Gary Guthrie- Farmer Profile

Gary Guthrie, alias "The Carrot King," farms with his wife Nancy near Nevada. Gary started Growing Harmony Farms in 1997. He currently cultivates two and a half acres and sells vegetables through a CSA. Gary also specializes in carrots that are amazingly flavorful and crisp as well as porcelain garlic and sweet potatoes. Gary markets his specialty crops to other CSA farmers, restaurants, and retailers.

Gary Guthrie Youth Camp Farm Tour

Gary takes Youth Camp participants on a tour of his farm.

Gary has been a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa since 1997. Gary became a member of PFI to surround himself with like-minded individuals who would give him confidence to pursue his transition into farming. When he started his CSA operation in 1997, the idea was still relatively new to Iowa. "Having a group of people that are willing to support you in a variety of ways- through research, morally, to be there for you- makes a big difference. You don't feel so isolated," said Gary.

Gary has participated extensively in PFI programs, including on-farm research and demonstration, cooperators' meetings, fruit and vegetable clusters, and has spoken at conferences, field days, and summer camp. He has evolved into a mentor for many others in the organization. "I'm hoping that people that I come in contact with are inspired to do work connected to the food system in some way," Gary said.

Gary says of the community he has found with Practical Farmers of Iowa: "One of the things that I like about PFI is that it is very foundational, which is really in contrast to our common culture. PFI is cooperative in nature, where people share information and expertise in others, and I am a really strong believer in that."

Here are links to some of the research Gary has participated in:

Protecting Sweet Corn from Corn Earworm with Oil and Btk

Here are links to some new articles featuring Gary: