With 25 acres of sprawling fields, you will find yourself immediately transplanted to a place of tranquility.
Travel just 20 minutes outside the city center of Des Moines and be greeted by the beauty of Rose Farm, family-owned and lovingly-managed by Flower Farmers Karri and Patrick Rose. With 25 acres of sprawling ground, you will find yourself immediately transplanted to a place of tranquility. The white farmhouse set against the backdrop of deep rolling hills, and the charming, idyllic barn housing The Shoppe at Rose Farm, are neatly nestled on the property. The Shoppe at Rose Farm house's a community of learners through Lifestyle Workshoppes, Lunch + Learn experiences, Farm to Table Dinners, and provides a unique boutique experience for any of life's wonderful celebrations. The open-air garden pavilion creates a stunning place to gather for special events, with breath-taking views of the gardens and 2-acre pond.
Karri and Patrick developed the dream of Rose Farm a 3-acre flower farm with a deep belief resting in sustainability, stewardship of the land and conservation. They create habitats for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Multiple breeds of non-GMO fed, free range hens happily wander and produce a striking array of colored eggs. Fresh herbs are grown from seed, guaranteeing quality from soil to table. Breathtaking fields of flowers delight the senses in the four gardens named after Karri + Patrick's families. Seasonally, you'll find David Austin garden roses, peonies, and over 25 varieties of dahlias. Blueberries, raspberries, aronia berries, apple and pear trees provide flavorful fruit, along with many other varieties thriving on the farm.
As Flower Farmers, Karri and Patrick wholeheartedly believe in sustainable business practices. They are passionate about supporting local farms and the dreams of others. By supporting Rose Farm, you are rallying around a movement that builds community-supported agriculture.
We think acts of kindness & love found in everyday endeavors brighten the world. We believe kindness is a language that can be heard, seen & felt. We think the happiest people in life are the givers. We think it’s important to celebrate people who feel like sunshine. We believe beautiful minds inspire others.
We believe in creating & nurturing community. We believe in giving back. We believe in collaborating with people from whom we can learn. We believe learning never ends.
We believe in the magic of children. We think they are wise, kind & beautiful. We believe in encouraging their minds & spirits. We think they have superpowers. We believe in feeding & inspiring their hearts.
We believe in celebrations. We believe in joyfully acknowledging life’s events. We believe true happiness comes from creating memories. We think gathering with friends and family makes us more alive & connected.
We believe in treating nature with respect. We believe our land is more than soil; it’s the foundation on which our lives and families are built. We believe that in order to flourish, we must first nourish the ground beneath us. We believe this earth is what we have in common.
Karri invites you to experience the beauty + peace at Rose Farm. As a dream-seeker, she gave up her role as Executive Director for the #1 beauty brand, AVEDA, to pursue her passion in 2018. She had spent the previous 21 years working next to small business owners and service providers, helping them grow personally and professionally. Karri is now the owner + operator of Rose Farm, a 25-acre farmstead located in the rolling hills of Norwalk, Iowa, focusing on sustainability, stewardship of the land, conservation and community-supported agriculture.
When Karri started dreaming about opening the farm in 2018, she enrolled in + completed the Iowa State Master Gardening Program, which takes participants from a trainee, to an intern, to a master. As a part of the program, she was required to complete forty hours of volunteering. With a passion for community service, Karri was thrilled to find a way to give back to the Rose Farm community. After many mornings spent brainstorming, the concept of Farm School was born. Philanthropy will always be a driving force in Karri's life.
Karri's Southern heritage is a gift she uses to bring people together through hospitality, entertaining at the farm and inspiring others to give through philanthropy. Karri is a believer in beautiful celebrations, overseeing all boutique-sized celebrations at the farmstead. With an exquisite attention to detail, she makes even the simplest get-togethers special and thoughtful. She is also the founder of Victoria's House, a cozy guest home with accomodations for eight guests on the Rose Farm property where guests are invited to take a sabbatical + enjoy the magic of the countryside.
A lover of life, animals and all living things, Karri’s farm is a reflection of the commitment she has made to leave this world a better place. She’s an old soul who finds purpose in caring for the world around her. The minute you pull up to the white farmhouse and see the chickens happily grazing, and spot the vivid colors of the vibrant florals, you will quickly understand that it is passion which has built this dream.
Patrick is the master builder on the farm. His hard-working hands have built the greenhouse, hen house, high tunnels and bird habitats. His green thumb is responsible for the garden plot layouts. He is the grower, the harvester, the hay farmer and the bee keeper. Patrick has helped to bring Karri's dreams to life. His work ethic cannot be matched and he is, without a doubt, the "Chief Giver of the Family." When he is not on the farm, he is working as a Captain for the Des Moines Fire Department and is officially retired after 30 years of service for the Iowa Army National Guard.
