By Courtney Giancaterino
October 1, 2022
In my experience WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), I have encountered incredible, hard working, earth and heart centered people from all walks of life. I’ve left each farm that I’ve volunteered at with a host of new farming skills, new friends, and a warmed and inspired heart. And my time at Wild Heart Farm has been one of those special experiences that has changed me for the better, and left an imprint in my mind and spirit that will change how I farm in my future.
I had the privilege of volunteering at Wild Heart Farm in Rimrock, AZ for the month of September. Wild Heart Farm is small and inviting property where Kate, lead farmer, her partner Mike, and a host of other devoted farm hands are dedicated to growing mostly flowers. When you walk onto the property, the land is stunning, but the experience is more than just visual. You can literally FEEL the beauty of the land infuse your soul— imagine towering ash trees, fields of multi-colored flowers, and giant butterflies soaring around in what I make up to be a certain kind of glee only butterflies feel.
Beyond that, you can feel the peace and gratitude of land that has been infused with the labor and prayers of love. Land that has been respected. Land that has been regenerated. Land that has been listened to and it's wishes heeded.
Courtney looking at home at work on the farm - Kristen M. Caldon, Photographer
I once asked Kate how she got into growing flowers, and she shared her enchanting story about how she hadn’t set out to do this, but one farming experience led to another and she eventually realized this was a spiritual calling for her. One only needs to spend a small bit of time at Wild Heart Farm to understand this fully. The flowers are grown with incredible intention and devotion, commitment to soil health and natural growing methods. Not only do the flowers offer beauty and sometimes food—if you haven’t tried Dalia confetti on your salad, I highly recommend it—but they also offer habitat and nourishment for pollinator species. As a result the property is brimming with bees and butterflies.
Monarch butterflies were a daily dose of joy on the farm, stopping off for nectar on their journey south. Photo by Mike Knapp
As a side note, experts estimate that at this time in earthly history, more than 40% of pollinators are threatened with extinction. I had not spent a lot of time in my life prior to volunteering at Wild Heart Farm thinking about the extinction of pollinator species. And while the subject of this is far beyond the scope of this post, I’ll just mention that when you google “Why are pollinators important?,” the first search engine response is “Without pollinators, the human race and all of earth's terrestrial ecosystems would not survive.” If you feel moved to keep going down that rabbit hole, I highly recommend it. Otherwise I hope this inspires the sense of awe in you that it did in me when I realized how important growing flowers truly is.
Bouquets for loved ones, blushing brides, and Community Supported Agriculture members are made with great care and unique consideration by Kate and her flower team. The flowers are even occasionally sung to at Wild Hearted Women’s events and impromptu concerts in the fields hosted by none other than Kate and Mike themselves on vocals and guitars.
I accumulated unforgettable memories during my time at Wild Heart Farm. I remember the satisfaction of learning how to arrange aesthetically pleasing flower bouquets. Feeling the astonishment of finding a heart painted seed found in Mother Earth’s love note, a plant called “Love in a Puff.” Watching with excitement as microgreens sprouted up from the ground just a few days after seeds were planted. Diving into the challenge of how to protect the beloved dalias from getting eaten by grasshoppers. Learning the names of flowers I had never heard of, like lisianthus and celosia. Enjoying soulful dinner conversations with Kate and Mike. Indeed, my time at the farm was incredibly special.
One of Courtney’s beautiful farm bouquets - Kristen M. Caldon, Photographer
I’m grateful for the generosity of Kate and Mike, the warmth of all the others that I met who support the farm and are walking the Flower Path, and of course, the flowers themselves for gracing me with their beauty and soul nourishment during my time. Before I left, I shared that my time at Wild Heart Farm had changed me because I now understood the importance of growing flowers, and that I planned to do so one day when I was blessed with a piece of land to steward. Thank you, Kate, for following your spiritual calling, because you never know who else you might inspire to follow theirs, too.