The Story
The Story
It all Started with the Dream to move West And Farm
Our story begins with my husband and I growing up on farms in Pennsylvania. We loved it and knew we wanted to provide this opportunity to our children someday. Due to the urban sprawl along the east coast, continuing the farming tradition had become very difficult for young couples. So, in 1995, married just a few months we left our family and friends and headed west along with a few purebred Limousin cows to the beautiful, rolling hills of southern Iowa.
In 2001, we restored an original 1930's, hip-roofed, milking barn and opened the Harvest Barn Marketplace. Our country store started with fresh produce and country inspired gifts. We then added our own fabulously scented, hand-poured, soy-blended candles and delicious, homemade fudge made with only the finest ingredients. In 2003 our pumpkin patch, corn maze and fun farm opened, making fall our most popular time to visit the barn.
Due to repeated requests from our customers in 2006 we added our all natural beef and pork products. We have always believed that Limousin cattle, known as the "Butchers Breed", raised the way nature intended creates the best tasting beef. Initially, our calves flourish on the nutrition provided by their mothers, as they grow and mature the calves are able to graze on our pastures and are offered the alfalfa grass hay and corn we grow on our farm. Just like the beef, our pork is superior and comes from our farm raised hogs. We don't feed our animals growth hormones or any antibiotics. Our beef and pork is processed in a family owned, USDA inspected locker and then returned to us. Our quality meat products offer peace of mind in knowing where your food is coming from.
Our daughter, Kaitlyn recently quit her job working at a meat company and has come back to pursue her passions with the family farm and business.
In addition to our Osceola store you can find our sticks and beef chubs as the West Forty Meat Market in Ankeny, Iowa as well as Milton Creamery in Milton, Iowa.
Our Osceola store is currently only open 2 days a month for "Stock Up" days (watch Facebook for updates), but opens for the season in September thru December. However, our online store is open year-round as we ship our customer's favorites nationwide!
We are thankful everyday for the opportunity to offer you these exceptional products and have been blessed with three wonderful children that have grown to love the tradition of farming and raising animals as much as as we did as children and still do today.
Timeline
1986- Jason purchased his first set of commercial cows at the young age of 16.
1989- Jason discovers Iowa while attending the National FFA convention to compete in the National Beef proficiency contest. His FFA advisor toured through Iowa and Jason felt right at home and dreamed of returning someday to farm.
1990- Jason and Amy’s future together begins... both 4-H members, they met at the York Interstate Fair in Pennsylvania while showing livestock.
1994- They wed in Dallastown, Pennsylvania.
1995- “Head west young man”- due to urban sprawl along the east coast, continuing the farming tradition had become very difficult for young couples. Married for just a few months, Jason & Amy left family and friends and headed west taking along a few of their favorite purebred Limousin cows to the beautiful, rolling hills of southern Iowa.
1995 - The start of a dream to farm, Jason and Amy purchased an old farmstead in southern Iowa and completely renovated the place with the help of friends and family.
1997 - Kaitlyn was born. Their adventurous life of being parents began.
2000 - "The Barn" is purchased! A beautiful abandoned 1930 hip roof milking barn sitting along highway 34 near Osceola, Iowa came up for sale and they knew it would be the perfect location to diversify their small farm and open a roadside farm market.
2001 -After months of hard work and dedication from friends and family, the Harvest Barn Marketplace officially opened for business. Their country store started with fresh produce and country inspired gifts.
2003 - The Boyer Boys were born! Kacey and Konrad, two of the best blessings in their lives, entered their world.
2003 - Fall fun farm begins - the pumpkin patch, corn maze and fun farm opened, making fall their most popular time to visit the barn! Harvest Barn candles were also created, where they added their own fabulously scented, hand-poured, soy-blend candles.
2005 -The start of their well-loved fudge begins... delicious, homemade fudge made with only the finest ingredients made daily at the barn!
2006 - The Boyers began selling at the Des Moines Farmer's Market. They sold everything from home-raised beef & pork, fudge, cheeses, and more!
2008- Their own signature recipe shelf stable beef sticks were created! They became an instant favorite at farmer's markets, the retail store, and online!
2015 - The development of the "Barn Gift Box" was born and their journey of shipping delicious holiday gifts began! Their gift boxes are packed with the barn's best signature items and makes the perfect gift for corporate gift-giving, friends, and family.
2017- Construction began of Trixie's Feed Bunk, their fall weekend eatery serving their own farm raised meats, homemade ice cream, and more!
2020- Covid hit and they pivoted from being a Des Moines Farmer's Market vendor to offering a more extensive online store as well as meat drop-offs in the Des Moines area.
2024- Kaitlyn quit her full-time corporate job and came back to the Harvest Barn and family farm full-time! She is doing a variety of things from revamping the online store, to growing the wholesale beef stick business, and more!
