The Wild Prairie Flower Farm is a true example of a dream, hard work and a golden opportunity for a piece of land coming together to blossom into a beautiful urban flower farm in the heart of Columbus. Located in Merion Village on a 1/2 acre lot purchased from Columbus Land Bank, Wild Prairie Flower Farm is a small market and urban farm with a focus on regenerative agriculture and a true embrace of nature in a little unlikely environment.
“The name is a memory,” said Josh White, one of the farm’s co-founders. “Wild Prairie is a way for us to remember our integral relationship with both the land and the wildlife within it… We wanted to use the Wild Prairie name to evoke the possibilities of people, farms and wildlife coexisting as one. These three entities are not mutually exclusive – they can all exist harmoniously. Part of our practice is to strive for that harmony. We recognize that wildlife (small animals, bugs, birds, fungi, bacteria, etc.) is an important part of our farm and life, not “things” that need to be eradicated or heavily controlled. We use the name Wild Prairie to remind us of our connection to this earth.”
White co-founded Wild Prairie Flower Farm in 2019 with Kelsey Colwell and Jen Radomski after meeting in 2016 and realizing a shared love of gardening and regenerative agriculture. The trio of artists/flower growers each bring different skills and knowledge to their farm.
“Jen and I both studied permaculture at the Meso-American Institute of Permaculture in Guatemala and are certified permaculture design specialists,” White said. “We met Kelsey in 2016. At the time, she was working as a vista for Franklinton Farms and running her own micro flower farm in her front yard. We decided to pool our efforts and founded Wild Prairie Flower Farm in the fall of 2019.”
While larger scale floriculture is new to the farmers, their experience of permaculture, homesteading and gardening is a strong foundation of Wild Prairie Flower Farm’s success.
“Plants are plants no matter where you go, so learning how to grow them was pretty easy!” said Weiss. “Our passion for farming stems from a desire to farm the land responsibly and to help educate ourselves and others about sustainable practices.”
White, Colwell and Radomski not only grow flowers using regenerative farming techniques, they also use their skills and expertise in the arts to create beautiful bouquets and arrangements to celebrate special occasions and offer flower subscriptions to members.
“We’re all artists in a way, so arranging flowers has become very natural…there are techniques we’ve learned, but the process of combining colors, textures, scents, and textures we all seem to understand,” White said .
While all three farmers were transplanted to Columbus, the support, connection, and love they feel in their community has made the city a home away from home.
“We’ve really enjoyed the community we’ve found here, and the support we’re receiving from our fellow growers and small business owners encourages us to put down roots,” White said. “The highlight of our experience so far has been the overwhelming beauty of the flowers – unlike anything we have ever seen. Sharing this beauty with our community has been a real pleasure and joy.”
This support and encouragement inspired Radomski, Colwell and White to start the Wild Prairie Flower Farm and offer bouquets of flowers through markets and their website.
“Developing a farm in an urban setting is unique and gives us a rare opportunity to grow and distribute everything in the same neighborhood,” White said. “From farm to fork has never been so close. We’re just kidding, but it’s also kind of true as we make bouquets in our dining room and deliver them down the road.”
As Wild Prairie Flower Farm continues to grow, Colwell, Radomski and White have big dreams for their future in Columbus.
“We’re excited to establish our style as florists and can’t wait to get involved in some larger projects involving installment payments and catering events,” said White.
Future offerings for the farm include a new option to pre-order bouquets for Mother’s Day and other special occasions, as well as edible flowers.
These offerings tie into the trio’s larger goal, which is easily possible with the support of the Columbus community.
“Our dream is that our farm can become one of many examples of smallholder, sustainable and regenerative agriculture,” said White. “Although we could order any flower we want, any time of the year, from anywhere in the world, our biggest question during this process is: How can we grow flowers and make beautiful arrangements without sacrificing the environment? Columbus can continue to support this dream by choosing local flowers and learning with us what seasonal and sustainable consumption looks like.”
While the flower harvest for the 2021 season is over, the Wild Prairie Flower Farm will bloom again in May 2022 – just in time to celebrate Mother’s Day and graduation. You can support Wild Prairie Flower Farm by ordering bouquets online through their website and following them on social media to learn more about their pop-up shops at local Columbus locations like Pistacia Vera, Parable Coffee, Little Light Collective and Dough Mama to find out.
The Wild Prairie Flower Farm also offers a flower subscription service! Sign up on their website for a monthly collection or delivery of their locally grown, sustainable bouquets to your home or office (or someone you love).
Visit wildprairieflowerfarm.com for more information.
All photos by Marcy Harris-Ortiz courtesy of Wild Prairie Flower Farm
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