We started our journey on Thanksgiving Day 2015 when we posted this sign in our empty garden plot. Now we had to generate revenue—so we grew microgreens in our basement and sold them online to consumers and local restaurants.

We needed to extend our growing season, so we accepted funding through a USDA grant. With the help of our community, we constructed the high tunnel and it became a huge asset for growing our crops.

In 2019 we hosted our first FarmStand to Fork Dinner where leading Des Moines chefs prepare dinners highlighting local food in our commercial kitchen.

We doubled our footprint when we purchased 1.25 acres of neighboring land. We built two heated greenhouses, a standalone building housing a work space and garage, and a free food pantry.

Dogpatch Garden Center. We stock plants, seeds, soil, fertilizer, and tools to help our customers grow their garden, landscape their property, and even decorate their homes.

In the fall of 2024, we sold our "main property" to Kayla with The Garden Groomer. This property was our flagship piece of land that housed our Air BnB, FarmStand (with commercial kitchen), high tunnel, and first grow-plot. As we transitioned our business we knew Kayla would be the perfect new owner of the land. She now lives in the home and uses the property for her business as well as her personal homestead.

In late October of 2025, we sold our Garden Center property to Lutheran Services in Iowa. The property will now be home to the LSI Global Greens program. The program's goal is to reconnect former refugee farmers with access to space to grow food, learn about US agriculture, and start their own farming businesses. The property will serve the organization well, and we are excited to see their program make our former space their own.