Howells Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch

02/28/2025

🌱 This week, we got to work in the greenhouse! The girls have been busy, busy, busy planting all the little plugs. 🌿 Lots of hands-on work and making sure everything’s ready for the season ahead. 💪 Excited to see it all come together as the plants start to grow! 🌸

02/24/2025

In the early days, German Statice was a huge hit! 🌸 It was perfect for wreaths and arrangement bases, and at one point, Farmer Fred grew 4 acres of it! 😱 The upstairs of the barn was packed with nothing but German Statice. He even sold the whole crop every year with just a tiny ad in Florist Review magazine! ✨

This year, we’re experimenting with bringing German Statice back to the farm! Who knows—maybe we’ll start the trend all over again! 🌿

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02/20/2025

🐰SAVE THE DATE! 🐇
We are eager for warmer weather and spring time fun. So here is our save the date post about our Easter fun on the farm!!
If interested in more information ⬇️⬇️
https://howellsgreenhouseandpumpkinpatch.com/events/

02/17/2025

Last week, we shared how we dried flowers in a homemade kiln, but what happened after? 🤔 Once the flowers were dried, they were taken to the upstairs of our ancestral 1910 barn! Fred converted the haymow into a space with 20-foot cascading ropes to hang the flowers. 😱 (You definitely wouldn't catch me up on that latter! 😬). The haymow is still open to this day for viewing and shopping for dried flowers. If you haven't seen it, it is sure a site to see. Pictures do not do it justice.

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02/10/2025

🌸 How We Got Our Start in Dried Flowers! 🌸

This week’s Howell’s History is all about how it all began with dried flowers! Farmer Fred started with just a quarter acre of statice and strawflowers. 🌾 To dry them, he’d hang bunches upside down and put them in a special kiln—originally built to dry lumber when the farm had a sawmill! 🪓You can dry flowers in your home but that typically takes a couple weeks. When we use the kiln it dries the flowers in a matter of days not weeks. The kiln was homemade with thick glass over black sheet metal. Air circulated to help dry the flowers quickly. We have since upgraded to a bigger building with solar panels

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02/05/2025

Here is a funny pick me up of goat humor for the day! 🤣

02/04/2025

Staying busy in the workshop this winter. Right now, We're building a brand-new game, and it's going to be GOATerrific! Any guesses on what it might be?

02/04/2025

This year we are celebrating 40 Years in Agritourism!!!
As we celebrate, we invite you to join us on a special journey through time. Each Monday, we’ll share a new memory, reflecting on the growth and evolution of our farm and the agritourism business that we’ve nurtured over the decades. From humble beginnings to the vibrant destination you know today, we’ll trace the steps that led us here and the challenges that shaped our path.

Our first post is all about how it started!
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In the 1980s, when the farm was still primarily focused on row crops, 1,100 hogs, 1,000 Christmas trees and 100 head of cattle, the farm faced its greatest challenge: the farm crisis. Prices were falling, the future was uncertain, and Farmer Fred knew something needed to change if the farm was to survive.
At a time when many farms were struggling, Fred was determined to find new and innovative ways to support the farm. As he looked for alternative avenues, he came across an idea that would ultimately change the trajectory of his farm forever: agritourism.
Fred heard about a woman in Madrid who was making thousands of dollars growing flowers for drying, and that sparked an idea. In 1985, he decided to take a leap of faith into something completely new: growing flowers for drying.

With little knowledge of flowers or how they grew, Fred started small—planting just a quarter-acre of four kinds of statice (white, blue, yellow, and rose) and strawflowers. The first step was figuring out what they looked like, how they thrived, and how they could be turned into something valuable. He had several hard knocks and made many trips to the burn barrel.
His next step was to hit the local farmers market in downtown Des Moines. Back then, the farmers market was just in the Spaghetti Works parking lot—a far cry from the expansive event it is today. Despite the uncertainty and lack of experience, Fred was determined to learn and connect with others who could guide him on this new venture.
And, of course, there’s one more thing Fred always jokes about when telling this story—he says the real reason he got into dried flowers was because, after working with hogs, he didn’t smell like the kind of guy women would want to talk to. But if he smelled like flowers, well… that was a whole different story! And so, he planted flowers, and, as Fred puts it, he figured it might help with both business and his social life!

💚 40 Years Later, We’re Still Growing!
From those first flowers to the vibrant farm we are today, we’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. And it’s all thanks to YOU, our amazing supporters. 🌱

Join us every week as we share more stories from our 40-year journey and continue growing together! 🌾👨‍🌾

What was your first memory of our farm? Drop a comment below! 💬👇

02/01/2025

Farmer Fred started seeding in the workshop—we’re trying to grow some German Statice! It takes 18 weeks to grow into a viable plug before planting in the field. We used to grow it over 30 years ago for dried flowers—four whole acres of it! 🤯 Can’t wait to reintroduce it to our dried flower selection!

01/14/2025

Love receiving these post!! Bring on the warmer weather and baby goats!!!

01/07/2025

These freezing cold ❄️🥶 days have us dreaming of spring and all the vibrant colors it brings! 🌸🌼 Here's a look back at our beautiful iris field, a glimpse of the joy we have to look forward to.

We’re already counting down to this spring’s Iris Festival, where the beauty of the season will be in full bloom. 🌷✨ Stay tuned for more details—we can’t wait to share it with you!

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01/02/2025

❄️A "snow squall" sure looks pretty....if you don't have to drive in it🙃

12/25/2024

🎄🐐 Merry GOATmas from Our Farm to Yours! 🐐🎄

Our goats have been extra jolly this season and wanted to help spread the holiday cheer! They're wishing you all a Merry GOATmas filled with joy, laughter, and maybe a little mischief (just like them!).

From our farm and family to yours, we hope your holidays are as bright and heartwarming as a cozy night by the fire. Thank you for being part of our journey this year – we’re so grateful for your support and love.

Here’s to making more wonderful memories together in the new year! 🎅✨

With love and happy bleats,
Howell family and the goats

12/23/2024

🎁 Running Out of Time for the Perfect Gift? 🐐

Do you have a goat lover in your life? 🐐💕 Give them a gift they'll never forget—an experience gift!

🎟️ Season Passes
🌟 Gift Cards

Our website has the perfect options for every goat enthusiast. Whether it's a season pass for unlimited fun or a gift card for a day of cuddling the most adorable baby goats, we've got you covered!

Don't wait—head to our website now and give the gift of unforgettable memories. 🐾✨

https://howellsgreenhouseandpumpkinpatch.myshopify.com/

12/18/2024

12/15/2024

Who else is with me?!?! 😄🤣🤪🙋‍♀️🐐🙋‍♀️🐐