Buffalo Ridge Orchard
The best thing about being an apple farmer is that, unlike a ripe tomato, [an apple] doesn’t have to be picked right now. It can wait until tomorrow. It is a nice pace.”
Central City, IA
Type: Producer
Produces: Popcorn
Location: Shellsburg, IA
Miles from Coop: 17
This is the most flavorful popcorn we’ve tasted – and its hulls explode so they don’t get stuck in your teeth.
As the story goes, the Kelty family either found their tiny popcorn: “growing wild, or traded Native Americans for it,” Gene Mealhow explains, and passed it down from generation to generation. During WWII, their yearly planting got forgotten, and a paltry handful of kernels found in a pantry jar rescued it from extinction.
Get the whole scoop about our visit to their farm here.

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The best thing about being an apple farmer is that, unlike a ripe tomato, [an apple] doesn’t have to be picked right now. It can wait until tomorrow. It is a nice pace.”
Central City, IA
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