Q&A with Shaunia Flower

Think that a vegan lifestyle is just for those who have lots of money? Think again! “The Broke Vegan”, latest book by Shaunia Flower & Liani Spriggs, is the up and coming survival guide for those on a budget.  
As the last pandemic showed, we never know when we might need new ways to cope. This book really  delivers - new tools, skills, and recipes to give you smart, efficient, and clever ways to always be  prepared to give yourself a healthy and affordable vegan lifestyle.
Whether you are new to veganism, making changes to make health a priority, or simply curious how to  live a more sustainable life, you should get this book.

We had the pleasure to catch up with Shaunia Flower, and here’s what she had to say. Thank you so much for talking with us. 


This book “The Broke Vegan” happened to come at at the perfect time, when stretching a dollar has  become so crucial to so many because of COVID-19. Please tell what inspired you to write this book.

What inspired me to write this cookbook was back in 2019 I had visited relatives in Grayson Georgia and I was very impressed the farmers markets out there which I had done back home but not quite on this large scale. So to see all the dried herbs, spices turned into a market as well with natural flours of all kinds and sugars I was now more motivated then ever. After experiencing a worldwide pandemic it brought me back to the basic people staying home cooking  but also limiting people to going to farmers markets. This gave me drive to really push putting out my cookbook but also talking about my journey to veganism, how people make it that it's not really affordable when all actuality when you grow your own stuff in abundance you win and you turn all your produce then to harves. Then which you are able to preserve into jams salsas, pickles hot sauce you name it and the list goes on so I decided what time better than any  cookbook September of 2020 "The Broke Vegan" was birthed.

Please tell us all about 2 Cent Homegrown. How did this come to fruition?

2 cents homegrown is a mother and daughter flower, herb and produce farm. We also offer vegan baked goods as well and a few natural teas. Which then led up to what other better way than to show people how to cook while being broke a cookbook of many items we've sold over the past few years at farmers markets and one of our well known Compassionfests in Connecticut. We have flowers for special occasions and we're looking into beauty care products as well so we're just out here striving and trying to educate those on being a broke vegan farmer.

We know you are someone who knows their way around the garden. Can you talk us about how you learned gardening?

I learned how to garden watching my mom and my grandmother plant thing. My family is originally from down south so I believe they were probably growing food since before me. So I have a green thumb that is passed down from my grandmother who I was told can pretty much grow anything so I think I took that green thumb and I turned it into a business.

What are you excited about growing in 2021?

This year I'm really excited to grow more lavender and to be able to possibly grow hemp (If I get licensed in time which is the deadline for April anyway so I have my finger while). I also look to grow a lot of tomatoes being as though I have request for green  tomatoes and I  love to make my famous black beans salsas.

Can you give us a useful tip for those who never started a garden?

So one of my useful tips I would have to say when it comes to gardening, farming,container gardening is your soil. This is important for many reasons knowing it's pH level to begin with that would be like my biggest helpful tip. People spend a lot of money on growing plants an investing and for you to have not the greatest soil pH level or something that can carry diseases and just anything with the nutrients being off. Plant can have a deficiency so again it leads back to the soil and knowing it. I would also like to mention I am coming out with a guide to help people on growing I was born on 4/20 so I am known as a flower child but I'm on Earth sign. That will be my second book which I plan on putting out very shortly but you can also email me at 2centshomegrown@gmail if you needed any tips or assistance I am also working on my website which will be very helpful for people to see tips on gardening also so ordering. I will try to give tips on a daily blog so you can follow me on Instagram at to 2centshomegrown or on Facebook.

What advice can you give people who are struggling right now during this pandemic?

My biggest advice to people right now struggling in the pandemic is to really take time for yourself I would have to say I started doing reiki meditation and yoga  I also became a holistic herbalist. Started make natural teas to go to sleep and to also help with anxiety. I don't consider myself to be a doctor but these are things that I and a few of my customers have tried with the herbs that I grow such as lavender,chamomile, catnip and mint. These have definitely been very healing during these difficult times where people are stressed financially, mentally and emotionally you know unable to go to church unable to grieve properly for our loved ones so I definitely say take that time out for yourself breathe make sure you're eating make sure you're getting outside and you're walking or doing some type of exercise. I think it's all connected to the mind, body, Spirit and soul so as long as you can keep yourself at peace and I mean this peace as far as a peace of mind I think we will all be okay during these times it's just a matter of making sure our mental is as strong as we need it to be for our kids for our friends for our family and so that's probably the best advice I could give is just you know take deep breaths when you need to inhale exhale. Remember it's ok not to be ok. ♥️

What goals have you set for yourself in 2021?

My goals that I have set for 2021 is that I want a second location of land with a hoop house of some sort and a mobile trailer to serve produce and vegan baked goods.  Connect online with some monthly subscription boxes of produce and vegan baked goods. Iwill have an a la carte where you could customize your own boxes for special occasions such as mother's Day,Father's Day, graduations and holidays etc.

What lead you to a vegan lifestyle?

What led me to a vegan lifestyle was my daughter who at 14 and a half decided to go vegan because she had very bad acid reflux that she did not want to take medication for the rest of her life.  I decided to do meatless Monday along with her for one year then made the News years resolution yo go Fully vegan. January of 2021 I celebrated my 5th year being vegan. I had severe allergies which required me to have a turbinet  reduction and that did not really do anything so changing my lifestyle definitely has helped and also growing my produce which is pesticide and chemical free.
My YouTube channel to see my journey is #vegnafoodjunkie#

As an entrepreneur, what wisdom would you like to give to others who dream of working for themselves? Do you think mentors are important?

I would have to say the best wisdom I could give others that have a dream for working for themselves is never forget where you came from so you never forget where you're going.  I say that because I know that I grew up poor in a household of four people who lived off one fixed income my dream as a little girl was to buy a house and take care of my family. At the age of 21 I lost my mother to kidney disease which then made me really really remember where I wanted to go and so at 23 I brought my first house which I am still currently in. This makes me strive for more because I feel as though I'm settling. I'm looking to buy more land at this point and I mean buy it not lease it . I say you know as long as you never forget where you came from you could never forget where you're trying to go so I say follow your dreams and you know pick a good team of a people that you want around you that are good to you and that are there for you in the bad and they're there for you in the good as well. Just know that you're going to have those days where nothing seems to go right but just know what's meant for you it's for you keep going.

What personal survival tips have you discovered in 2020 to strengthen your mental, physical, or spiritual self?

I would say my biggest personal survivor tip of 2020 was I still got out there I went to the gym I took a walk I went to the store and I stayed talking to myself along the way just reminding myself that things will be okay that you know you can't stay down for too long you know. I think it's a mental, physical thing and they're all connected components. My body ,spirit and soul it's all connected so you need to get out there exercise  physically and  mentally you need to sort through things writing or reading ... A little meditation if you're stressed because a lot of things are out of our control so you can only control what you can and everything else will align the way it's supposed too align. You just have to trust the process it's life you take the good, the bad and the good withing the bad.

Where can we buy your book?

You can purchase the book on lulu.com and the title of the cookbook is "The Broke Vegan". You can also email me at 2centshomegrown@gmail.com to get mailed a signed copy to your doorstep or you can purchase at River Valley Co-op located in Northampton MA. I'm also looking to get into the Northampton Barnes & nobles by the beginning of the summer.. I even changed my last name to Flowers.

Thank you so much Ms. Flowers!