After carrying on the time-honored tradition of high-volume chicken processing for nearly three generations, The Farm by Des Moines Vineyards (formerly Dunnwald Industrial Hatcheries) is pleased to announce that thanks to an unexpected outbreak of avian flu – or as we call it, wedding fever – our facilities are now available to host your nuptials, family reunions, and corporate retreats. The Farm by Des Moines Vineyards is a fresh take on the typical Iowa farmhouse, marrying the rustic charm of a Midwestern Victorian farmstead with the inconceivable scale and brutal efficiency of an award-winning industrial poultry producer.

Approaching The Farm from our scenic frontage road, the first thing you’ll notice is the sweeping Supervisor’s Veranda – the ideal spot for photos with your wedding party and for keeping a close eye on our preferred non-union catering staff as they prepare your butler-passed hors d’oeuvres. At an old-fashioned large-scale agricultural facility like ours, preventing time theft is half the fun!

Inside The Farm, natural light and tasteful fluorescents combine to highlight the vast space’s exposed steel beams, romantic fireside incinerators, and 500,000 vintage poultry cages, each of which sports a patina of housemade disinfectant. Complimentary feathers blanket most horizontal surfaces, saving you the expense and hassle of decorating.

This unique wedding and event experience features Oliver Twist-style seating in antique-washed Chiavari-inspired workstools not definitively proven to cause lower back pain, combined with beautiful chestnut wood tables balanced delicately on retired conveyor belts.

Once seated, your guests will enjoy the scrumptious cuisine of our highly acclaimed chefs, who will of course be using our top-caliber poultry, which we are happy to supply at below-market rates. Due to state and federal laws barring the sale and consumption of alcohol at industrial facilities, a local peace officer will be required on site along with a modest Enforcement Discouragement Fee.

After dinner, guests are welcome to dance or simply lounge in both the Upper and Lower Slaughtering Parlors, or take part in an optional “Broilers and Breeders” square dance, facilitated by one of our helpful staff members. Children might also enjoy a game of Pin the Beak Back on the Bird, a Des Moines Vineyards classic.

The Farm is available in all seasons for your exclusive use, accommodating up to 15,000 guests. Please contact us to confirm availability on your preferred dates. (Note: All Mondays in August and September have already been reserved by USDA inspectors.)

Private wedding tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. All tours must be scheduled at least two days in advance. Masks and gloves will be provided.