Farm in the Valley

Located two and a half miles from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, on a hill that slopes down to the Minnesota River Valley, Gullywash Gardens is named for the gully it borders. Barbara Pumper and Roy Peterson bought the seven acres of land making up Gullywash Gardens in 1999. They now grow a variety of vegetables and flowers for local farmers markets, and a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that provides produce, flowers, and colorful eggs for up to six family shares a year.

Fulfilling a Dream

For Barbara, farming is the fulfillment of a life-long goal. She studied agriculture in college, but realized after graduation that she could not afford to buy a large parcel of land and start farming. So, over the years, she gardened for personal use. However, in 2000, Barbara and Roy decided to expand their gardens and start growing food for local farmers markets.

“We have such a love of soil and growing healthy food,” Barbara explains. “Agriculture is an exciting venture and provides endless learning opportunities. We are always trying to be better farmers.” The latest experiment for Barbara and Roy is a small orchard with fruit plants.

Commitment and Caring for the Land

Due to their small size, Barbara and Roy decided it was not profitable for them to become organically certified. However, they do use organic farming practices. Pests are controlled with beneficial insects instead of chemical pesticides. Weeds are managed through a variety of techniques including:

* mulch,
* hand weeding and
* cover crops.

Barbara believes these practices nurture the land, the surrounding ecological systems and the people who eat the food they produce.

To communicate their commitment to soil conservation and alternative farming practices, Roy and Barbara sought certification from the Midwest Food Alliance. “This program helps us show consumers that we are caring for the land,” Barbara says. “It also gives us an opportunity to make people aware of different farming practices.”