FROM THE FIELD: Steve and Jean Moseley
Jean and Steve Moseley raise 3,000 hogs and nearly 500 acres of corn and soybeans each year on their family farm near Hudson. But it’s the harvest from their newest venture – tomatoes from a 2.5-acre vegetable operation -- that has earned them the most local notoriety.
The couple’s picture appears on table tents at Rudy’s Tacos in Waterloo, which uses their tomatoes exclusively during the growing season. They also grow a variety of peppers, herbs, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash and other vegetables. They sell to other restaurants, two managed care facilities and three weekly farmers markets.
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Jean Moseley |
The Moseleys are among 10 to 15 farmers who make up a growers network for 10 institutional food buyers in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area. The network is operated by the University of Northern Iowa Local Food Project, partially funded by grants from the Leopold Center.
Like other growers, the Moseleys have found that sales to universities, hospitals and restaurants help stabilize the rest of their operation.
“About four years ago we realized that we had to quit farrowing pigs because we couldn’t make any money,” said Jean Moseley. “We started to buy small pigs and raise them until market weight, and we also started raising vegetables.”
She said that raising produce could provide additional family income without the need to update her nursing certification and work off the farm. “I used to have a large garden after we were married, and growing vegetables was something we felt we had the background to do,” she said.
They knew that growing the produce was only half of the work.
“My husband is our sales manager,” she said. “He thought that if we were going to grow it, we needed to find someone to buy it, so he contacted UNI and a few restaurants. But it’s really hard to do cold calling.”
They learned about the UNI Local Food Project from Allen Memorial Hospital. Being part of the growers network has helped them establish a steady customer base. They estimate that nearly half of their sales are in the local institutional market.
“During the season, the owner of Rudy’s will buy only our tomatoes,” she said. “He pays $1 a pound the entire season to guarantee the freshest that we have.”
Locally grown tomatoes fetch double the price if they are ready before or after the normal July-through-September season. Hoping to capture this market, the Moseleys have invested $10,000 in a high-end greenhouse to extend the season.
“A lot of farmers have realized that they need to diversify and this is the way we’ve decided to go,” she said. “We’re pleased to have people in our community excited about local foods.”