Jill Beebout & Sean Skeehan are the talent behind the delicious produce at Blue Gate Farm. In 2005, they left their professional theatre jobs in Houston, Texas to start a sustainable, diversified farm on their family’s land near Chariton, Iowa. They provide Certified Naturally Grown fruits and vegetables, raw honey, and free range eggs. All products are raised without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. “When people think of conventional farming, this is what they should think of,” Beebout said, “This was conventional farming the way it started- small family farms doing sustainable, diversified farms.”
“We each have our different skill levels and interest,” Skeehan said. “I like the honey bees and dealing with livestock and mechanics. Jill’s full time focus is growing great produce.” They offer a variety of vegetables including arugula, peas, beans, carrots, edamame, eggplant, tomatoes, beets, garlic, onions, peppers, radishes, and sweet potatoes. Their tapestry salad mix featuring more than 40 salad greens, herbs, and edible flowers makes a great addition to any meal.
The majority of the fruit grown on the farm is devoted to jams and jellies. They make a variety of preserves ranging from apple butter to shallot-lemon basil jam. Their infused syrup made from thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, and ginger is a favorite, especially when made into the lemonade they sell at the market on hot days.
You won’t find any Blue Gate Farm products in stores. They only sell direct to consumer through their CSA and the Downtown Farmers’ Market in Des Moines. If you would like to visit the farm, they participate in the Farm Crawl every October. Visit their website for more information about their products and the CSA program.
Skeehan (right) giving a tour of the farm at Farm Crawl 2011
