Sunbird Flowers is small flower farm located on land owned by the Peterson/Stephens Family - once cultivated by Claude Tedford Petersen, a master grower from St. Croix in U.S. Virgin Islands.

We grow flowers using ecologically sustainable practices, ones that conserve resources, build rich soil, and promote a vibrant ecosystem.

Whitney Jaye

Whitney Jaye is a farmer, agrarian artist, and mother whose love for the land and sea stem back deep into her life and lineage.

As a native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Whitney sees her work through the lens of Black Southern folkways that (re)center agrarianism, and through the ancestral memories and practices of coastal Carolinian culture. She has done a variety of food systems work and organizing, from farming and agricultural education, to farmers market management, and cooperative development. In addition to farming at Sunbird, she also serves as the Director of Strategic and Programmatic Development for the Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON). 

Brandon Stephens

Brandon is a farmer, father, and entrepreneur who finds his roots in growing - his earliest land memories were of working in the garden with his grandfather Claude Tedford Petersen. He has an extensive background in vermiculture, hydroponics and aquaponics, and owns and manages DecaturPonics (aquaponics).

Brandon is originally from Decatur, Georgia, and his family can be traced back in the area for several generations. These deep roots are the reason is he invested to growing food for communities he loves. When he is not in the field, you can find him winemaking, conducting researching on trees and plants, and working on his latest farm experiments.