WILLIAMSBURG, Ind. — If you visit The Barn at Helm to pick flowers, owners Julie and Tim Frame will tell you it's so much more.
A few years ago, the couple revisited their business' name, initially The Barn at Helm Flower Farm, before realizing that what they provide is more than just flower picking.
"We're not just a flower farm and we should probably say 'The Barn at Helm Experience,'" Julie said. "What we were finding is guys didn't really want to come to a flower farm, but when they were dragged here, they had a fantastic time. ... When you come, it truly is that we're selling experiences, basically."
The Barn at Helm, a four-acre farm, is open from 5 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Julie said there is no time limit to how long you're able to stay during business hours.
"We've had people come and they'll bring a picnic, and they'll go to the back tree and come out and cut flowers," she said. "And they'll be here for three or four hours."
Concerts, weddings and more at the Barn at Helm
Although they've been farming at their property for 38 years now, the Frames didn't start The Barn at Helm until 10 years ago, adding new features over time to attract new visitors and retain existing customers.
This year, they added a walking path through a field to a tree swing and a gazebo, isolated from the rest of the farm to make for a romantic date.
The year before, the two added a Love Lock area where couples can either bring their own or purchase from a selection of locks to signify how strong their bonds are. The idea came from when Julie and Tim traveled internationally and wanted something special to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on the night of a concert at their farm.
Before that, the Frames had built a windmill and waterfall area.
In total, Julie estimated 20 different photo opportunities for visitors to enjoy.
They also rent the farm out for private events such as weddings, concerts, class reunions, anniversaries and more.
Not long ago, The Barn at Helm added an annual concert series to its seasonal schedule, with a focus on well-known names in the country music industry with a mix of local artists.
This year's schedule includes Nashville recording artists Walker County and Kelsey Hart, NBA All-Star Game "National Anthem" singers The Brothers Footman and local country and classic rock artists Sean Lamb and Janet Miller. They also recently added Wyatt Massingille, a traditional country singer from Indianapolis, for Oct. 5.
Tickets vary in price depending on the artist and can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the farm.
Julie said the concerts have been a big success in getting people to visit, as evidenced by an AI service that says where people come from.
"It showed that we drew people from five states and 57 different ZIP codes," she said. "Our concert nights have had people from Fort Wayne, Cleveland, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan."
Concerts will also include a variety of food trucks for attendees to purchase from, as well as beer and wine offerings on site. Visitors are also advised to bring their own lawn chairs.
Flowers still play big role
The flower cutting is what a lot of visitors come for. Admission to the farm is $5 per person to walk around, but for an additional $20 per person, they can buy a Ball Mason Jar and are given a pair of scissors to cut from a selection of 80 varieties of flowers, including dahlias, hydrangeas, lavender and sunflowers.
Julie said that for those who can't make it out to the farm, the business operates as a florist and also does deliveries. They provide bouquets for weddings, funerals and senior photos, and they sell at the Centerville and Westfield farmers' markets,
"We helped start the Centerville Market with Courtney Bowen, and she's like, 'Do you want to be co-owner?' And I'm like, 'Nope, I will help you behind the scenes.'"
The Frames sold flowers at the Richmond farmers market for nine years but decided against it this year because of competition from several other vendors.
The Frames offer a subscription service where, for $149 a year, customers can receive a monthly bouquet they can handpick from April to September.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, The Barn at Helm announced a new bouquet offering for "Dahlia Lovers" over the next four weeks.
After picking season ends in October and the concerts are done, Julie said she switches to offering off-site workshops, though she added that they sell flowers year-round except for January.
'A crazy idea' 11 years ago
In all, Julie said they operate three businesses: growing to sell Bouquets of the Month and at farmers markets, designing for weddings, funerals, senior photos and other events, and agritourism to bring people together for concerts, U-Pick and photography nights.
"We have kind of grown organically," she said. "I look back, and if you had told me 11 years ago when I had this crazy idea that we'd be here, I would have said you were crazy."
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email ateweaver@gannett.com.
