow her passion and she focused the farm’s attention on flowers.
She delights in engaging with the earth every day and bringing the beauty and magic of the natural world to everyone she encounters.
Cameron Caruso
Farm ManagerCameron began gardening as a child with her grandfather who taught her the art of growing a good tomato, telling a good tale and the magnificence of the universe.
Before joining Anderson Acres, she worked at White Flower Farm as the Assistant Store Manager, Arethusa Farm as the Head Horticulturist and owned and operated Beaver Meadow Farm where she specialized in heirloom vegetables and flowers. Her passion for organic agriculture and community make her the perfect leader for the Anderson Acres Team.
She has a growing collection of dahlias, thinks gladiolus are about to have a renaissance and makes the most of every day. She’s lived in Litchfield for twenty years.
“If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need” - Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Candace Bowes
Product Manager and Head of Floral Design
Candace’s life-long love of gardening and a desire for something ‘new’ after a successful career as an advertising producer in Los Angeles, led her to seek out and embrace flower farming. After completing certificate classes at the NY Botanical Garden and UCLA in gardening, floral and landscape design and maintenance, she is now entering her 4th season at Anderson Acres Farm.
Her main role is product manager of the farm’s onsite Flower Shop. She has a great appreciation of native flowers and herbs, incorporating them into her designs whenever possible. Her passion is to create new ‘recipes’ for bouquets and arrangements on a weekly basis for local retailers and the flower shop.
Anna Richardson
Assistant Farm ManagerAnna joined the farm team in 2021 and quickly proved to be a force of nature with a natural eye for beauty. She is a beacon of positivity and when she sets her mind to it, can accomplish anything.
Previously, Anna worked for South Kent School for 3 years as a farm hand, followed by 3 years as their farm manager, educator and activity facilitator. She is passionate about sustainable and responsible agriculture, loves all animals, and whispers compliments to flowers whenever possible. Any day spent laughing in the sun and dirt is a good day according to Anna.
“Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” - Hans Christian Anderson
Elyssa Houser
Farm CrewElyssa moved to Connecticut from California in 2014 where her passion for botanicals began. After 7 years of working in landscape design she decided to shift her focus to flower farming.
Elyssa began working at Anderson Acres in 2022 and her strong work ethic, attention to detail and flexibility has made her an invaluable asset to our team. She enjoys getting her hands dirty but when she's not digging in the dirt you can find her putting her talents to use in making beautiful flower arrangements.
Carly Klittnick
Farm CrewCarly is the newest member of our farm team. Her passion for agriculture began as a child walking goats on dog leashes around the farm where her mother worked and helping her best friend raise baby rabbits. She got her first farm job at 16 and has never looked back. In search of a community of passionate farmers like herself, she joined Anderson Acres in 2022 after working at an organic vegetable farm.
Growing up with a mechanic as a father, Carly is a quick problem solver with nifty tricks up her sleeve and loves to get her hands dirty whenever possible. When she isn’t working on the farm, you can usually find her playing in her own vegetable garden.
Rebecca Kowalski
Farm Crew
Rebecca spent much of her childhood exploring the natural world with her family though work and outdoor activities. So working and being in nature has always been where she feels most centered, at peace, and at home.
After exploring varied avenues of education and trades, she continued to fall back to gardening and landscaping, an industry she had entered during her teenage years and was always naturally drawn to.
Rebecca joined the AAF farm crew in 2020 to explore flower farming and floral design but mostly to learn and be inspired by like minded women.
Going into her thirteenth season in the industry, and her seventh season running her own landscape gardening business based out of Litchfield, she continues to be inspired and find beauty in her work every day.