Carly and Ethan Zierke

Sweet Season Farm | Decorah, Iowa

Why do you want to farm?

We farm because we love cooking with high-quality vegetables and we want to help other people enjoy them too. Neither of us grew up farming, but we have always loved working in the kitchen. We want to help others in our community feel the same fascination we have felt toward the wide range of delicious produce that can be grown in Iowa, and encourage our community to look local first when purchasing seasonal produce.

What are you farming right now?

We have a diversified vegetable farm and grow over 30 different types of vegetables. Our outlets include our CSA, farmers market, local restaurants and our local co-op.

What’s your vision for your farm?

We hope to create a CSA-focused farm. It’s our dream to get people from our community out to our farm often, incorporate U-pick components and host events. We want to create space for people to explore the food system, ranging from kids learning how to pick kale to adults learning how to preserve produce from their CSA.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

After one year of farm ownership, we are excited for the opportunity to refine our business plan. Working to identify what’s been working for our business and what has not, and examining what unique skills and experience we have, will enable us to better identify and fill the needs of our community and be successful.