Meet the farmers
Jordan Clasen
Jordan began to work with produce at the age of 14 at a local grocery store. Before taking the leap to full-time farmer, Jordan spent 5 years managing the produce department for the Gateway Market & Café — a specialty grocery store in Des Moines. With a strong focus on local and organic produce, he was able to work with some of Iowa’s finest producers. He developed an interest in growing garlic and that led him to want to grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables. He loves being able to farm and call it a career. When he isn’t farming (which anyone who knows him knows that’s not often) he enjoys hunting mushrooms with his kids and dying with indigo.
Whitney Clasen
Whitney studied Anthropology at the University of Iowa and after graduating served with Americorps in Decorah, Iowa working with schools to grow gardens, procure local food, and teach about nutrition. After Americorps, she went to Tuscany and worked on a farm where she realized she wanted to try and farm for a profession. Once she returned to the US, she landed a job at Grinnell Heritage Farm where she worked for two seasons and gained valuable experience. She joined Grade A Gardens in 2016. When she isn’t farming, you can usually find her in her kitchen cooking or canning. Jordan and Whitney got married in 2018 and welcomed their daughter, Willa, in 2019 and their son, Canute, in 2021.