About the Farmer

Hi I'm Elisa and despite growing up in Iowa, I never once dreamed of becoming a farmer. 

Instead, I was always drawn to the city. 

After nearly two decades living in NYC, Chicago, and Boston, with nothing more than a houseplant from Ikea (which I still have), and a windowsill of sad looking basil, life took a U-turn and I landed back in my home state. 

In 2017, my husband and I moved into our new house that happened to have a quarter acre of south facing flat lawn in the backyard. 

It truly was a blank canvas.

We had many discussions about what we could do with the space so that we could spend less time mowing … a pool, a volleyball court? 

Then, Covid hit.

During those slow months, my family was able to take a trip to a gorgeous lavender farm on Washington Island, Wisconsin.

After visiting that farm, I researched the possibilities and that's when I learned that flower farming was a "thing". 

I was captivated and envisioned our backyard filled with flowers!

At the same time, like many others, my full-time remote job became increasingly isolating.

For my own sanity, between Zoom calls and spreadsheets, I started to plan the farm, start the seeds, get outside, and dig in the dirt.

And I loved it!

Growing flowers became my escape and literally brought color and community back into my life.

Since then, I have honed my skills of growing specialty cut flowers, completed the Iowa Master Gardener program, and learned as much as possible from the community of flower farmers and designers around the US and the world - thanks to online learning and YouTube. 

Most recently, I completed the Floristry Masterclass by Willow Crossley, Bulbs, Perennials and Woodies by Dave Dowling, Color Theory Confidence by Amy Balsters and Regenerative Gardening by Briana Bosch. 

In 2022, I officially founded Saylor Creek Flower Farm with the goal of bringing the beauty and the bounty of our flower farm to you.

See you at the market!