Rainbow Ridge Farm

Waverly, Iowa. Miles to market: 111

Gold, Red, Russet, Fingerling, Purple, and Sweet Potatoes; Muskmelon; Honeydew Melon

Farming comes naturally to second-generation farmer Jason Gomes, owner of Rainbow Ridge Farm located just outside Waverly, Iowa. On his seven tillable acres, Jason cultivates an assortment of potatoes like Austrian Crescent fingerlings, and German varieties Nicola and Corola, in a spray-free environment. “If I could get everyone to look for potatoes with bug bites in them, then I’d be doing pretty good business!” he laughs. “If you’ve got a piece of produce that looks immaculately clean—the only way to get that is chemicals.” Gomes’ down-to-earth farming techniques include weeding, hacking down potato vines, and harvesting his crop all by hand. Even the bugs get in on the action, helping to “defoliate” potatoes by eating the leafy stems … and that’s about as natural as you can get.