Meet Our Local Growers! at new pioneer food co-op, we’re proud to support the work of our local farmers by paying them a fair price– and we love offering our customers the best, freshest produce around, grown close to home!
Let us introduce you to the farmers...
Friendly Farm Green Leaf and Romaine Lettuce; Heirloom & Cherry Tomatoes; Flower Bouquets; & Butternut Squash iowa city, iowa. miles to co-op: 1.5
Friendly Farm is a hidden paradise in Iowa City known for a variety of divine veggies and colorful flower bouquets. Farmers David Braverman, Sarah Neary, and lots of family and friends practice natural, chemical-free growing methods on an idyllic spread of produce, herbs, and flowers started by Bob Braverman over two decades ago. They work together to build kinship and a healthy environment through local, sustainable agriculture and community education.
Fae Ridge Farm Fresh Herbs: Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Mint, Chives, Rosemary, Sage, Basil, & Dill iowa city, iowa. miles to co-op: 9
Janette Ryan-Busch has supplied New Pioneer Coop with certified organic produce since the mid’80s, and is best known for her big bunches of fresh basil. She also runs a thriving fiber business, spinning and weaving fiber collected from goats, sheep, rabbits, and llamas that she raises on Fae Ridge Farm, just north of Iowa City. Want a healthier planet? Janette says, “The best way to help the earth is to give your business to someone who tends the earth, day to day. Support organic farms in your own backyard, and you’ll help to keep growers on the farm.”
Dirty Face Creek Farm Basil & Okra hills, iowa. miles to co-op: 10
Dirty Face Creek Farm, a family-owned farm in Hills, grows produce as well as Angora goats for fleece production. Farm owner Jessica Stutsman and her late husband, Mike, shared a commitment to clean soil and water conservation. Utilizing her background in watershed restoration to care for their organic oasis, Jessica hopes to continue water and soil clean-up in their area. Dirty Face Creek Farm is a shining example of sustainability and environmentallyfriendly farming practices.
Anything But Green Gardens Shiitake, Oyster, & Specialty Mushrooms vinton, iowa. miles to co-op: 46
Growing mushrooms in her backyard barn started out as a hobby for Brien Osborn, owner of Anything But Green Gardens in Vinton, Iowa. But one woman’s hobby turned into a booming cottage industry once the folks at area farmers’ markets got a taste of these locally-grown lion’s mane, shiitake, and yellow, blue, and pink oyster mushrooms. In 5-6 foot long mushroom bags hanging from the ceiling of her barn’s well-misted rooms, a stunning variety of ‘shrooms are cultivated for a harvest of up to 300 lbs. per week. “No one ever grows up thinking ‘I’m going to be a mushroom farmer,’” Brien laughs, “it just kind of happens!” Now, as it happens, she’s providing a multitude of mushrooms for New Pioneer and having a great time doing it.
Organic Greens Asparagus; Green, Red, & Savoy Cabbage; Sweet Potatoes; Snow Pea Shoots; Sunflower Sprouts; Mixed Micro Greens; Daikon Sprouts; Wheat Grass; Pet Grass; & Butternut Squash kalona, iowa. miles to co-op: 19.5
For James Nisly, growing organic vegetables is about fulfilling a vision of producing healthy food for a healthy community and building well balanced soil for sustainable food production. Inspired by love for his community, the farm focuses on better flavor and nutrition and on growing “produce with integrity,” a model James lives by every day as he cares for the plants and the soil at Organic Greens.
Oak Hill Acres Tomato, Herb, & Vegetable Plants; Potted Flowers; Green & Yellow Beans; Red, Gold, & White Potatoes atalissa, iowa. miles to co-op: 25
Andy Tygrett’s high school FFA (Future Farmers of America) project has turned out more successful than he could ever have imagined. Stemming from an interest in cultivating gladiolas, his one-man flower business started in his parents’ gas station has grown into a successful organic farm: Oak Hill Acres. Along with his wife Christina, her brother, Joe, his dad, Terry, and a slew of farm cats to mind the mice, Andy manages over 4,000 flower cuttings in their two greenhouses and thirty acres of organic produce. “It was something that we kind of fell into,” says Andy, “but it’s working out great for us.” Start your own organic venture with plant starts from Oak Hill Acres available at New Pioneer – you never know what you’ll grow into!
Grinnell Heritage Farm Carrots; Red, Gold, & Chioggia Beets; Rutabagas; Parsnips; Turnips; Beauty Heart Radishes; Green, Purple, & Lacinato Kale; Collard Greens; Red & Rainbow Chard; Red, Yellow, Orange, & Green Bell Peppers; Cabbage; Brussels Sprouts; & Romanesco Cauliflower grinnell, iowa. miles to co-op: 65
From Iowa to Tanzania and back again, Andrew Dunham has taken a roundabout journey to his family’s 150-year old family farm as its fifth generation farmer. His experience in the Peace Corps taught him the basics of organic vegetable farming, and his love of eating drove him to return to Iowa and take up the family farm in Grinnell. With wife Melissa, Andrew’s transformed the former corn and soybean farm into an organic oasis that includes eighteen acres of vegetables and employs eleven people. Grinnell Heritage Farm “grows organically for our future,” providing flavorful local vegetables through farmers’ markets, their CSA, and of course, New Pioneer.
