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“One of the things that we grow year round is actually celery. So I think we're going into the third or fourth year of growing celery nonstop year round. So a lot of people, you know, we kind of become known as the, you know, celery people at market,” says Andrew Phelps, co-owner of Phelps Farm in Guttenberg, Iowa, and this week’s featured grower on Greenhouse Success Stories.
After a career pivot from IT, Andrew Phelps and his wife Amy transformed her family’s farmland into a thriving, small-scale year-round vegetable operation—earning a reputation for consistency, niche innovation, and direct-to-consumer success. From overcoming devastating storms and infrastructure challenges to pioneering unique offerings like customizable CSA boxes and introducing farm-fresh beef, eggs, and honey, Andrew Phelps shares how strategic grants, tech tools, and a hands-on approach turned adversity into opportunity. Discover how this farmer’s market staple is setting a new standard for small growers aiming for year-round production and direct sales.
Key Takeaways
You want to build a thriving year-round farm business—take these actions to accelerate your greenhouse journey:
- Start where you are—launch your farmers market booth or CSA with whatever you can grow now, and build from there. Progress and consistency beat waiting for perfect conditions.
- Invest in robust infrastructure. Upgrade to stronger, automated high tunnels or greenhouses before extreme weather forces your hand—your crops and sanity will thank you.
- Apply for grants and cost-share programs early and often. Tap into resources like USDA EQUIP to slash upfront costs and fuel your reinvestment cycle.
- Prioritize education and mentorship relentlessly. Attend conferences, connect with extension specialists, and enroll in proven master classes—knowledge and support are your biggest growth multipliers.
- Build a direct-to-customer sales strategy: Embrace CSAs, markets, and farm stores to control your margins, build your brand, and stay nimble as you scale.
Memorable Quotes
"We invest quite heavily in education and learning new things. If you’re a new greenhouse grower, figure out your local resources—whether that’s a university extension, conferences, or online master classes. Having someone in your toolbox who can help with problems is a huge asset.""One of the things that we grow year round is celery. I think we're going into the third or fourth year of growing celery nonstop. A lot of people, we kind of become known as the celery people at market—we've always got it.""So we have two children, they're five and six, and we bring them to the farm with us. They're learning how to grow, seed start, and transplant vegetables. Teaching them that you can grow food is probably our proudest moment as growers and as parents."Connect with Phelps Farm
Website: https://phelpsfarmsiowa.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phelpsfarmiowa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhelpsFarmIowa/
Resources Mentioned
Iowa Food Hub: https://www.iowafoodhub.org/
GrownBy App: https://grownby.com/
Orisha Automation: https://www.orisha.io/
Iowa State University Extension: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/
Market Gardener Masterclass (by Jean-Martin Fortier): https://www.marketgardener.com/
Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI): https://practicalfarmers.org/
FairShare CSA Coalition: https://www.csacoalition.org/
Midwest Organic Vegetable Production Conference: https://www.movia.org/
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (Iowa Dept. of Agriculture): https://iowaagriculture.gov/markets/resilient-food-systems-infrastructure-rfsi
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