About the Author

Aaron Patrick Archer, known best as Archie, is the creator and author of Squim and the Magical Sunflower Seed. Archie had a childlike curiosity and a contagious energy that he carried with him in whatever adventure he was pursuing in life. His love of sunflowers came into focus on a road trip in March 2001 back to Ohio from the family farm in northern Indiana. Winter was still lingering, evident everywhere along the highways. After that day Archie’s mission became to bring sunshine, happiness, and hope to people’s lives in a simple creative way with the guidance of mother nature.  His first plan was to scatter sunflower seeds along the median and sides of Interstate roads throughout Ohio. Although the heart of that mission never went away, it hibernated while Archie explored other dreams and passions in the West. On a visit to the Indiana farm in 2012, he became inspired by the four generations of farmers before him, the simplicity of life there, and the magic found everywhere on the farm.

The seed of inspiration for Squim and the Magical Sunflower Seed sprouted from this visit. It took on a new direction in 2015, when a portion of the farm was transferred to our mother, Theresa Archer. Archie decided to leave Seattle for Michigan City, Indiana, and tackle a dream of hers: to revitalize the old farmhouse in which she was raised. It was during this time of labor and love on the farm that Archie developed his vision for this book.

As he was approaching the harvest of so many dreams, Archie was diagnosed with colon cancer. He fought courageously until his last breath in the old farmhouse that he helped nurture back to life. To the end Archie remained passionate about life, his family, and his dreams. Squim and the Magical Sunflower Seed embodies those principles and ideals.