Hello Flower Friends! Pull up a chair and grab your coffee. As the year winds down, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for showing up, for spending time in the fields, and for being part of this community. This season held more than we could have imagined.

This season, First Roots Farm grew across 1.5 acres of flowers, and somehow grew even more in community. We harvested thousands and thousands and thousands of flowers, welcoming so many of you out to the fields—for micro minis, uPicks, private events, and what turned out to be our best wedding floral seasons yet. Truly. The kind of season that makes you pause, look around, and say, oh—this is working.

We welcomed six litters of piglets this year. A few headed off to farms across the Midwest, but most stayed right here—thriving and becoming part of the daily cadence of our farm as they grow out. These pigs are central to our pasture pork program. We believe in knowing your farmer and knowing where your food and flowers come from, and this work is an important part of that commitment.

The flowers are an obvious part of why families choose a flower farm for senior pictures, but they don’t take over the moment. They add color, texture, and movement while keeping the focus where it belongs. Seniors don’t disappear into the background or feel like they’re standing inside a theme. They look like themselves, photographed in a setting that feels natural and intentional.

Light plays an important role in senior photography sessions at the farm. Golden hour settles evenly across the flower fields, making sessions feel steady and unhurried. There’s less stopping and repositioning, and more room to let moments happen naturally. Photographers are able to work intuitively, and seniors don’t feel like they’re being constantly adjusted.

Every senior shows up differently, and the flower fields in Lake Country allow for that. Some seniors are confident right away, others need a few minutes to warm up, and some are quieter from start to finish. There’s no pressure to perform or fill every second with energy. Walking, pausing, laughing, or being still all work well during senior photo sessions here.

We’re in our second year with two hives, and for the second year in a row… they swarmed. Again. Clearly, they have opinions. We’re still figuring it out, but watching them move through the flowers remains one of the quieter joys of the season.

They’ve taken real responsibility here—from seed starting to CSA deliveries to confidently striking up conversations with the people who choose to spend time here. They understand how this place works because they’re part of the work. Watching them take pride in what they contribute has been one of the most meaningful parts of the year. As a mom, I’m incredibly proud.

Birch & Banyan, Well House 1900, Miss Molly’s Café, NONA Nutrition – Oconomowoc, and always at the farm. If you’re in the Brookfield area and know a business that feels like a great fit, email us. We want our flowers to be as accessible to you as possible.

Through honest storytelling, heartfelt imagery, and the healing beauty of flowers, we create a space where journeys are celebrated, voices are heard, and hope takes root. Every story shared becomes a light—offering comfort, inspiring strength, and reminding others they are never walking this path alone. Your story matters, and we’d be honored to help you share it.

As this mission continues to grow, we’ve been truly dumbfounded by the individuals who have made it their own mission to help us achieve it. This year, Bridge The Gap Social joined forces with us and helped us reach our community in ways that feel true to who we are. We are a small but mighty group, and Whitney and I are forever thankful for those whose steady belief in this work and care for the people behind it have meant more than we can say.

To learn more about The Breast Cancer Chronicles: 

This year has been a season of growth—for our business, our family, and the community we’re grateful to be part of. Long days were filled with laughter, late sunsets, community, and the kind of fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with what matters most. We’re already deep in planning for 2026, dreaming, mapping, and growing forward.

And before we close the 2025 chapter, we want to say this:

Whether you came out for a single uPick, trusted us with your family photos, chose local flowers through our CSA, followed along quietly, or showed up week after week—you are part of this place. This farm is shaped by the people who spend time here, who ask questions, who bring their kids, their celebrations, and their stories.

We’re grateful for the conversations in the fields, the familiar faces that return each season, and the new ones who find their way here for the first time. You’ve helped us turn this land into more than a farm—you’ve helped build a community we’re deeply proud of.