Bushman is growing a local food system
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:26 AM
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FORT ATKINSON, Iowa — Annie Bushman grows herbs and vegetables, but she's also propagating a local food system.
She owns Annie's Gardens and Greens, which includes vegetable and herb gardens, greenhouses and a gift shop and roadside stand on her family's farm, south of Festina.
Two years ago, she started a community supported agriculture operation where people buy shares and receive weekly deliveries of vegetables through the growing season. Bushman expanded the concept by operating her CSA throughout the year. People can purchase shares for milk, bread, butter, eggs, honey, meat, poultry and fruit along with vegetable shares.
Bushman raises some vegetables, but much of the food comes from other farmers. One of Bushman's employees has organized a large network of growers.
"I started Annie's Gardens and Greens in 1995 when I put up a small greenhouse to grow produce year-round," Bushman said. "I had read about CSAs and I wanted to work toward that. I love to garden, and it was a way I could stay at home with our five children."
Growing vegetables in the winter didn't work, but she built a herb business by educating herself on how to grow and use herbs.
"Maybe it was a memorial to my grandmother, Dorothy Huebner, who introduced me to the herb lovage," Bushman said.
The business thrived. She established herb gardens that include an English tea garden, an edible flower garden and a children's garden. There are 150 varieties of herbs including 21 varieties of mint. She dries and packages herbs, teas, rubs and herbal blends for sale. She often hosts herb workshops and offers opportunities for children to learn about growing food.
Bushman has added two high tunnel greenhouses to her first small greenhouse, and she is experimenting with extending the vegetable season. Last week, she harvested carrots, peas, parsnips, lettuce and radishes for her CSA customers.
IShe sells herb, heirloom tomato and pepper plants in the spring as well as hanging floral baskets. She grows many of the herbs and vegetables.
What she doesn't sell is planted in the garden and harvested for the roadside stand, the CSA or Bushman's new Green Grocery at 117 E. Main in Calmar. Last year, she bought the small processing kitchen that she uses for handling CSA orders. She is open three days a week and sells fresh vegetables and Iowa products ranging from meat and poultry to cheese, wine, bread, milk, soap and popcorn.
She's working to obtain a processor's license so that she is able to can foods. Some day, she'd like to have a small sidewalk cafe.
Bushman's CSA had 25 shares over the winter, and there were 75 customers last summer. This summer she is hoping for 150. In time she'd like 1,000 shares. An old egg processing plant sits across the street from Bushman's Calmar shop.
"Some day, I'd like that to be mine," Bushman said as she talks about the potential that exists to build a local food system.
Several years ago, Bushman met and started working with Mike Gooder of Plantpeddler in Cresco. Gooder raises vegetables through the winter in his commercial greenhouses, which made it possible for Bushman to offer fresh vegetables through her winter CSA. When Plantpeddler scales back in the spring to focus on flowers, other growers are able to step in. Glen Elsbernd's G It's Fresh Organic Farms grows many of the CSA vegetables during the summer.
"My mission is to create a 52-week sustainable food system with a community of producers who raise fresh, naturally grown products in Iowa, making it affordable and convenient to all individuals and families," Bushman said.
She and her husband, Steve, have trucking and farming businesses in addition to Annie's Gardens and Greens. Between the three, they employ over 50 people. Annie's Gardens and Greens employs seven at the height of the season.
Three of the Bushman's five children, Brent, Nicole and Daniel, work with their parents. Jessie teaches special education, and Elissa is attending Wartburg College.
"When it comes to local food, there is opportunity for everybody," she said.