About
Searching to find the most unique colors and types of flowers for your special occasions!
ABOUT THE FARMER
A girl with a dream. She wanted it all, a family, career, and independence. It's been a long and winding road, but every stop and detour has made this reality so much sweeter. Barnside Flower Farm is owned and loved by Carrie and Aaron Koester.
After years of working in agriculture education, being an FFA advisor, and continuing raising her four children; Carrie finally turned the dream of becoming a flower farmer into reality. As a daughter of a row crop farmer, you can say agriculture and the importance of being a land steward has been ingrained into her existence. Aaron grew up in a small farm and while growing up he helped with many farm chores. Aaron still has a full-time job off the farm, but he helps Carrie make sure the farm is ran like a sustainable business and fixes the things she breaks. Together, with their children, they balance a passion for creating beauty, hard work, and spreading joy from the farm. Carrie is always striving to find new varieties, planning growing schedules, and creating education classes for all. Aaron is always behind the scenes helping to make it all run smoothly.
THE FLOWER FARM
Barnside Flower Farm is an expansion of Barnside Nursery. While I was still teaching, we grew only potted mums. With the help of my twins, Grace and Brayden we grew an average of 900 mums each year on a small half acre lot in the country. Aaron and I had the honor of buying my great uncle's farm. This isn’t just any farm, this is the farm where my great grandparents raised my grandfather, Clarence Schaefer. The farm consists of fifteen rolling fertile acres. I will be the third generation farmer to raise a crop on this land. The farm has seen diversity of agriculture from dairy, hogs, row crops to now flower farming. I am focused on providing high quality flowers and greens for florists and local markets. I am constantly looking for better varieties of new colors to provide for you all. As our farm matures, we will still provide approximately 50 varieties of cool and warm season flowers and greens, but our main crops will be peonies, tulips, dahlias, and mums.
WHY CHOOSE LOCAL?
Did you know that 80% of the cut flowers sold in the USA are imported from other countries? This means that your flowers have traveled thousands of miles before they reach your table, often cut weeks before even buying them. Similar to the farm to table movement, conscious consumers are choosing local and American grown flowers. We are proud to belong to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers Growers.
HOW TO BUY?
Our opening weekend will begin June through October. We will have hours available at the farm for you to come and visit and we will have online sales available. For my florist friends, I will have wholesale availability and delivery once a week for your convenience.
FAMILY+FAITH+FRESH FLOWERS
We harvest our flowers each morning to provide the freshest quality for you. A floral fertilizer is added to the water to increase the vase life. The availability of Barnside Flower Farm changes each week, month, and by season. Our season begins with daffodils in the spring and ends with potted mums in the fall, with all sorts of beauty in between.