Christine is a wife and a mother to two sons and a daughter. Before taking on her favorite role as a mother, she worked for the global beauty company AVEDA. Christine loves traveling and seeing the world through the eyes of her children, drinking coffee, and enjoying + exploring Des Moines. A member of the farm team since 2019, Christine writes and edits projects, helps turn ideas into action, and sees, explores, and embraces the potential in every project. She is a natural-born storyteller and brings the farm to life through her articulate writing. Her favorite part of Rose Farm is how much it feels like a little escape from the daily grind. Her favorite flowers are blush and white peonies.
Ali is the owner + scent curator of Currently Co., a small-batch, luxury soy candle brand, hand-poured in Des Moines. She has experience in floral design for weddings + special events. Ali is a wife, a mom of 3, native Iowan, former school counselor and creator of pretty things. She loves fragrant eucalyptus and fresh flowers in blue mason jars, along with bergamot-scented candles and a hot cup of coffee. Ali is wonderful at appealing to all of the senses by making a room look, feel, sound and smell comforting and inviting. At the farm, you'll find Ali teaching seasonal wreath-making and candle-making workshoppes, as well as helping style bespoke floral arrangements.
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Maeve joined Rose Farm after earning a degree in theology from Benedictine College in Kansas. At the farm, you'll find Maeve coordinating workshoppes with educators and farm guests, working in The Shoppe, designing floral arrangements, and assisting with special celebrations. Maeve comes to us with a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and a bright smile.
Julie uses her creativity + eye for design to create floral styling visuals for our Rose Farm guests. Her goal is to communicate through art + bring floral installation projects to life on paper. Whether you’re looking for a residential or corporate installation, or planning a wedding, reception or special celebration, Julie’s sketches provide a snapshot of how the completed project will look. As an artist in the Des Moines area, Julie’s passion involves creating gorgeous landscapes and florals with acrylic paint and a palette knife. She works closely with clients to create pieces they will enjoy in their unique spaces while still adding her style to each composition. Her work has found homes near and far from many local Iowa homes to Texas, California, and Colorado. Julie is also mother to her three beautiful children + a wife to her husband, Jason. They love wandering through national parks but will always love the city of Des Moines, too.
Zach is part of our Busy Bee team where you will find him planting flowers in the high tunnels, helping with floral + pest management, harvesting florals, or doing the heavy farm lifting with Patrick Rose. Zach, a West Des Moines native, attends DMACC where he studies fire science in hopes of becoming a full-time fire fighter. When Zach isn't working at the farm or studying, you'll find him participating in mud runs, enjoying drives in his Jeep Wrangler, reading or exercising.
Erin is a floral designer who comes to us from Northern California. She earned her certification in floral design from the New York Institute of Art + Design and has extensive experience in advanced floristry for weddings + special events. Prior to coming back to her Iowa roots, she was the owner of Larkspur Lavender Farm in California for nearly 10 years. Erin is also the Executive Administrator, and co-owner alongside her husband, of California-based Pancro Inc., a cinematography business with locations on the West Coast and Des Moines. Erin is passionate about gardening, home design, the outdoors, and most importantly, her family.
Meet our busiest bee on the farm! Hadley has a multi-functional role at the farm. You can find her in The Shoppe helping with our specialty retail goods or outdoors in the gardens with our Busy Bee flower farming team harvesting florals, helping with pest management, and working on seed propagation. In the winter of 2020, she competed 50 hours of volunteer time for her silver cord hours. Hadley attends Martensdale St. Marys where she plays basketball + softball. She is co-president for Best Buddies, a member of National Honor Society, and a participant in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Hadley has been accepted for dual enrollment at Auburn University, and will graduate high school with 24 credit hours from Auburn as a pre-med major with a minor in Spanish.
Farm School educator Jeni Warwick joined the Rose Farm team in 2023. Jeni is a licensed kindergarten teacher in the state of Iowa, currently serving in the Norwalk School District. With over 18 years of experience as a kindergarten teacher, Jeni’s warm, bubbly + kind spirit makes her the perfect fit for Farm School. She has a strong passion for teaching, children, animals, reading, running, traveling, and the beauty of nature. Jeni also enjoys spending time with her husband + two children, and teaching ballet at a Des Moines-based studio.
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At the farm, Ellie and Karson work hard in the fields, harvesting flowers and tending to the gardens, and you'll also see them helping with our Friday Farm School sessions. Ellie attends a local high school where she is president of the Best Buddies program, and an athlete on the cross country, cheerleading, basketball and softball teams. She is also a member of National Honor Society and has been awarded the Silver Cord for her volunteer hours. Karson also attends a local high school where she is a member of National Honor Society and Best Buddies. She participates in cross country, track, cheerleading and softball. Two of Karson's favorite farm memories are taking 9 AM popsicle breaks in the summertime and cutting flowers while watching the sunset.