Adelyn’s Garden Daikon Radishes; Summer Squash; Garlic Braids; & Horseradish tiffin, iowa. miles to co-op: 8
Gardening is a family tradition for Dave and Katharine Campbell of Adelyn’s Garden. Their 10-acre organic farm, named after Dave’s mother, is directly across the road from the home where Dave grew up and where Adelyn had her original gardens. The Campbells’ specialty produce is well-known at area farmers’ markets, and here at the Co-op we’re happy to offer their unique products throughout the summer. Through their love of growing “a variety of healthy foods … for ourselves and our families,” they’ve created a sustainable and beautiful garden just eight miles outside of Coralville.
Echollective Farm Garlic; Green Garlic; Garlic Scapes; Leeks; Sweet (fresh & cured) Onions; Sugar Snap Peas; Napa Cabbage; Shallots; Parsley; Dill; Sungold Cherry Tomatoes; Baby Bok Choy; Arugula; Braising Greens; Chili Peppers; Spinach; Red Leaf Lettuce; Fingerling Potatoes; Asparagus; Asian Greens; & Daikon Radishes mechanicsville, iowa. miles to co-op: 26.5
Echollective Farm feels more like a family than a business. Members of this collective garden and CSA make their decisions gathered around the kitchen table. Farm manager Derek Roller says, “The more people get invested and help make decisions, the more likely they are to do good work, especially if they feel what they say has merit.” Derek extends the local growing season through his use of hoophouses, allowing customers clamoring for local food to savor the season earlier and later. Derek’s innovative methods continue to promote sustainability, collaboration, and cooperation.
Vedic City Organic Farm Baby Bok Choy; Kale; Chard; Cucumbers; Eggplants; Tomatoes; & Bell Peppers vedic city, iowa. miles to co-op: 66.5
Row upon row of cucumbers, flowering tomato plants, and chard thrive in the humid air of the twoacre greenhouse at Maharishi Vedic City Organic Farm. Established in 2003, they relish in growing produce with “taste and quality that has been lost in today’s commercial food supply.” With their biodynamic farming practices, applying the knowledge of Maharishi Vedic Agriculture, they strive for “the highest nutrient value, conferring the greatest benefit to your health.” The group’s knowledge isn’t limited to vegetables – they also care for the ecological sustainability of their farm, irrigating from a nearby pond and powering with a wind turbine.
Marvin’s Corn Sweet Corn iowa city, iowa. miles to co-op: 12
Wearing a tall seed corn hat and dressed in jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, Marvin Hotz has an easy manner and a firm handshake. He has been growing sweet corn for more than 30 years, on 20 acres just east of Iowa City. Marvin and his son harvest each ear of corn by hand, cutting it from its stalk with a sharp serrated knife, so that delicate kernels won’t get bruised. The best part? A mid-morning snack in the field is an ear of ultra-fresh, uncooked sweet corn, sweet and crispy as you please. Taste the real flavor of Iowa’s summer from this old-fashioned Iowa farmer.
Timeless Prairie Orchard Many Varieties of Apples winthrop, iowa. miles to co-op: 55
Dave and Susie Differding know their apples and love sharing the fruits of their education with you in the form of each shiny, delicious fruit. Their orchard, overlooking the rolling hills of Buchanan County on property that’s been in the family for four generations, utilizes their extensive research and technology for the most effective water use and Integrated Pest Management to produce their beautiful and delicious Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon-winning apples.
Bloomin’ Wooley Acres
Mariposa Farm
nashua, iowa. miles to co-op: 116 Purple Peppers; Heirloom Tomatoes; Lettuce; Rainbow Carrots; Kohlrabi; Brussels Sprouts; Mustard Greens
grinnell, iowa. miles to co-op: 65 Fresh Herbs; Lettuce; & Living Basil
Blue’s Best Mushrooms vinton, iowa. miles to co-op: 49 Crimini & Portabella Mushrooms
Joni Miller kalona, iowa. miles to co-op: 19.5 Strawberries
Muddy Miss Farms
Peter Collette solon, iowa. miles to co-op: 16 Rhubarb
riverside, iowa. miles to co-op: 10 Kohlrabi; Dandelion Greens; Specialty Eggplants; Tomatillos; Leeks; & Purslane
Flint Ridge Organic Produce
Pheasant Run Farm
kalona, iowa. miles to co-op: 19.5 Zucchini; Yellow Squash; Cucumbers; Winter Squash; Watermelons; Broccoli; Eggplants; Muskmelons; & Bell Peppers
J&B Chestnut Farm winfield, iowa. miles to co-op: 45 Chestnuts
J&J Produce hawkeye, iowa. miles to co-op: 99 Cherry & Grape Tomatoes
Kirkwood Sun Country Produce hopkinton, iowa. miles to co-op: 64.5 Hydroponic Tomatoes
L.I.F.E. (Lyle’s Indigenous Fruit Enterprises) keota, iowa. miles to co-op: 45 Aronia Berries
van horne, iowa. miles to co-op: 48 Mixed Baby Greens; Ginger Root; Tomatoes; & Flowers
Rolling Hills Greenhouse west union, iowa. miles to co-op: 111 Salad Mix; Bibb Lettuce; & Basil
Roush Produce conesville, iowa. miles to co-op: 31 Muskmelons & Watermelons
Scattergood School Farm west branch, iowa. miles to co-op: 15 Cilantro
Seed Savers Exchange decorah, iowa. miles to co-op: 140 Garden Seeds
Wilson’s Orchard iowa city, iowa. miles to co-op: 6 Apples & Apple Cider
www.newpi.coop
22 S. Van Buren St., Iowa City, IA 52240 • (319) 338-9441 • open daily 7am–11pm 1101 2nd St., Coralville, IA 52241 • (319) 358-5513 • open daily 7am–10pm
Revised July 2013