Episode 752: Deb Majerus and Joel MacDonald of Minnesota’s Iron Butterfly Flower Farm

https://youtu.be/qge-cJ0Z_XU On a sweet, 6-acre country parcel in Rochester, Minnesota, Deb Majerus and Joel MacDonald are creating a place of beauty and sanctuary, spreading joy to their community as an oasis just beyond busy roads, paving and residential developments all around. Minnesota natives who dated in high school and reunited years later, Deb and Joel grow spring perennials, peonies, and specialize in native plants for floral design and to create a more welcoming, regenerative habitat for their farm. I sat down with this engaging couple recently to hear more about their story and the path that led them to flower farming, inspired by their passion for the Slow Flowers Movement and their growing expertise in the benefits of native plants. Meet Helen, Joel’s van from high school given to him by his grandparents, named for Grandma Helen. Deb & Joel went on some dates in this van in H.S. At Iron Butterfly Flower Farm, native flowers and sustainable regenerative practices are at the heart of everything Deb Majerus and Joel MacDonald are doing. Their passion for the native flora and fauna of Minnesota, has prompted them to grow native flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs to support beneficial insects with pollen and nectar, and to provide habitat and food for songbirds and pollinators.  Iron Butterly Flower Farm grows a variety of native species from early spring ephemerals to showy mid-summer blooms to late autumn sources of nectar for pollinators. Deb Majerus Joel MacDonald They offer spring bouquet subscriptions, DIY wedding and event flowers, farm tours and workshops, and sell seasonally at the Rochester Farmers’ Market. We originally met in person when Deb and Joel attended the Slow Flowers Summit in 2024, held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, and we published Deb's article, "Growing Native Plants to Combat Climate Change," in the 2024 Slow Flowers Journal – see "Native Flora" below. Read the full issue here The three of us reunited last week in Albuquerque, where we attended the ASCFG conference. I set up a little recording studio in my hotel room and they joined me to share their story. Joel MacDonald and Deb Majerus of Iron Butterfly Flower Farm Find and follow Iron Butterfly Flower Farm on Instagram and Pinterest Also, if you’re looking for ideas that might inspire you to add more workshops, check out “The Art of Seasonal Flowers,” a 10-workshop series that Iron Butterfly Flower Farm has just announced, offering many ways for their community to learn about and engage with local flowers. From sun-printed botanicals to a culinary session focused on edible flowers to hand-carved block printing inspired by the farm – these are really creative ideas packaged in a beautiful way. Plus, the series generates revenue, brings people to the farm, and deepens relationships with return customers. Check it out. Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit 2026 speaker lineup If you’re listening to this podcast on its release day – January 21st, we’re just 9 days from the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit. We are super excited to “go live” with the 10 hours of floral education starting next Friday, January 30th. We are back for Year Two and coming to you virtually to deliver inspiration and education during the two-day online conference. The program 13 speakers near and far – at an incredible rate for $289 general registration. Remember, Slow Flowers members receive $50 off their registration at $239. All registrants with US addresses will receive a spring-flowering tree from our lead sponsor, My Patio Tree – a $199 value, which means attending the Summit practically pays for itself! One more reminder. The sessions will be available for replay for three months, through the end of April, so you can watch at your leisure and rewatch to capture all the information our instructors will share. Find all the details in our show notes or visit slowflowerssummit.com. Click to Register and Join the Summit on Jan. 30-31 Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu. Thank you to Johnny's Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds -- supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com. Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit www.a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours. Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com. Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week! Music credits: Drone Pine; Gaena; Wingspanby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ In The Fieldaudionautix.com