Autumn’s Garden is a veteran run urban produce farm right in Des Moines. You can shop their products online here. Thanks Lewis for sharing your story with us!
What is the name of your farm and where are you located?
Autumn’s Garden. We are located at 106 Franklin Avenue, right in Des Moines!
Tell us a little about the make-up of your farm.
We started planning Autumn’s Garden in 2014 and planted in 2015, we lease 3/4 of an acre from the city of Des Moines and grow a wide variety of produce; to include 15 plus varieties of tomatoes, 10 plus peppers, several eggplants, orange watermelon, pie pumpkins, okra, Red Brussels Sprouts, cut flowers, black berries and more. Being in the inner city we try to expose low income/homeless and other city dwellers to the unique and vast numbers of produce available to us. Growing “Heirlooms”; with a few exceptions of donated plants from my fellow Veterans, along with using organic/ natural practices. We try to emphasize the need for safe, chemical free food and promote the superior flavor of “Heirlooms”. We start the majority of our plants in our growing room in our basement and rely on no funding from the government; the generosity of a few friends and my girlfriend make it all possible. God is good to us.
What does your farm specialize in?
We grow White, Chocolate and Yellow “Pear” tomatoes; snacking sweet peppers, orange watermelon, super hot peppers “Carolina Reapers” and more; Red Brussels Sprouts – basically growing stuff that others don’t.
Can you tell us a few things that make your signature product(s) special?
No one else grows them, they are tasty and unique, top notch quality.
What is your farm’s biggest season?
Late summer/ fall
What is the most important thing for consumers to know about your products?
We use NO chemicals.
Anything else we should know?
My girlfriend has been my biggest supporter and has made it all possible.