The Soul Behind Mountain Mist Farm
Hi, I'm Carissa!
If you've found your way here, welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
Mountain Mist Farm wasn't born from a lifelong business plan or a perfectly mapped-out dream. It grew from love, loss, hope, and a promise.
A few years ago, life looked very different. After losing my dad, I spent my mother's final years caring for her. It was one of the greatest privileges of my life, and one of the hardest seasons I've ever walked through. During that time, my mom would often talk about my flowers. She knew that long before Mountain Mist Farm existed, there was always something in me that came alive when I was sowing seeds, digging in the dirt, and watching something beautiful emerge from the earth.
She knew flowers weren't just something I grew.
They were part of who I am.
One of my mother's final wishes was simple: she wanted to see me return to that part of myself. She wanted to see me back in the garden, with soil on my hands and sunshine on my face, doing the work that had always brought me joy.
Before she passed, I had already started researching greenhouses and imagining what might be possible. We talked about it often. Those conversations became the beginning of something much bigger than either of us realized.
Mountain Mist Farm is my way of honoring her.
The name itself is a tribute to my mom's ranch, Sea Mist Ranch. Every flower that blooms here carries a little piece of her love, encouragement, and belief in me.
In June of 2025, I purchased this property as bare land. Two weeks later, we broke ground. By August, construction was underway.
Looking across the farm today, it's hard to believe how quickly it all came together. What was once an empty hillside is now home to more than 150 varieties of flowers and produce, growing across terraced gardens that cascade down the slope of the mountain.
And the view? It never gets old.
Every morning, I get to watch the light roll across the hills and settle over the flowers. It's a reminder that beautiful things often take root in the most unexpected seasons of life.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis has taught me to appreciate those moments even more. Some days are harder than others, but this farm has given me purpose, movement, healing, and a reason to keep planting forward. Every seed is an act of hope. Every bloom is proof that growth is possible.
Around here, we believe in doing things naturally and thoughtfully. We grow with sustainability in mind, use solar energy where we can, care for our animals with plenty of freedom and love, and work alongside nature rather than against it. The goal has never been perfection. The goal has always been stewardship.
Above all else, though, I grow flowers because they make people smile.
A bouquet can celebrate a milestone, comfort a grieving heart, brighten an ordinary Tuesday, or remind someone they are loved. That's a kind of magic I'll never stop believing in.
When you visit Mountain Mist Farm, I hope you feel welcome. I hope you feel like you belong here. I hope the flowers stop you in your tracks for just a moment and remind you of the beauty that exists all around us.
Most of all, I hope you leave feeling flower-struck.
Not just because of the colors or the blooms themselves, but because you can feel the love that helped grow them.
Because that's the real story of Mountain Mist Farm.
Thank you so much for being here with me, and until next time...
Always remember...
Love makes the garden grow.
Mountain Mist Farm was born from both loss and love.
The last few years have been some of the hardest of my life. After losing my dad, I devoted myself to caring for my mom through the final years of her life. It was a season filled with challenges, precious memories, and the bittersweet reality of knowing our time together was limited.
Throughout those years, my mom often reminded me of something she knew deep in her heart: flowers were where I belonged. She knew how much joy I found in sowing seeds, getting my hands in the dirt, nurturing plants from tiny beginnings, and transforming fresh blooms into beautiful arrangements. Gardening and flower farming were never just hobbies for me—they were where I felt most like myself.
One of my mother's final wishes was to see me return to that passion. She wanted to see me back in my element, surrounded by growing things, creating beauty, and finding peace in the work that had always brought me so much happiness.
Before she passed, I had already begun researching greenhouses and dreaming about what this next chapter might look like. Those conversations, those dreams, and her encouragement stayed with me. Building Mountain Mist Farm has become my way of honoring her memory and carrying her love forward.
Every seed planted, every flower harvested, and every arrangement created is rooted in the lessons she taught me about perseverance, beauty, and finding joy even after heartbreak. Mountain Mist Farm is more than a flower farm—it's a tribute to my parents, a celebration of new beginnings, and a reminder that even after life's hardest seasons, something beautiful can still bloom.
Certifications
Floret's Flower Farming Workshop
To strengthen my flower-growing knowledge, I completed Floret's Flower Farming Workshop, a highly respected training program for small-scale flower farmers. The course gave me hands-on education in growing quality blooms, improving farm efficiency, and building a sustainable flower business. The skills and techniques I learned continue to influence how I grow and care for the flowers at Mountain Mist Farm.