10/03/2026
The Mormon Trail Chamber recently celebrated the ribbon cutting of Clarky Park Acres, a new local roadside stand at 218 Guy Porter Street in Humeston. While the stand may be new to the community, the passion behind it has been growing for years.
Clarky Park Acres began in 2019 as a greenhouse business. Owner Marris Gwinn, has always had a passion for gardening and growing plants. What started as a small greenhouse in her backyard in Pleasantville, where she grew about 200 plants, quickly grew into something much bigger.
The greenhouse business expanded to an industrial-sized permanent greenhouse on the family farm in Pleasantville, where approximately 7,500 seedlings, hanging baskets, and herbs were produced for sale. She has also produced wedding flowers and taught in-person gardening classes.
After marrying Colton and moving to Humeston, she continued looking for ways to grow her business locally. Stan Lavely and Tyler Wilson helped build a stand-alone greenhouse that serves as her main greenhouse operation while she works toward future expansion in Humeston.
Two years ago, for her birthday, Colton, Chat, and Donald Gwinn built her a small roadside stand where she could sell plants and produce that didn’t sell through her website or at the farmers market. This year, she decided to expand the stand, adding more products and sourcing items from local producers and even local auctions.
Her goal is to offer the community a wider variety of products at affordable prices while also giving other local producers a place to sell their goods.
What you’ll find at Clarky Park Acres stand changes with the seasons. In the spring, customers can find garden seedlings, herbs, and flowers started from seed in organic compost. Summer brings fresh garden produce, eggs from local producers, baked goods, jams and jellies, peaches, apples, and more. In the fall, the stand offers seasonal garden produce, pumpkins, gourds, mums, and squash. An outdoor refrigerator has also been added, allowing her to offer items such as sourdough starter and refrigerated baked goods.
Growing plants remains her favorite part of the business. “I love growing plants the most,” she shared. “It makes me excited to track them and see them progress in a healthy manner.”
She also enjoys trying new varieties and learning about plants. One of her most memorable experiments was growing eucalyptus from seed for a wedding which was something she had never attempted before and quickly learned required very specific planting conditions. Marris also maintains a large personal garden and pumpkin patch, which she enjoys tending to.
The name Clarky Park Acres has a special family connection. Her maiden name is Clark, and when she was younger, her dad made a sign for their family farm that read “Clarky Park.” The name stuck and eventually became the name of her business.
The roadside stand is currently self-serve and under video surveillance 24/7. It is expected to operate primarily from May through November, although hours and availability may change with the seasons.
Her hope is simple: to provide the community with a trustworthy and affordable place to purchase plants, seedlings, flowers, and produce throughout the year.
Customers can follow Clarky Park Acres on Facebook for updates and seasonal promotions, or contact her directly by text or phone. Plant orders can also be placed through her website, clarkyparkacres.square.site, during the spring.
Clarky Park Acres can also be found at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market each May, where they have participated since 2019. You can find them on Court Avenue in front of Blue Sushi.
As Clarky Park Acres continues to grow, so does its connection to the community by bringing locally grown products to town, supporting local producers, and giving people another place to find fresh, affordable goods right here in Humeston.
And her message to the community is one worth sharing: “Be good to one another and find Jesus.”
