Flower & Forged Farms is a family-run regenerative flower farm in Rock Port, Missouri led by Mandy Herron. 

What began in 2020 as a leap of faith during uncertain times quickly grew into something bigger than Mandy imagined. Encouraged by the overwhelming support from her community, she began supplying farm-fresh blooms to local florists and customers, and never looked back.

A military wife and full-time mom, Mandy brings passion and purpose to everything she grows. She shares her knowledge through hands-on tutorials that inspire others to explore the joys of gardening and floral design. With an eye toward growth, she hopes to continue expanding the farm’s impact through education, connection, and the enduring beauty of flowers.

Thank you, Mandy for sharing your insights and experience! Be sure to keep up with Flower & Forged Farms on Instagram and their website.

Talk about your flower journey - How did you get started? 

I started professionally growing flowers in 2020. However, I had been dabbling with the idea before then; as I was growing flowers as a hobby and using them in some small event design work—church and community events. However, a moment in the garden when I was struggling with pregnancy complications inspired me to pursue growing flowers professionally. I saw my 3-year-old daughter play in the zinnias, chasing butterflies. It gave me peace and hope. I truly believe that flowers are powerful in not just providing beauty but also inspiring us to feel seen and loved. This was made more clear to me as I talked to others in my community.

A few years later, our family moved to a farm and graduated from small space growing in a backyard garden to expanding the farm and the business.

Tell us about your farm and anything you specialize in. 

We are completely family-owned and operated. I head up most of the growing operation and my husband, Thomas is the muscle. Our total property is only 2.5 acres, and we grow on about 3/4 of an acre between all our growing spaces. We have truly loved specializing in dahlias, as many of our Rooted customers are event designers and florists. It’s magical to see our dahlias, as well as other flowers and foliage, grace these beautiful event spaces.

Talk about anything you love about using Rooted! 

We live in a very small community about an hour south of Omaha, Nebraska, and two hours north of Kansas City, MO. Being able to connect with florists through our amazing collective, Flatland Floral Collective, has truly pivoted the business in such an amazing way. The tools of Rooted Farmers make it so easy for buyers to see and request availability. There isn’t a ton of the back and forth—that I hear about from other grower friends, not using Rooted— and it's so easy to see when orders come in. Everything is in one place, making it so easy to communicate with florists and our amazing team at Flatland Floral Collective.

What advice would you give your past self or someone just starting out on their farming journey? 

Start small and go slow. This is something I have to remind myself—even now! It’s easy to want to grow all the things and then start feeling overwhelmed or defeated when things fail. You’ll learn quickly that you can do all the right things, but you’re not in control of things like the weather. Relying on a handful of crops that grow well even under stress will save your time and sanity! 

Talk about your crop planning process - how do you decide what to grow? 

I always wish my planning process were a little easier. But it does get better year after year. Rooted Farmers has a very cool feature that tracks sales by flower type and color. It simplifies my planning process because I can track my sales, see what is actually selling, and go from there. 

Has your farm changed in ways you didn't expect when you first started? 

When I first started, I had always intended on trying to sell to florists. However, a bad experience with a local retail floral shop left me feeling pretty defeated—I had no idea how wire services worked at the time, and so that lack of understanding caused me to almost give in to defeat. But then, when I was able to connect to floral designers who yearned for local flowers through Rooted and Flatland Floral Collective, it revolutionized my business. I am forever grateful for that opportunity for connection within the industry. 

Shout-out a flower friend or mentor that inspires you or made you a better farmer!

I have to shout out the Flatland Floral Collective. It truly is an amazing team of growers who all work together to make floral dreams come true for our buyers. Jamie of Harvest Home is not only an owner of the collective, but a mentor to us all—with her knowledge and years of experience we all stop to listen and make note of all her wisdom and growing experience. I truly wouldn’t be as successful as a grower if it weren’t for the mentorship and teamwork of this amazing community!  

Thank you again Mandy! Be sure to follow Flower & Forged Farms on Instagram and their website.