Crystal Forestry Project
From cleaner to container, May’s focus is on keeping her product line as sustainable as possible.
Iowa City, IA
Kerns Homegrown
Type: Producer
Produces: Sweet Corn
Location: Oelwein, IA
Miles from Coop: 54
A Homegrown Start
In 1999, at the age of 15, Blake Kerns rented two acres of abandoned crop land, borrowed a planter, and seeded sweet corn. Twenty years later he's still planting, picking, and delivering fresh picked homegrown produce.
“Planting a seed, nurturing it, picking it, delivering it- the process provides a real sense of accomplishment.”
Sustainability
As a GAP-certified Iowa farm operation with over 2,200 acres of crop production including 100+ acres of fruits and vegetables, sustainable agriculture practices are at the core of Kerns Homegrown operations.
The use of rotational cover crops, integrated pest management systems, drip irrigation, and no-till farming are just some of the ways Blake works to improve soil health and reduce erosion for better land stewardship of Iowa farmland.
Other Local Producers
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
O's Grill
From a humble hot dog cart to a food truck and now a brick-and-mortar restaurant, O’s Grill has been serving fresh, flavorful Mediterranean cuisine to Cedar Rapids for over 15 years.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Organic Greens
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.
Kalona, IA
Larry Schultz Organic Farm
“They have that old-fashioned flavor, the way turkeys used to taste. I think you’ll agree there isn’t a more tasty bird around!”
Owatonna, MN
Wake Up Iowa
What we love is what we do best. “I’m a light roast single origin guy – no blends.
Iowa City, IA
Kerns Homegrown
Our local source for non-GMO sweet corn! In 1999, at the age of 15, Blake Kerns rented two acres of abandoned crop land, borrowed a planter, and seeded sweet corn. Twenty years later he's still planting, picking, and delivering fresh picked homegrown produce.
Oelwein, IA
Cedar Witch Goods
Katie's handmade soaps are made from scratch in small batches using high quality ingredients like aloe vera, cocoa butter, and mango butter.
Cedar Rapids, IA
Frontier Co-op
Founded in 1976, Iowa based Frontier Co-op is a leader in branded organic and natural herbs, spices, and essential oils. As a co-operative owned by wholesale customers that buy and sell its products, Frontier sources hundreds of different botanicals and oils from over 175 suppliers in 50 countries.
Norway, IA