FAQ

Where are you located?
We have two locations where we grow our flowers and produce; one in Van Buren, and the other in Winslow.

Why did you start market gardening? 
Jerry and Jane have been hard-core hobby gardeners together since 2010. Health issues and work troubles prevented them from doing as much as they liked in recent years, but they've finally decided to  make their passion their life. Jane was mentored as a young child by Harry the Gardener, who was a bonsai master and the gardener for Mary Jane Star.  Her love of plants grew through much hiking and backpacking in her teens and twenties, through landscape gardening in her 30s and 40s, and has finally broken out into full blown permaculture. Jerry started farming at the age of 12, partnering with an elderly neighbor to raise about 200 hogs.  He also grew up gardening with his grandparents in Oak Grove Arkansas, who swore he had a dark green thumb.  They spent their first date watching National Treasure and looking through seed catalogs.

How long have you been growing?
We started with reasonably serious production in 2018. We started out of a desire to grow for our family, and also to support fresh and local foods in a deeper way.  We believe that tasty food, lively nutrition, and happy flowers should be available to all, and we want to help make that happen.

Are you organic?
The certification for organic foods and flowers is complex, and, though a good thought, not always helpful.  We haven't tried to wrestle with that certification.  We feel strongly that sustainable soil development is one of the most important factors in growing great produce, and that selecting excellent varieties is just as important. We do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  We believe in biodiversity and natural pest management.

Do you use GMO seeds?
No. No. No. We use mostly heritage varieties geared toward extended season, culinary quality (bursting flavor, folks!), and nutrition content.  There's a lot still to learn about the GMO process; for right now we feel that natural plant breeding focused on local environments and quality produce will yield the best (and safest) result.

Do you have any animals on your farm?
We have four dogs at each site. Daisy Mae and Athena run the show on Railroad Street, while Jack and Gizmo provide backup and entertainment.  In Van Buren, Barkley monitors our bird feeders and compost piles, Lucy is our couch-tester, Maxine our door-guard, and Mopsy our top dancer.  We also have Alpine goats at our Winslow location.  Nellie rules the roost, Phoebe's laid-back, and Cricket is the queen of drama and silliness.  We always know when dinner's late because the feed bucket comes flying over the fence.

We have one more animal resident in Winslow: the infamous Armadillo Bob.  He's not always our favorite customer, but he's been happily ridding our beds of grubs for several years, so we let him stay despite his bad habits (which we try to keep to a minimum).