Today we’d like to introduce you to Zabeth Chang.
Hi Zabeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Owner Chersue Chang visited his mother and brother in Kansas City, KS. During that time, his brother sold vegetables and flowers at the OP Farmer’s Market and City Market. After seeing this, Chersue felt inspired to leave North Carolina to pursue his flower farm. He thought North Carolina had too many competitors and needed help finding jobs in his small town. Eventually, he moved to Kansas City, and Dang’s Gardening was established in 2016. The past eight years have been incredible. In the beginning, there were quite a lot of hardships. No land and no home. It took a lot of help from the community to get Dang’s where it is today. We used to sell at four markets and small pop-up markets. Now, we have found our home and are located in Lawson, Missouri, with 5 acres. We sell at the River Market and Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmer’s Market.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Early on, finding an affordable home with land was very difficult. We had family members who lent us part of their land for us to use for the time being—then had to afford all the seeds and equipment, also needing a cooler. It was quite a lot. Learning our customers was very challenging, too. We were stretched in many ways. Luckily, we landed a rental home that had a decent amount of land. The struggle at that property was that there was not enough water. Therefore, the ground was dry. Then, around 2018, Chersue got sick and almost died. It was a rough year. During that time, the landlord wanted to sell the house to us, so we decided to proceed with the sale. But then we discovered it was under a tax lien, and the sale didn’t go through. We had to find a new house and move all the flowers to the new farm. That was a very stressful year. By the grace of God, we found a home in Lawson that winter. Starting over was hard, but we were at peace because we finally owned our land.
As you know, we’re big fans of Dang’s Gardening, LLC. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
Dang’s Gardening grows seasonal cut-flowers from April to October. Everything on the farm is grown outside and developed with our hands. We use a few machines. What sets us apart from other vendors is the quality of our flowers. They are cut fresh from the farm and can last up to 2-3 weeks on your table. We offer a variety of flowers that you need help finding in your local grocery store.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Make sure to know your competition and not sell yourself short. Embrace your brand, and don’t be afraid to take risks. 100% of the risks we took in the beginning led us to who we are today. Lastly, prepare yourself financially. We wished we had thought out some things in advance.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dangsgardening
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dangsgardening/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dangsgardening?lang=en
Image Credits
Dang’s Gardening
