Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick, a Rochester educator and master gardener, nurtures both plants and community with everything she grows. With a background in urban agriculture and a passion for hands-on learning, she blends deep knowledge with a practical, down-to-earth approach.
As a garden designer, small-scale farmer and the City’s Water Steward, Kelly believes gardening is as much about people as it is about plants. “When we dig together — planting, learning, sharing — we grow more than food,” she says. “We grow connection.”
Whether she is designing edible landscapes, teaching soil health, or turning a front yard into a thriving veggie patch, Kelly makes creating with plants feel accessible, and reminds us that the best gardens are the ones that bring people together.
What inspired you to transform your yard into a sustainable, permaculture-based space?
The blend of my love for the land, commitment to teaching, regenerative goals and respect for natural systems fuels my passion for transforming my yard into a biodiverse food-producing outdoor living space. My yard isn’t just a garden, it’s an extension of my values: reconnecting people to the earth, stewarding soil health, fostering abundance and inspiring the next generation of land stewards.
An espaliered heritage fruit tree is pictured in Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick’s garden on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at her home in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
Did you have a specific vision or goal in mind when you started? What is your favorite part as it stands today?
The vision hasn’t changed much since I began the transformation from a prior chemical-laden lawn and gravel parking area in the spring of 2019. The evolution has been slower than I would like, as I do most of the work myself. My favorite feature is the reconstructed stone wall that divides the terrace from the original potager.
Which plants or other items have you included specifically to support pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds?
All of them. I have a full season of blooming native plants for pollinators from March/April until November, water for birds and insects, I continue to reduce the size of the lawns significantly, have many bee houses and places for nesting including and utilize integrated pest management.
What types of food do you grow here and any estimates on the bounty?
In 30 years of growing vegetables and ornamentals, I have grown everything. From this space, I have produced over 10,000 pounds of food since 2019, and participated in a Princeton water study that measured vegetable yield based on water (irrigation) inputs.
Purple prairie clover is pictured growing in a bioswale in front of Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick’s home on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
What is your favorite thing to harvest and/or cook from your yard?
My favorite thing to harvest is seeds. Seeds are magical, and believe it or not, they are so much easier than growing vegetables. I’ve considered switching to being a seed farmer because I don’t cook or preserve much anymore. Most of the veg produced here is donated to those who can’t afford to buy their fresh food. When I do cook, I make a mean eggplant Parmesan that will knock your socks off, and a killer apricot cobbler, both of which have been summer highlights for decades. Chile relleno, rhubarb custard pie, and spanakopita — slow foods that demand time in the kitchen are my favorite things to cook.
What are a few practices you use to conserve water, build soil, or reduce waste?
I established the planting areas using newspaper, straw and cardboard to occlude light and kill the turfgrass and weeds. It’s far easier, and you get a better result than tilling. Additionally, it preserves the soil’s biological integrity. The stone walls I’m building retain the grade level in many of the areas, so the water stands where it lands, an essential principle in both permaculture and water conservation. I’m also an avid composter.
What’s one simple change someone could make today to start a more sustainable yard or garden?
Consider creating a pollinator garden or a bee lawn. Simply adding low-flowering plants such as clover to your turf grass can transform a pollinator wasteland (or a death trap if you use chemicals) into a nectar-filled smorgasbord.
Are there any myths you’d like to bust about what it means to “go green” when it comes to landscaping?
Not all weeds are bad. Any vegetative growth is better than none in nearly all cases. Learn to see weeds as a way to conserve water by covering the soil, offering habitat, and learn how to eradicate them in an environmentally safe way, and when it’s the best time to do so.
A bee house is pictured at Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick’s home on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
Parting thoughts/advice?
Growing food and gardening are age-old activities. They get you outside, can keep you healthy in many ways, and help us to meet our neighbors, inviting us to share our bounty. It can have multiple benefits for the planet and our mental health. Start slow. Seek the advice of experienced growers, such as those at the Olmsted County Extension Office or the Rochester Garden and Flower Club. The Rochester Public Library also offers a seed library, which provides free seeds and extensive information on growing food. I guarantee you will find something inspiring to get you digging in and gardening.
Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick’s chickens, an Americana, left, and a Midnight Majesty Maran, are pictured on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at her home in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick’s garden is pictured on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at her home in Rochester.
Maya Giron / Post Bulletin
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