Woman Business of the Month Bountiful Blooms Growing at Wild Heart Farm

By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN

The comfort found in the beauty of growing flowers is what triggered a dream-come-true life for Wild Heart Farm owner Kate Watters. “My farm is my refuge where I feel nestled in the arms of Mother Nature.”

Located 40 minutes southeast of Sedona near Montezuma’s Well in the quiet town of Rimrock, Wild Heart Farm is a lush riparian woodland area dotted with mulberry and hackberry trees, a rock cliff limestone wall and a vast amount of flowers. “This farm is incredibly wild, we even have coyotes and owls,” said Watters, who, in 2020, purchased the property along with her partner, Flagstaff naturopath Dr. Mike Knapp.

Wild Heart Farm, covering more than an acre, grows irises, ranunculus, tulips, dahlias, zinnias and lisianthus, creating a colorful bounty of energy. The flower support weddings, events and local florists in the Verde Valley and Flagstaff, as well as Community Supported Aquiculture (CSA).

“The CSA is a subscription of seasonal flower arrangements available to local members in Sedona, Rimrock and Flagstaff,” said Watters. “I also include a poem written by local writers.”

Growing up in the rural town of Chester, Vermont, Watters purchased a one-way ticket to Arizona, landing in Canyon de Chelly National Park for a post-college internship in 1993. She fell in love with the Southwestern landscape, especially the plants. From there, she made her way to the Grand Canyon to work seasonally on a vegetation crew removing tamarisks. Her next step was working for The Grand Canyon Trust for several years, developing their citizen science and volunteer stewardship programs.

Moving closer to her vision and wanting to be near plants more intimately as a grower, Watters enrolled in an apprentice program for agroecology and sustainable food systems at University of California, Santa Cruz. “It was like a boot camp for organic farmers,” she said. “I knew how to garden but I wanted to learn how to run a farm.”

Returning to Arizona, Watters was working at Orchard Canyon on Oak Creek for four seasons, where she grew a garden for the farm- to-table restaurant. “I took care of the grounds and helped in the orchard. It was a magical place with a wild red rock setting and a long history of care.”

She hopes she can inspire other people to garden and grow flowers, not only for their beauty but for medicinal and ecological reasons as well. “I’ve just brought on two apprentices who will be working about 20 hours a week. They will be learning about how to cultivate their own gardens. I also have two other women who are talented floral freelancers.”

“Kate is thoughtful, creative and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met,” said Wild Heart apprentice Sarah Grover. “She is out on her land everyday giving 100% care. The space she has created and the flowers she cultivates are brimming with life. Wild Heart Farm is a cornerstone of responsible farm practices and mindful community education, not to mention locally owned and some of the most deeply loved flowers in Arizona.”

Watters is passionate about helping to bring Arizona flower growers together to work collaborative- ly. “We would like to form a collective so that we can work together for acquisition and distribution of flowers throughout the state. It’s amazing what we can do because we all grow at so many different elevations. Right now, other farms have tulips, where my spring flowers are finished. We don’t have anyone spearheading this right now, but we are meeting soon to work this out.”

In 2020, Wild Heart Farm received a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners Program through Friends of the Verde River to create a giant pollinator garden. “This was a literally a labor of love,” she said.

Slow Flowers Podcast, an award-winning weekly show that focuses on the business of flower framing and floral design, recently featured Wild Heart Farm. “Slow Flowers is a wonderful resource,” said Watters. “You can log onto their website, type in your zip code to find a florist or farmer who is selling flowers or using local flowers in your area.”

Watters began selling to florists last year, one bucket at a time. “We have been working with Kate since last season and she has never let us down,” said Flagstaff Robynn’s Nest Flowers & Gifts owner Nora Hickey. “She always provides us with unique and long-lasting flowers that add a wild touch to all our arrangements. My customers love the selections she offers, and it’s been amazing to have a local source of such beautiful flowers. Kate is also a joy to work with. The only thing we enjoy more than her gorgeous flowers is her beautiful personality.”

Using flowers for medicinal purposes, Watters also makes herbal tinctures, mists and body sprays.

“Kate’s sustainable approach to the earth made her an easy fit with our wedding and we had the absolute most beautiful flowers. Afterwards, she was nice enough to make sure they found a new home in healthcare settings for patients. We can’t thank Kate enough for all her hard work and kindness pulling together such an incredible floral tour-de-force,” said Dr. Evan Pulvers of Flagstaff. FBN

Wild Heart Farm can be contacted at 928221-0045 or www.wildheartfarmaz.com.

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