What is Little Sioux Stems?

Little Sioux Stems is a specialty cut flower farm founded in 2022. Travel just fifteen minutes southwest of the Iowa great lakes or twelve minutes northwest of Spencer to take in all the beauty of the countryside at Little Sioux Stems. It is conveniently located on the hard surface road A43 and just across the road from the Little Sioux Orchard. The farm encompasses just under 5 acres of true farm life. The roughly quarter acre garden is neatly organized in rows of 35+ varieties for cutting and loaded with pollinators. From the flowers and farm animals to the old cabin in the pasture, there is something for everyone to see on the farm.

How Little Sioux Stems came about.

I started my career in horticulture and landscape design in 2013 at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg, IA where I am from. I went on to do an internship at Del’s Garden Center where I accepted a full time position on the landscape crew after graduating. In 2016 I decided to start my own small landscaping business, Outdoor Renovations, LLC. I installed hard scaping, created landscape designs, and maintained commercial and residential landscaping. After welcoming our 2nd child Laney, in 2019, landscaping became a bit more difficult. We desperately wanted to moved to the country and our oldest son Landon was the driving force behind the rush. He was about to begin 4th grade, the age you could join 4-H. Both my husband and I grew up in the country, were in 4-H, and showed animals. While you don’t have to have farm animals to join, it was a huge part of 4-H for us and it was important that he would be able to have the same experience. In the fall of 2020 we purchased our little acreage and one week later I had our third child, Levi. I became a part-time landscaper and a full-time mom on a farm. I decided to narrow down the landscaping business to designs, plantings and maintaining landscapes only.

That first summer on the farm was so magical. The kids and I spent all day every day outside. Working on projects, creating a safe play area for the kids, gardening, watching baby chicks grow into egg laying hens, and swimming in a stock tank haha. Literally everything you can think of crammed into one summer. We didn’t want to miss a single experience.

Winter came and I started more renovating projects in the house. Winter is my brainstorming time and it sometimes gets me into trouble. I had planned on growing perennials and shrubs once we moved to an acreage, but I also had interest in cut flowers. I started researching and discovered there was a whole world of successful flower farmers. I knew either way if I went back to working full-time or stayed home with the kids, there were going to be challenges for my family and I to overcome. Flower farming meant having the best of both. Spending every day with my children, fulfilling my need for something more, while also helping to provide for our family. Knowing I have the land and love for it, I decided I had to give it my all.

From December 2021 to March 2022 I researched, planned, ordered and grew like crazy. It was so satisfying seeing my first seedings pop from the soil. 2022 was only supposed to be a trial year. To see if I could actually grow all the varieties I had purchased, from seed to harvest. If I could manage all of the different plant needs and processes of harvesting. As soon as my first varieties started blooming, I was hooked. I quickly realized that almost everything I started was successful and I was about to be engulfed in flowers. I don’t know if I can compare a feeling to the moment I realized I was going to reap a reward from all the work I had done. The garden was magical. I was hopeful others would feel the same and I couldn’t wait to share it. I didn’t think living on our farm would ever get better than that first year. I was wrong, and I hope I am wrong again. I truly am so excited to share the beauty of the flowers and our farm with all of you.

-Jennifer