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About Rose Farm

With 25 acres of sprawling fields, you will find yourself immediately transplanted to a place of tranquility.

"Our dream is to help you take a sabbatical from your everyday, to stop and smell the 'roses' on your life journey and experience the magic of nature here at the farm.”

– Karri + Patrick

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. With soaring ceilings, natural light flooding the space, and a Southern sophistication, The Shoppe at Rose Farm house's a community of learners through Lifestyle Workshoppes, Learning Lectures and Master Classes, as well as provide a unique boutique experience for special events.

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 raise honey bees, harvest hay fields, and 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, filling the air with a sweet aroma and dotting the property with a spectrum of colors. White hydrangeas bloom displaying their lavish, rounded shape, as do several varieties of David Austin English roses, ranunculus, dahlias, tulips, cosmos and asters. Find an assortment of seasonal florals to welcome the changing of the seasons. Watch the ornamental grasses, Bells of Ireland and eucalyptus dance in the wind. 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.

The Rose Farm Ethos

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.

Meet Karri

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.

Karri’s dream is supported wholeheartedly by her sweet family.

Meet the dream chasers

Patrick Rose
Meet
Patrick
:
The Dream Maker

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 Eddie
Meet
Christine
:
The Orchestrator

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. At the farm, 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 home - “Pulling up the gravel pathway and being greeted by the sound of hens, the sight of the charming greenhouse, and the rows of blooming flowers transports you to a place of calmness.” Her favorite flowers are blush and white peonies.

Ali Coppola
Meet
Ali
:
The Style Maven

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 workshoppes, as well as helping style bespoke floral arrangements.

Meet the dream collaborators

Izzie Hill
Meet
Izzie
:
The Celebration + Education Coordinator

Izzie is an event planner who is passionate about celebrating + intentionally spending time with the people she loves. Izzie started her time at the farm as the event + styling intern + now works in several areas including coordinating workshopps, planning special celebrations, decorating for events, working retail, and designing market bouquets + floral arrangements. Izzie enjoys all things bright + colorful, spending time with her husband + volunteering at her church!

Julie Mason
Meet
Julie
:
The Guest Service Ambassador

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.

Ali Craig
Meet
Ali
:
The Busy Bee

Ali is part of our Busy Bee team where you will find her planting flowers in the high tunnels, helping with floral + pest management, and harvesting florals. Her infectious smile + positive attitude makes her a joy to work with. Ali, an Illinois native, attends Iowa State University where she studies horticulture. This spring she embarks on a new adventure and business venture with starting her own flower farm, The Backyard Farm. The Backyard Farm is a cut-flower farm located just outside of the Quad Cities, growing beautiful flowers and educating others along the way!

Erin Dougherty
Meet
Erin
:
The Floral Artist

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.

Hadley Pearson
Meet
Hadley
:
The Busy Bee

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.

Jeni Warwick
Meet
Jeni
:
Farm School Educator

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.

Skylyr Stewart
Meet
Skylyr
:
The Busy Bee

Skylyr is truly Karri’s right-hand-woman  on the Farm. She's attending a community college working on a liberal arts degree and plans on attending Iowa State University to get her animal ecology degree. She loves dogs, fishing, and traveling with her family. On the farm, Skylyr harvests flowers, tends to the gardens, gets the team ready for farmers markets and pop-ups, and so much more. Her favorite flowers are lilacs.

A glimpse of our lives at the farm

VALUES & PHILANTHROPY

When Karri started dreaming about opening the farm in 2018, she enrolled in the Iowa State Master Gardening Program, which takes participants from a trainee, to an intern, to a master. As a part of the program, participants had to complete forty hours of volunteering. Since Karri is a passionate volunteer in the community, and has been for many years, she was thrilled to find a way to bring service + giving back to the Rose Farm community. After many mornings spent brainstorming, the concept of Farm School was born! Starting in 2019, Karri and her team were able to host kiddos from near + far for the first official Farm School. Rose Farm was, is, and will always be committed to teaching children how to be great stewards of the earth. It’s a joy for the team to plant little seeds in these childrens’ hearts that get to be watered. At first, the farm hosted large groups of kiddos, like Oakridge Community Summer camp, and impacted around 200 total children that first summer. From there, with the help of intern Anna Bowser, the Rose Farm team was able to offer Farm School every Friday in the summer of 2020. Since then, Karri and her team have taken Farm School to the Des Moines Home + Garden Show and have created an end-of-the-summer Farm School Carnival. Rose Farm believes in the magic of children, which is why farm school is and always will be complimentary. There’s no doubt about it: welcoming hundreds of children to Farm School each summer has truly been one of the most rewarding parts of the Rose Farm journey.
In 2022, 1,195 kids came to the farm to learn more about ecosystems.
During a life-changing trip to Kampala, Uganda in 2008, Karri had the privilege of visiting Little Light Children's Center, a center that feeds and educates over 300 children. During her visit, she learned the onsite volunteer teachers could only feed the children one meal a day due to limited funding. By living AVEDA's mission "to care for the world we live in," her group purchased $100 worth of recycled paper bead jewelry made by the "Umoja" Women of Kampala to help fund the orphanage. Through the sale of paper beads, Karri's group has given Little Light Children's Center more than $71,300 over an 11-year span. 
The donations helped move the Center from the slums to a safer and larger facility in Kampala.

Wild about the Child

Karri and her husband, Patrick, have been blessed to support the annual Wild About the Child Shindig, which benefits Wildwood Hills Ranch. The Wild About the Child Shindig has been a premier fundraiser in the Des Moines area since 2014. Held at Stine Barn in West Des Moines, Iowa, guests experience a beautiful event each year, including an auction, delicious local cuisine, and live music. Beyond having a meaningful evening with friends, guests of the shindig learn about the mission of Wildwood Hills Ranch and all it does for Iowa’s most vulnerable youth. Because of the support shown, and awareness raised at the Wild About the Child Shindig, these children will form lasting relationships, take steps in healing, experience leadership development, and find long-term support through the programming provided by Wildwood Hills Ranch. 
In 2022, the Wild About the Child Shindig raised over $256,000, which provided a program scholarship for over 360 students in the Des Moines metro and surrounding areas.
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