Greg & I are no strangers to working in the agriculture industry. Our love for agriculture and business led us to pursue college degrees and careers in the agriculture industry. Greg hails from a small town in northern Illinois and I am from a small town in deep southern Illinois, as I like to say. Being from opposite ends of the state, we decided to put our roots down in some black central Illinois soil in 2005. That year we purchased an old four-square farmhouse with 5 acres just east of the small community of Clinton. For several years, we both progressed in our professional careers, but longed to have a farming business of our own. In 2009, we pulled the trigger on an idea and a leap of faith to grow our first crop of 300 hardy garden mums. We were the very first farm in DeWitt County to offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), a seasonal subscription of farm fresh vegetables from June to late September. Fast forward several years later, an additional 10 acres, a lot of innovation, adapting, 19,700 more mums, and here we are.

 

Over the years, we've expanded our season and what grow at our farm, but we've never lost sight of our purpose - to provide and be our best. We put our heart and soul into every inch of our farm and because of that, we want you to feel that love in every part of what we grow and do. From spring to fall, we grow a variety of flowers and food on our little piece of mid-west beauty, while curating unique experiences that feel like visiting friends and inspire a deeper connection with the fruits of our labor.

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Community is an integral part of our farm. We often say if we want the community to support our farm, then we must actively support our community.  We bank, we shop, we dine, and we do business in our community. Community groups and organizations that we're involved with include Agriculture in the Classroom, Dewitt County Farm Bureau, Relay for Life, Clinton FFA, Dewitt County 4-H and Extension, YMCA youth programs, and Ducks Unlimited. Youth organizations are dear to our hearts. We're passionate about employing and mentoring young people with an interest in agriculture or entrepreneurship. It all comes full circle for us when we watch that extremely shy sixteen-year-old farm employee blossom into a knowledgeable, customer-focused, and confident employee by their freshman year of college. That's when we know we're doing more than just growing flowers and vegetables at our farm. We're growing future leaders for our community. 

 

And that's how our little farming business came to fruition. We know we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for our customers. Thank you for taking time to read about our story and learning about our farm. We love connecting with customers and we hope you might come out for a visit during the season so you can see firsthand the labor of love that goes into every plant that we grow and every experience we create. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or comments at mariahandgreg@mariahsmums.com. 

 

Yours truly,
Mariah & Greg Anderson

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