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Have you heard of Pizza on the Prairie? Only in Iowa can you enjoy locally made pizza, made from scratch, out of an Italian pizza oven, sourced using ingredients grown right next to you, as you eat! Debra Houghtaling tells us why families come to learn about Iowa agriculture with their appetite!
On Friday nights in the summer, Iowans are making their way to Orient, Iowa to enjoy Pizza on the Prairie. The ultra-local pizza is made using ingredients that were grown on the farm in which the event takes place. Iowans appreciate the in-seaon menu that rotates weekly, and reservations are booked three weeks in advance. The event takes place at Wallace Centers of Iowa.
Pizza on the Prairie
A simple idea—“Pizza on the Prairie”—is doing far more than filling bellies. It’s fostering a deeper understanding of Iowa’s agricultural legacy, reconnecting families with the land, and preserving the powerful legacy of one of the state’s most influential families.
At the Wallace Farm near Orient, Iowa, “Pizza on the Prairie” is redefining farm-to-table. Every Friday night through September, visitors reserve their spots to dine al fresco beside a restored nine-acre prairie. The food? Fresh, scratch-made pizza topped with ingredients harvested mere feet away in a garden visible from diners’ seats. With a rotating seasonal menu, patrons experience the evolving bounty of Iowa agriculture—last week’s taco pizza might give way to a cherry-infused creation next week.
“I am not a person who throws the word magical around lightly, I would say the vibe is magical,” Houghtaling says, describing the unique atmosphere where prairie walks, live music, and giant games turn Friday night pizza into an immersive rural experience.
Houghtaling outlines how the Wallace family, whose lineage includes a U.S. Vice President and two Secretaries of Agriculture, pioneered soil conservation efforts. “They were clover evangelicals,” she jokes, explaining how their advocacy for grasses like big bluestem created the fertile Iowa farmland we know today.
Pizza on the Prairie is not just a clever entry point into history. It’s also a launchpad for civic impact. Houghtaling details the “Garden for Good,” a volunteer-tended plot producing nutrient-rich sweet potatoes for local food pantries. As Brady notes, “This is a bizarre collision of Iowa agriculture, culture, and Italian-style pizza—and it works.”
The Wallace Centers operate two historic locations—one in Des Moines, another at the Orient farm—each offering a lens into the Wallace family’s legacy. Through events like Pizza on the Prairie and initiatives like their Prairie Art Exhibit, Houghtaling and her team are re-establishing meaningful ties between food, land, and people.
“We are connecting people to the food and the land where it was grown,” Houghtaling concludes, “it’s just one big, magical package.”
To book your tickets go here https://wallace.org/pizza-on-the-prairie/