We are a small home based privately funded gene bank or germplasm center.  Founded with the purchase of the farm  December 5, 1988 our collection has grown  to over 2500 varieties of vegetable crops and poultry.  We grow and maintain all of it here on the 40 acre farm in western Clinton county Iowa. The farm has about 23 tillable acres and 17 acres of sand hill left from glacial outwash. The farm was started by Glenn and then Linda joined the operation when we were married in 1993.  We do most  of the work ourselves with some assistance from a couple of others on an as needed basis and we usually have a few student helpers  to help with some of the farm chores.

We were informed by Seed Savers Exchange in 2018 that we are responsible for saving over 675 varieties  that may well have become extinct otherwise.

In 1996 we had some of the last remaining flocks of heritage turkeys and were recognized for our conservation work in 1999 by the Livestock Conservancy.

Our goal and mission is genetic preservation and education on the importance of diversity in our food crops. We are not set up as a true business with making a profit the goal. Our goal is to preserve and educate. All funds generated go directly back into the efforts to improve and increase our collections.

WHAT WE CAN DO

• Accept orders via mail with payment in the form of check or money order.

• Provide rare varieties that are difficult to find elsewhere.

• Offer assistance when looking for a rare and unusual variety.

• Grow around 80% of the seed we sell and maintain breeder flocks for 100% of the poultry we offer.

WHAT WE CANNOT DO

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• Take orders via the internet.

• Always answer the phone or emails on a regular basis (sometimes we must care for animals or crops first)

• Take payment by credit card or Paypal

• Supply wholesale amounts of a product.

• Guarantee a specific hatch date for a poultry item ( some rare breeds have unpredictable reproductive patterns).

• Guarantee a specific ship date for sweet potato slips (we must wait until they break dormancy and sprout)

• Allow visitors, as much as we would like to show and demonstrate we must maintain a closed facility for biosecurity purposes. There is too much at risk  if someone should accidentally bring something in.