About Us

Annie's was established in 1995 by erecting a small greenhouse to grow produce in year round.  I was interested in starting a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA).  An article I had read in a gardening magazine spoke about selling garden shares in advance, which paid for your seeds, tools, and other needs, and when the crops came in the customer received 20 weeks of fresh vegetables.  This intrigued me and I was hooked on the idea.  However, I wanted more and have always wanted to create a 52 week CSA.

There were several reasons why I wanted to pursue this avenue.  First, I love to garden and thought it was an awesome opportunity to do what I love, create an income, and stay at home with our 5 children.  Secondly, the idea of becoming a successful and independent business person was and still is a driving force for taking my dream and turning it into reality.

Being able to grow vegetables during the winter in Iowa was a challenge and it did not work for me at the time.  It has taken me 14 years to bring this dream full circle.  In the meantime, I built a business on herbs and their uses.  Maybe in some small way it is a memorial to my grandmother, as she was the one who introduced me to the herb lovage and it was her books I began thumbing through when I began to become intrigued with them.

Over the years, it has been my mission to educate myself and the public on growing herbs in Iowa and their many uses.  I have done this through hands-on, trial and error experiences, hosting a variety of workshops, writing a monthly newsletter for all of our customers, and speaking at seminars, clubs, organizations, and at schools.

This year I have added workshops for children.  Today's generation of children lack the knowledge of where their food comes from, how it is grown, and what real food tastes like.  Ask a child where their food comes from the the most common response is, "The grocery store".

Gardening was once a means of survival for large families.  It later became a hobby or a luxury for people.  In today's economic uneasiness, gardening is once again becoming a means of survival.  Life Cycle Gardening workshops are a great way to have fun while learning in the garden.  Gardening is a good vehicle to teach children good eating habits, along with basic life skills.  With sensatory activities and the innocent curiosity of a child, learning comes naturally in the garden.

Stop in any time during April through October and walk through the display gardens.  There are 150 varieties of herbs planted in the gardens so you may use all of your senses to observe the herbs in a natural habitat.  In the spring, herb plants and heirloom vegetables and herbs are then harvested for the Road Side Stand or community shared agriculture.

As the display gardens grow each year, they produce an abundant amount of leaves and flowers that are harvested and created into herbal blends and teas.  All of my herbs are grown naturally, hand picked and blended by hand.  Because I am unable to grow every ingredient (example:  lemons, garlic salt), there are some I must purchase.  Blends and teas are not measured scientifically, so no two blends or teas are ever the same.  This led to the opening of Annie's Mini Gift Shop, where you will find all of our herbal blends and herbal teas available to you.

If you have never  used herbs before, don't worry.  You are among the majority. Using herbs on your food enhances the flavor.  Many have commented that by using herbs on their food, they feel fuller faster and leave the dinner table satisfied.  I have taken some of the guesswork out of using the herbs, as each package tells what other herbs, vegetables, or meats it is compatible with.  However, every individual's taste is different, therefore, be sure to experiment!  I have also included the meaning of the name and a few medicinal tips**.

So what are you waiting for? Have you had your herbal experience today?

Annie

**See disclaimer